Gospel of Mark facts for kids
The Gospel of Mark is a book found in the Bible. It is the second book of the New Testament. It comes after the Gospel of Matthew, even though some people think it might have been written before it. Most people believe John Mark wrote this book. He was a friend of Peter, who was one of the twelve main followers of Jesus, called apostles.
The word "gospel" means "good news". The four gospels in the New Testament tell the story of Jesus's life. The Gospel of Mark tells its story very quickly. It shows how much Jesus worked during his short three-year time of teaching. Many stories about Jesus in Mark's gospel are also found in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke. Because of this, Matthew, Mark, and Luke are often called the "Synoptic Gospels".
Contents
When Was Mark's Gospel Written?
Most experts believe the Gospel of Mark was written between the years AD 65 and 75. It is thought to be the very first of the gospels to be written.
Mark's gospel might have been written for people who were not Jews. These people are called Gentiles. The book explains some of Jesus's words in Greek. This would have helped Gentiles understand them, as Jews already knew these meanings.
What Is Inside Mark's Gospel?
Mark's gospel does not include some details found in other gospels. For example, it does not tell the stories about Jesus's birth. However, it includes many stories about Jesus doing miracles. It has more miracle stories than any other Bible writer.
When Jesus was arrested to be crucified, the book mentions a young man. This young man was almost caught by the guards. But he slipped out of his robe and got away. Some people think this young man was Mark himself. This small detail might have been included to show that Mark was there. If it was Mark, it means he was a follower of Jesus. He probably saw Jesus crucified and come back to life after three days.
The End of Mark's Gospel
The last chapter of Mark has some verses after verse 8. These verses might not have been part of the original book. They are missing in some very old handwritten copies of the gospel. However, these verses give more information about what Jesus said after he came back to life. These sayings are similar to what the other gospels record.
Related pages
Images for kids
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The end of Mark 15 (excluding v. 47), along with Mark 16:1 in Codex Sinaiticus (c. AD 350).
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Andrea Mantegna's St. Mark, 1448
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The two-source hypothesis: Most scholars agree that Mark was the first of the gospels to be composed, and that the authors of Matthew and Luke used it plus a second document called the Q source when composing their own gospels.
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Mark the Evangelist, 16th-century Russian icon
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List of kephalaia (chapters) to the Gospel of Mark, placed after the colophon of the Gospel of Matthew and before the Gospel of Mark, in Codex Alexandrinus (AD 400–440).
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Page from Mark in a Latin bible dated 1486 (Bodleian Library)
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First page of the Gospel of Mark: "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God", by Sargis Pitsak (14th century)
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Minuscule 2427 – "Archaic Mark"
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"Entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment" – Mark's description of the discovery of the empty tomb (from the Pericopes of Henry II)
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St. Mark with angels, holding his gospel. His symbol, the winged lion, also appears with him. Detail from St Mark's Cathedral.
See also
In Spanish: Evangelio de Marcos para niños
