THE BOOK

OF MARK
Thomas Shepherd

Publishing Association
Nampa, Idaho | www.pacificpress.com
Cover design by Brandon Reese
Cover design resources: Lars Justinen

Copyright © 2024 by Pacific Press® Publishing Association

Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved

The author assumes full responsibility for the accuracy of all facts and quotations
as cited in this book.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, En­
glish Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing
ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked ASV are from the American Standard Version.
Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations marked LSB are from the Legacy Standard Bible, copy­
right © 2021 by the Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in part­
nership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc.
Scripture quotations marked The Message are from The Message, copyright ©
1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Pub­
lishing Group. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW IN­
TERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Bib­
lica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Ver­
sion of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of
the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of
the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division of Christian Educa­
tion of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission.

Additional copies of this book are available for purchase by calling toll-free
1-800-765-6955 or by visiting AdventistBookCenter.com.

ISBN 978-0-8163-6998-0

January 2024
Contents

Introduction 9
Chapter 1 The Beginning of the Gospel 13
Chapter 2 A Day in the Ministry of Jesus 21
Chapter 3 Controversies 29
Chapter 4 Parables 38
Chapter 5 Miracles Around the Lake 46
Chapter 6 Inside Out 55
Chapter 7 Teaching Disciples, Part 1 65
Chapter 8 Teaching Disciples, Part 2 74
Chapter 9 Jerusalem Controversies 83
Chapter 10 The Last Days 92
Chapter 11 Taken and Tried 100
Chapter 12 Tried and Crucified 108
Chapter 13 The Risen Lord 116
 1
The Beginning of the Gospel

When we go to a bookstore to find a good book to read,

we often look for something by a particular author, knowing
that person writes well. It may be a bit surprising, therefore,
to realize that the four Gospels in our Bibles never mention
the names of their authors in the text of these books. The
Gospel that comes closest to naming the author is the Gospel
of John, but even there, the author is simply known as “the
disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 21:20–24).
However, in every case where we have the beginning of one
of these books in the earliest manuscripts, the titles always
include a proper name: “The Gospel according to Mark” (or
Matthew, Luke, or John) or simply “according to Mark.”

Who was Mark?

Mark was a common name in the Roman Empire, so we
cannot be sure which Mark wrote the Gospel with his name
attached. 1 But early church tradition—some of it going
back to the second century—links the book with the Mark
connected with the apostle Peter (1 Peter 5:13).2 Irenaeus,
writing in the second century, states: “Matthew also issued

13
 The Book of Mark

a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect,

while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the
foundations of the Church. After their departure, Mark, the
disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in
writing what had been preached by Peter.”3
In the fourth century, Eusebius gives more details about
Mark’s ministry and references Papias, from the second
century, as one of his sources:

But a great light of religion shone on the minds of the

hearers of Peter, so that they were not satisfied with a
single hearing or with the unwritten teaching of the
divine proclamation, but with every kind of exhortation
besought Mark, whose Gospel is extant, seeing that he
was Peter’s follower, to leave them a written statement
of the teaching given them verbally, nor did they cease
until they had persuaded him, and so became the cause
of the Scripture called the Gospel according to Mark.
And they say that the Apostle, knowing by the revelation
of the Spirit to him what had been done, was pleased
at their zeal, and ratified the scripture for study in the
churches. Clement quotes the story in the sixth book of
the Hypotyposes, and the bishop of Hierapolis, named
Papias, confirms him. He also says that Peter mentions
Mark in his first Epistle, and that he composed this in
Rome itself.4

It is not unreasonable to assume that the person referred

to as John Mark in the book of Acts is the person who wrote
the Gospel of Mark. He is first mentioned in Acts 12:12 as
the son of a woman named Mary, who is evidently a wealthy
patron of the church.
This same young man became a traveling companion of
Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts

