CHURCH 07 – Spiritual Leadership NT – John Mark

CHURCH 07 - LEADERSHIP CASE STUDY - JOHN MARK

John Mark's life (consecutive & exhaustive list of NT references)

Gospels                                26-30 AD                       not among the twelve

  • Mark is not one of the 12 disciples.
  • How then can he write a gospel, if he is not an eye witness of Jesus? Good question.
  • Actually we know that many other disciples followed Jesus other than the twelve, there are also the 70 (Luk 10:1), and the 120 in the upper room (Acts 1:15). Yet still.

Acts 12:12                             44 AD                           church meetings at Mark’s house                                     age 27 years

Context: Jesus has died and resurrected, the first church has been planted and has been growing for quite some time. The Jewish government again starts persecuting, killing James and imprisoning Peter. Peter is miraculously freed by an angel at dead of night. Where does he go after being freed? The age of Mark is based on Mrk 14:51 (explanation further down).

As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many had gathered and were praying

  • Mark’s mother Mary is a believer, and a hostess of the first church. It seems her house was the center (as Peter goes there). Most likely she had some leadership role as well. She is godly, courageous and committed: to host prayer meetings at a time of persecution is an act of courage.
  • Mark’s full name is John Mark, and Luke finds that important enough to record. He refers to the mother by the son.
  • John Mark has a godly, committed mother, the leaders of the church frequent his house, the church meets in his house. This means he is exposed to a living Christianity and probably knows all the apostles personally.

Acts 12:25                            47-48 AD                       Barnabas & Paul bring Mark to Antioch                          age 33y

Context: The church has expanded to many areas, Antioch of Syria emerges as a new center. Barnabas and Paul teach there. They make a trip to Jerusalem to deliver a donation to the church because of a famine.

Then after completing their mission Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem and brought with them John, whose other name was Mark.

  • Mark has emerged as a faithful person. Barnabas and Paul recruit him, take him to a new setting, further disciple, teach and train him as a co-worker for the gospel.
  • Col 4:10 says that Mark is Barnabas’ cousin (or nephew). Uncle Barnabas has just found himself another disciple :-).

Acts 13:5                              47-48 AD                      Mark joins the 1st missionary journey team                    age 33y

Context: The church in Antioch is lead by the Spirit to send out their first missionary team to the Gentiles: Barnabas and Paul
And they had John also to assist them.
  • John Mark is is taken by Barnabas and Saul on the first missionary journey as assistant, probably for further exposure and discipleship.

Acts 13:13                             47-48 AD                       Mark leaves the team halfway                                          age 33y

Then Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem.
  • John Mark leaves the team, no express reasons are given.
  • Possible reasons: before it was “Barnabas and Paul”, from Acts 13:13 onwards it’s “Paul amd Barnabas” It seems Barnabas has handed over leadership to Paul, his disciple.
  • It also seems John Mark doesn’t like that. He leaves the team, stated as a contrast (‘however’), and goes back not to Antioch but Jerusalem, which could further indicate him ‘leaving the ministry’.

Acts 15:37-40                       50 AD                            Quarrel & Division over Mark                                            age 34y

Context: The Jerusalem council is successfully over. A big problem has been solved peacefully. Paul suggests to Barnabas to revisit the newly planted churches.
Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul decided not to take with them one who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work. The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and set out …
  • Barnabas, the discipler-encourager wants to take Mark on 2nd journey, keep discipling him, giving him a further chance in the hope that this time he will do better..
  • Paul doesn’t want to take him precisely on the grounds that he already proved unfaithful. The word ‘deserted’ arises.
  • Paul and Barnabas have a sharp dispute over John Mark joining the team, so sharp that the team splits!
  • How would you like to be the reason for a major fallout between two great leaders? Mark must have been so embarrassed.
  • Barnabas continues to disciple and give ministry opportunities to Mark.
  • Who was right? Actually the further history tells us the answer:

Col 4:10                                 62 AD                           Paul recommending Mark                                                  age 46y

Context: 12 years passed since the Jerusalem council and the conflict with Barnabas. Paul has been on missionary journeys & jail sprees since then. When he writes to the Colossian church he includes a recommendation of Mark.

Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner greets you, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom you have received instruction – if he comes to you, welcome him.

