The Book of Numbers

In the Beginning
 Audio MP3

"The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son" (1 Peter 5:13). What do we know about the author of the Gospel of Mark? Not much at all, there is very little written in the scriptures about John Mark.

The Apostle Peter refers to him as a close associate, even as a son. The Book of Acts tells us that the Apostle Peter first went to John Mark’s mother’s house after the Lord’s angel released him from prison. John Mark would have been a young man when Peter knocked on the door of his house. Witnessing this miracle would have surely left a powerful im-pression on him. Perhaps this was the key moment that enjoined them for their future ministry together.

This issue of The Herald provides helpful insights into John Mark’s important and beautiful work in recording the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1). While a few historical facts help us fill-in the missing pieces, the articles will concentrate on the words that John Mark wrote.

"The Gospel of Mark" considers the unique qualities of John Mark’s work such as its Aramaic words, its audience, the Messianic secret, and the enigmatic young man. "Miracles in the Gospel of Mark" considers the gospel’s origin and provides contextual insights such as how the miracles of Jesus provide proofs to any audience that Jesus was the Messiah.

"Whose Son is He?" addresses the question of whether Jesus was the Son of God, the Son of Man, or both. "Jesus’ Galilean Ministry" describes several beautiful lessons that Jesus taught by choosing the Galilee area for the beginning of his ministry. Its beautiful pastoral setting, the quality of its people, and the relative isolation provided by the Lake of Gennesaret, provided a lovely backdrop for Jesus ministry and activities.

"Christ’s Final Week" provides insight filled summaries of the last five chapters of the Gospel of Mark. It looks at Jesus’ return to Jerusalem, his encounters with his enemies, and his care to instill the lessons of the Kingdom in the hearts of his disciples. "Evidence on Mark 16: 9-20" provides details for the spurious words that were added to the end of the Gospel of Mark. "John Mark" is a thoughtful look at the wonderful person who penned this Gospel.

We hope the reader will be blessed by the testimony left by John Mark, providing us glimpses of the memories of the Apostle Peter.