Everything you need to know about Mark's Gospel

Mark's gospel was written to show that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. In a dramatic and eventful sequence, Mark paints a suggestive image of Jesus.

Key verses
Mark 10: 44-45
... and anyone who wants to be the first must be a slave to everyone. Because also the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life in ransom for many. (NIV)
Mark 9:35
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be the first, he must be the last and the servant of all." (NIV)
Marco is one of the three synoptic Gospels. Being the shortest of the four Gospels, it was probably the first or first to be written.

Mark illustrates who Jesus is as a person. Jesus' ministry is revealed in vivid detail and the messages of his teaching are presented more through what he has done than what he has said. Mark's Gospel reveals Jesus the Servant.

Who Wrote Mark's Gospel?
John Mark is the author of this gospel. It is believed that he was the servant and writer of the apostle Peter. This is the same John Mark who traveled as a helper with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 13). John Mark is not one of the 12 disciples.

Written date
The Gospel of Mark was written around 55-65 AD This was probably the first Gospel to be written since all the other three except 31 Gospels have been found.

Written to
Marco was written to encourage Christians in Rome and the wider church.

Landscape
John Mark wrote Mark's Gospel in Rome. Book settings include Jerusalem, Bethany, the Mount of Olives, Golgotha, Jericho, Nazareth, Capernaum and Caesarea Philippi.

Themes in Mark's Gospel
Mark records more miracles of Christ than any other gospel. Jesus demonstrates his divinity in Mark by demonstrating miracles. There are more miracles than messages in this gospel. Jesus shows that he means what he says and is what he says.

In Mark, we see Jesus the Messiah coming as a servant. Reveal who is through what he does. Explain his mission and message through his actions. John Mark captures Jesus on the move. He skips the birth of Jesus and quickly dives into presenting his public ministry.

The main theme of Mark's Gospel is that Jesus came to serve. He gave his life in the service of humanity. He lived his message through service, so we can follow his actions and learn from his example. The ultimate purpose of the book is to reveal Jesus' call to personal brotherhood through daily discipleship.

Key characters
Jesus, the disciples, the Pharisees and religious leaders, Pilate.

Missing verses
Some of Marco's early manuscripts are missing these closing lines:

Mark 16: 9-20
Now, when he got up early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had driven out seven demons. He went and said to those who had been with him while they wept and wept. But when they learned that he was alive and had been seen by her, they didn't believe it.

After these things, he appeared in another form to two of them as they walked into the country. And they went back and said to the others, but they didn't believe it.

Subsequently he appeared to the eleven themselves as they had settled down at the table, and reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen him after he got up.

And he said to them: "Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to all creation ..."

Then the Lord Jesus, after speaking with them, was taken to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs. (ESV)

Notes on the Gospel of Mark
The preparation of Jesus Servant - Mark 1: 1-13.
The message and ministry of Jesus Servant - Mark 1: 14-13: 37.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Servant - Mark 14: 1-16: 20.