  • Mark appears again, here commended by Paul, known to the Colossians, and on a mission himself.
  • It seems that Barnabas has succeeded with his discipleship and also Paul sees Mark as a valuable worker now.

Phm 24                                  62 AD                         Paul calling Mark fellow worker                                           age 46 y

Context: Parallel to Colossians Paul writes Philemon.

Epaphras sends greetings to you … as so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

  • Paul, imprisoned in Rome, calls Mark a fellow worker of his.

2 Tim 4:11                            64-65 AD                      Paul requests Mark’s service or co-work                          age 48-49 y

Context: In Paul’s last letter he requests Timothy to bring Mark to him in Rome.
Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry.
  • Paul recognizes and requests Mark’s presence, help and co-work, acknowledging his usefulness.

1 Pet 5:13                              65 AD                         Peter calls Mark his son                                                       age 49 y

Context: At this time both Paul and Peter are in Rome.
Your sister church … sends you greetings; and so does my son Mark.
  • Peter calls Mark his son, speaking of a close relationship, intimate knowledge, years of fellowship, affirmation and representation.

Mrk 14:51                              29-30 AD                     young man running off naked                                             age about 16 y 

Context: Jesus has just prayed in Gethsemane, Judas has betrayed him, the temple guards have arrested Jesus and his disciples has fled the scene in panic. Then comes this little story:
A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.
  • Who would know this story? who would care enough about this story to include it in his gospel?
  • Well, Mark himself. He is the young men running away naked in that fateful night.
  • Why does he include this embarrassing story?
  • Maybe to let the audience know, that he, too, felt frightened, overwhelmed and fled. He shares his failure to encourage his readers, who are facing persecution.
  • Maybe he also includes the story because he lets his audience know, that he, too, is an eye witness to the death (and resurrection) of Jesus Christ.
  • He, too, was a follower even back then. Though he was very young, he had experienced Jesus himself, witnessed his death with his own eyes. John Mark states his authority as a gospel writer and eye witness to Jesus.

Gospel of Mark                     65-67 AD                     Mark writing from Rome to Rome                                       age 49-51 y

Context: Nero’s persecution has started. Paul & Peter have been martyred along with
many others.

  • Mark, as Paul’s co-worker and Peter’s ‘son’, co-worker and translator writes his gospel, that is in many ways ‘Peter’s gospel’. This is quoted from church history: Irenaeus, the bishop of Lyon (died 202 AD) and the Christian historian Eusebius(died 339 AD) bear witness to this.
  • John Mark writes his gospel for the encouragement of the Roman church suffering cruelly at the hands of Emperor Nero, but also to preserve the eye witness’ accounts, since eyewitnesses like Peter are being killed.

Church Traditions on John Mark

  • According to the Coptic tradition, Mark was born in Cyrene, in the Pentapolis in North Africa (today’s Lybia). He later in live returns to the Pentapolis.
  • He then goes to Alexandria of Egypt, where the pagans of the city resent his efforts to turn the Alexandrian away from the worship of their traditional gods.
  • In AD 68, they placed a rope around his neck and dragged him through the streets until he was dead.
  • The Italian city of Venice claims to host the relics of John Mark in the St. Mark’s Basilica.

Application from the life of John Mark

  • Perfection is not required, failures can be recovered from.
  • How important are the disciplers-encouragers, who have faith in people, care for people, invest in people and give them a second chance!
  • But how equally important to catch the opportunity given: to not ‘save face’ and leave, but rather to humble oneself, admit failure, face the shame, go through the process of being restored, being faithful and patient, slowly proving trustworthy.
  • Don’t give up on yourself easily! Don’t give up on others easily!
  • Give grace! Receive grace!
  • We say: once reputation lost, always lost. We say: now it doesn’t matter any more. But God has promised to redeem anybody and everybody who is willing. He can restore anything if we are willing to go through the process it takes.
  • What circumstances or difficulties am I facing now, that God asks me to be faithful, patient and persevering in?
  • Where have I seen God use some failure, suffering, embarrassing story for good in my (or somebody’ else’s) life? How did it bless others?
  • Mark, once a failure, has served well: After 2000 years his gospel is still read, loved and people receive comfort from it. Mark would have been amazed to know this. We will never know (before eternity) what one faithful life can accomplish!
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