14
 The Beginning of the Gospel

13:1–13). But after their experience in Cyprus with the

Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus (also called Elymas),
Mark decided to return to Jerusalem (verse 13). Luke gives
no reason for this, but it seems that he returned because
of discouragement at the difficulty of the missionary trip.5
Reading between the lines, we might surmise that a young
man used to an upper-class lifestyle would not be up to the
rigors of a missionary journey in the first century. Perhaps it
was his first time away from home, and he got more than he
bargained for. In any case, he was a failed missionary.
But Barnabas, meaning “son of encouragement” (Acts
4:36), saw hope for the young man and wanted to take him
along on the next missionary journey. This led to quite a row
with Paul, who did not want to take a failed missionary with
him on another trip (Acts 15:36–41). The two seasoned men
separated over this disagreement, but God used the unfor­
tunate incident to create two missionary teams in the place
of one. Paul took Silas and went to Syria and Cilicia, and
Barnabas took Mark and went to Cyprus—the very place
Mark had left earlier to return home. Barnabas lived up to his
name. Mark was rehabilitated to the point where the apostle
Paul wanted him to be part of his team, writing to Timothy
years later, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very
useful to me for ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11; cf. Colossians
4:10; Philemon 23, 24).
It is striking that a man who failed early in his experience
eventually regained his footing to the point that he was
useful and endeared to both the apostle Paul and the apostle
Peter. Since he is likely the author of the Gospel of Mark, we
might wonder if any telltale signs of his experience of failure
and rehabilitation emerge in his story of Jesus. Indeed, it
appears that we see such signs.
In this Gospel, the apostle Peter has an initial link and
bond with Jesus that leads him to confess his Master as the

15
 The Book of Mark

Messiah and insist that he will be faithful unto death (Mark

14:29). Unfortunately, he fails miserably in his promise
(verses 66–72). But at the end of the Gospel, Peter receives
a special message, not reported in any other Gospel, as
expressed by the “young man” (angel) at the empty tomb:
“But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before
you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you”
(Mark 16:7; emphasis added).
It all sounds similar to the experience of the young John
Mark, who showed interest in being a missionary for Jesus,
only to fail and return home but then be reinstated and reha­
bilitated for ministry. Note how this compares with Ellen
White’s description of the writers of the Bible: “The Creator
of all ideas may impress different minds with the same
thought, but each may express it in a different way, yet with­
out contradiction. The fact that this difference exists should
not perplex or confuse us. It is seldom that two persons will
view and express truth in the very same way. Each dwells
on particular points which his constitution and education have
fitted him to appreciate. The sunlight falling upon the different
objects gives those objects a different hue.”6
Thus, we suggest that John Mark’s personal experience
gave him special empathy for understanding the failure and
restoration of Peter. This may have drawn him into a special
relationship with the aged apostle: “Mark, my son” (1 Peter
5:13).

The beginning of the Gospel of Mark

The Gospel of Mark begins with an incomplete sentence
(Mark 1:1–3). Many Bible translations make verse 1 a
sentence of its own, even though it has no verb. But in Greek,
the sentence, which is still incomplete grammatically, may
actually extend through verse 3. It is a conversation between
God the Father (“I,” verse 2) and God the Son (“your,” verse

16
 The Beginning of the Gospel

2), couched in the language of three passages from the Old

Testament—Exodus 23:20; Isaiah 40:3; and Malachi 3:1.
Each of these verses contributes to the message, but Mark
only refers to Isaiah: “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet”
(Mark 1:2).7 The reason for this focus on Isaiah has to do
with a major theme of the Gospel of Mark—Jesus’ ultimate
destination.
This focus on movement—where Jesus is headed—is high­
lighted by the words “the way of the Lord” in verse 3, which
come from Isaiah 40:3. In the book of Isaiah, this “way of the
Lord” will be a new Exodus of God’s people.8 Jesus’ ministry
in Mark will open before His disciples this new direction in
life. But the path will lead to a location they do not expect—
the cross. It will be the place where Jesus’ death becomes “a
ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). However, the disciples first
must come to recognize who He is before He can reveal the
tragic reality of His destination.
The baptism of Jesus in Mark 1:9–11 is the vital commence­
ment of His ministry. Present at this event are God the Father
(“You are my beloved Son,” verse 11); Jesus, God the Son;
and God the Holy Spirit, descending in the form of a dove.9
The presence of the Three Members of the Godhead together
at the same event signals that this event is crucial for under­
standing Jesus’ ministry in Mark’s Gospel.
The meaning of Jesus’ ministry continues to unfold in His
temptation in the wilderness (verses 12, 13). Mark’s report
of the temptation in the wilderness is much shorter than the
accounts of Matthew and Luke. Those Gospels tell of the
three temptations and Jesus’ response to them. Mark only
gives the barest of details with no dialogue.
But what is surprising is the way in which Jesus appears as
both a strong and weak character in the opening events of the
Gospel story. Jesus is the One stronger than John the Baptist
(verse 7). He will baptize with the Holy Spirit (verse 8). He

17
 The Book of Mark

is the One on whom the Spirit rests and is the beloved Son
(verses 10, 11). But He is driven by the Spirit into the wilder­
ness, is tempted by the devil, is ministered to by angels, and
lives with the wild beasts (verses 12, 13).
Why this emphasis on strength and seeming weakness? It
is the opening indication of where Jesus is headed—not to
a throne but to a cross, not to cast out the Romans but to
become the “ransom for many” (Mark 10:45), and not to rule
but to serve (verses 42–45).

