John Mark 

John Mark was the son of Elijah and Mary Mark, who gave their consent for him to follow Jesus after he encountered Jesus’s disciples preaching and teaching with John the Baptist at the Jordan River. He served as a helper to the apostolic corp, and is depicted as a young lad during Jesus’s mortal lifetime. His legacy is the Gospel of Mark, which bears his name.

As later told to him by Jesus, John Mark’s early life was shaped by his parent’s love and wisdom that ensured self-confidence, fostered normal feelings of security, and encouraged him to live in the world by permitting him to have original experiences.

John Mark was accompanied by his young friend, Amos, who did not receive parental permission as he did to become a helper of the apostolic group. While the apostle Philip provided food for Jesus and the group, it was John Mark who kept supplies and became their chore boy. Following the momentous feeding of the five thousand, when the crowd called for Jesus to be their king, Jesus clarified that it was not in accordance with his Father's will and finished with, "If you must have a king, let the Father of lights be enthroned in the heart of each of you as the spirit Ruler of all things.”

The crowd was silent, the apostles stunned, and only John Mark spoke, saying “And he refused to be our king.”

On the Wednesday rest day before his trial and crucifixion, Jesus started off alone in the hills to be with his Father in preparation for his upcoming trials. John Mark came forward with a small basket containing food and water and suggested that, if he intended to be away all day, he might find himself hungry. In an effort to convince Jesus of his need to eat, John Mark said: “But, Master, you may set the basket down while you turn aside to pray and go on without it. Besides, if I should go along to carry the lunch, you would be more free to worship, and I will surely be silent. I will ask no questions and will stay by the basket when you go apart by yourself to pray.” And so it was that this young lad spent a "full day alone with God" in the hills, much to the envy of the on-looking apostles who witnessed what they so desired to do!

During this time he had a wonderful visit with the Master, but never did reveal anything that transpired on this day which he spent with Jesus in the hills. He never let Jesus out of his sight for the remainder of his life in the flesh.

The Last Supper was held in the upper chamber of John's parents home in Jerusalem. Jesus had arranged to quietly provide for the last supper with his apostles at the Mark home, in an attempt to make sure that Judas would not find out and cut short his time with the apostles.

Throughout the few remaining hours of Jesus’ earth life, John Mark never permitted the Master for long to get out of his sight. Always was the lad hiding nearby; he slept only when Jesus slept. John Mark remained so near the Master throughout Thursday night in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the next day, that he witnessed everything and overheard much of what the Master said up until the hour of the crucifixion. He and David Zebedee had the pulse on what was happening and going to happen as the whole process unfolded.

Late Saturday night, after the crucifixion, John Mark summoned the eleven apostles secretly to come to the home of his father. Just before midnight, they all assembled in the same upper chamber where they had partaken of the Last Supper with their Master two nights previously.

On Friday morning, April 21, 30 CE, John Mark recognized Jesus as he approached the shore of Bethsaida. Rushing up to the Master, John knelt at his feet and said, “My Lord and my Master.” Then Jesus spoke, not as he had in Jerusalem when he greeted them with “Peace be upon you,” but in commonplace tones he addressed John Mark: “Well, John, I am glad to see you again and in carefree Galilee, where we can have a good visit. Stay with us, John, and have breakfast.”

Early May, 30 CE, turned out to be a sad home-coming for John Mark. Just a few hours before he reached home, his father, Elijah Mark, suddenly died from a hemorrhage in the brain. Although the thought of the certainty of the resurrection of the dead did much to comfort the apostles in their grief, at the same time they truly mourned the loss of their good friend, who had been their staunch supporter even in times of great trouble and disappointment. John Mark did all he could to comfort his mother and, speaking for her, invited the apostles to continue to make their home at her house. The eleven made this upper chamber their headquarters until after the day of Pentecost.

The Gospel according to Mark is the earliest (excepting the notes of Andrew), briefest, and most simple record of Jesus’ life. Mark wrote his record at Peter's request and the earnest request of the church in Rome. Although Mark was a young man who lingered over many of the scenes he depicts, his record is, in reality, the Gospel according to Peter. Mark made many notes before Peter died in CE 67, and he began writing soon after Peter's death.

His gospel does not include the whole experience that Peter said he had of heading out of the boat to meet Jesus, who was walking on the water, because it was Peter’s night vision and John Mark was not fully convinced of this story. He also did not include the more stringent and advanced ideas about divorce that other New Testament writers include.

After the ascension of Jesus, and acting upon the instruction of Peter, John Mark and others went forth to call the leading disciples together at the home of Mary Mark. By ten thirty, one hundred and twenty of the foremost disciples of Jesus living in Jerusalem had gathered to hear the report of the farewell message of the Master and to learn of his ascension.

Such was the experience of this young lad whose time with Jesus eventually motivated him to transcribe all his moments with and teachings of the Master as he remembered them in the Gospel according to Mark.