Before we examine Mark’s account, we should ask: Who is this author, and why should we listen to him? The Gospel itself doesn’t name its author, but early church tradition consistently identifies him as John Mark, mentioned several times in the New Testament. Mark wasn’t one of the twelve apostles, but he had remarkable access to eyewitness testimony. According to early church historians like Papias (writing around 125 AD), Mark served as Peter’s interpreter and recorded Peter’s preaching about Jesus. This makes Mark’s Gospel essentially Peter’s eyewitness account, filtered through Mark’s careful documentation.

Mark also traveled with Paul and Barnabas on missionary journeys (Acts 12:25, 13:5) and was present during key moments in early church history. His mother’s house in Jerusalem served as a meeting place for the early Christians (Acts 12:12). From a historical credibility standpoint, Mark’s Gospel is considered by most scholars to be the earliest written Gospel (likely composed between 65-70 AD), making it our closest written source to the actual events.

Think of your favorite action movie. Does it start with a long, slow explanation of the characters’ backstories? Or does it throw you right into a car chase, a daring escape, or a tense confrontation? Many of the most compelling stories, from the opening scene of Star Wars with a massive Star Destroyer pursuing a tiny rebel ship, to the thrilling temple escape in Raiders of the Lost Ark, begin in media res—in the middle of things. This narrative technique is designed to grab the audience’s attention immediately, creating a sense of urgency and a desire to know what happens next.

This is exactly what the author of the Gospel of Mark does. He’s not interested in a leisurely stroll through the history of Jesus’s ancestors or the details of his birth. Instead, he wants his readers to feel the immediacy and importance of his message. By starting with the proclamation of John the Baptist in the wilderness—a place of testing and preparation in Jewish culture—Mark is signaling that this is not just another story.

John Mark wasn’t one of the twelve apostles, but he had remarkable access to eyewitness testimony. He served as Peter’s interpreter and recorded Peter’s preaching about Jesus. He also traveled with Paul and Barnabas on missionary journeys.