Preaching in Galilee
More of the meaning of Jesus’ ministry unfolds in His
preaching in Galilee. His message is simple and direct: “The
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent
and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Jesus’ message here has
three parts: a reference to a time prophecy, the announcement
of the kingdom of God, and a call to discipleship (“repent
and believe”).
The time prophecy in view is the beautiful seventy-weeks
Messianic prophecy of Daniel 9:24–27. In many Bible trans­
lations, verses 25 and 26 reference an “anointed one.” The
Hebrew word is māšîaḥ, which is the word Messiah. The
reason that many Bibles do not translate this as “Messiah” is
because of scholars’ belief that the text refers to Antiochus
Epiphanes in the second century bc rather than to Jesus in
the first century ad.
However, a historicist reading of Daniel leads to the clear
application of this passage to Jesus and His relationship to His
people. Daniel 9 points to the beginning of the seventy-weeks
prophecy with the going forth of the decree to “restore and build
Jerusalem” (verse 25).
Three decrees were given for this rebuilding: Cyrus in 537
bc, Darius I in 520 bc, and Artaxerxes 458/457 bc (Ezra
1:1–4; 6:1–12; 7:1–26). 10 It was the third of these decrees

18
 The Beginning of the Gospel

that restored the civil state in Palestine.11 Marking from this

time leads to a date of ad 27 for the baptism of Jesus.12 Luke
3:1, 2 indicates that John the Baptist began his ministry in
the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, and while there are some
complexities in determining this date, a good case can be
made for it extending from ad 27 to ad 28.13 Consequently,
we believe that the prophecy was exactly fulfilled with the
baptism of Jesus.
A striking parallel to this fulfillment of prophecy in Mark
1 is the first angel’s message of Revelation 14:7. The angel
says, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his
judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and
earth, the sea and the springs of water.” The parallel to Jesus’
gospel message is illustrated in the following table.

Parallels between Mark 1 and Revelation 14

Mark 1 Category Revelation 14
Time fulfilled Time prophecy Hour of judgment
(Daniel 9) (Daniel 7; 8)
Kingdom near Covenant promise Hour of judgment
(cf. Daniel 7:22, 27)
Repent and believe Call to discipleship Fear, glorify, and
the gospel worship God

Just as Jesus’ preaching at the beginning of the gospel

proclamation was a fulfillment of the seventy-weeks prophecy
of Daniel 9, so the end-time preaching of the three angels’
messages is a fulfillment of the great 2,300-day prophecy of
Daniel 8, which parallels the judgment scene of Daniel 7. God
comes to the rescue of His people: first, by sending His Son to
die on the cross at the initiation of the gospel message; and at
the end, with the preaching of the three angels’ messages, which
is a final call for people to worship their Creator and Judge.

19
 The Book of Mark

1. See R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark, New International Greek Tes­

tament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002), 36, 37.
2. See Eusebius, Church History 2.15.1–2; 3.39.15; 6.14.5–7; Irenaeus,
Against Heresies 3.1.1.
3. Irenaeus, Against Heresies (3.1.1), in vol. 1 of The Ante-Nicene Fa-
thers, trans. Arthur Cushman McGiffert, ed. Alexander Roberts, James
Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature
Pub., 1885), 414.
4. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History (2.15.1–2), vol. 1, trans. Kirsopp
Lake, Loeb Classical Library 153 (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1926),
143, 145.
5. Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific
Press®, 1911), 169, 170.
6. Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, bk. 1 (Washington, DC: Review
and Herald®, 1958), 22; emphasis added.
7. The earliest and more reliable manuscripts have “As it is written in
Isaiah the prophet.” Later scribes noticed that the text references Exodus,
Isaiah, and Malachi, and so shifted the wording to “As it is written in the
prophets.”
8. See Rikki E. Watts, Isaiah’s New Exodus in Mark, Biblical Studies
Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2000), 89.
9. The Three Members of the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit—are referred to together more than forty times in the New Testa­
ment. The doctrine of the Trinity is not a minor teaching of Scripture.
10. Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary,
vol. 4 (Washington, DC: Review and Herald®, 1980), 925.
11. Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, 4:925.
12. Seventy prophetic weeks times seven days in a week equals 490 years.
The Messiah would come after sixty-nine prophetic weeks or 483 years:
483 years – 457 bc = ad 26. However, there is no year 0 between bc and
ad; hence, the number 1 must be added to the ad year when crossing
from bc to ad. Therefore, the sixty-nine weeks extend to ad 27.
13. Francis. D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commen-
tary, vol. 5 (Washington, DC: Review and Herald®, 1980), 242–248.

20