It wasn't an easy time to be a Christian. Some 30 years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, persecution of those preaching his message had become official Roman policy. Christians were being routinely imprisoned, thrown to the lions, and attacked by angry mobs. Given the circumstances, even the most faithful followers might have questioned the need to suffer for their beliefs.
Fortunately for them, and for the Christians who came after them, one of these believers decided to shore up his besieged community with something new: a written account of Jesus' life and ministry. The resulting Gospel of Mark—the first of the four Gospels to be penned—laid heavy emphasis on the persecution that Jesus experienced and the certain trials facing those who followed him. Its purpose was "the guidance and support of his fellow Christians in a situation of intense crisis." The Interpreter's Bible (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1952–1957), Vol. VII, pp. 633–634 .
Tradition has it that the author of this groundbreaking book was a man named John Mark, a cousin of Barnabas who is mentioned in the New Testament as a companion to Barnabas and Paul on their missionary journeys. See Acts 12:25 and 15:37–39. Mark's mother, Mary, allowed the early Christians to use her house in Jerusalem as a meeting place. See Acts 12:12 .
