Study Guide: The Gospel of Mark - Introduction

Five-Day Study Guide on the Gospel of Mark

Day 1: Who Was Mark?

Focus: Understanding the author’s background.
Readings:

• Acts 13:13 – John Mark leaves Paul and Barnabas

• Acts 15:36–41 – Paul and Barnabas dispute over Mark

• Colossians 4:10 – John Mark identified as Barnabas’ cousin

• 1 Peter 5:13 – Mark connected with Peter in Rome

Reflection Questions:

• What do these verses reveal about Mark’s journey of failure and restoration?

• How does God use imperfect people to accomplish His perfect plan?

Day 2: Mark and Peter – Eyewitness Roots

Focus: The influence of Peter in shaping Mark’s Gospel.
Readings:

• Matthew 16:13–20 – Peter’s confession of Christ

• Luke 22:54–62 – Peter’s denial of Jesus

• John 21:15–19 – Peter’s restoration

• Compare with Mark 14:66–72 – Peter’s denial in Mark’s Gospel

Reflection Questions:

• How might Peter’s personal failures and restoration have shaped the stories he told Mark?

• Why do you think God chose to preserve these honest, raw accounts?

Day 3: The Date and Urgency of Mark

Focus: Written around the time of the Temple’s destruction, Mark highlights urgency.
Readings:

• Mark 13:1–13 – Jesus’ prophecy about the Temple

• Mark 13:32–37 – The call to stay alert

• 2 Peter 1:16–21 – Eyewitness testimony affirmed

Reflection Questions:

• How would the destruction of the Temple impact Jewish and Christian communities?

• Why does urgency matter in Mark’s message of the Kingdom of God?

Day 4: The Genre – A Biography of Jesus

Focus: Seeing Mark as an ancient biography (bios).
Readings:

• Mark 1:1–15 – The opening of Mark: Jesus’ identity and mission

• Mark 2:1–12 – Healing and authority to forgive sins

• Mark 6:30–44 – Feeding the five thousand

• Mark 10:45 – Jesus’ mission statement

Reflection Questions:

• How does Mark emphasize Jesus’ actions and words more than commentary?

• Why is it important that the Gospels are portraits of Jesus’ person, not just timelines?

Day 5: Mark’s Purpose – Encountering Jesus the Messiah

Focus: Mark’s ultimate goal—to reveal Jesus as Prophet, Teacher, and Messiah.
Readings:

• Mark 8:27–38 – Peter declares Jesus as the Christ; Jesus explains His mission

• Mark 9:2–10 – The Transfiguration

• Mark 15:33–39 – The centurion declares, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

• Mark 16:1–8 – The empty tomb

Reflection Questions:

• What moments in Mark most clearly reveal Jesus’ identity to you?

• How does encountering Jesus through Mark strengthen your faith today?