As soon as Peter understood that he was not having a vision but was actually delivered from Herod’s sword (Acts 12:11), he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12)! Something we should notice, and it can be disconcerting, is that the Gospel writers, including Luke’s work in Acts, simply mention a name, often without any other detail that would help us identify the person named. Who is Mary, the mother of Mark, and why would she be so important that her home is Peter’s first choice to visit, before he flees Jerusalem? This particular Mary has Peter’s trust to tell James, the Lord’s brother, and anyone else that needed to know Peter’s whereabouts (Acts 12:13-17)?
The Gospel writers offer a of number interesting prospects for this one who is called Mary, the mother of Mark, i.e. unless she is someone no one knows up to this point in time. Yet, Luke seems to expect his Messianic readers to know who this Mary really is. Theophilus, if he is the high priest and son of Annas, would know only that she is John Mark’s mother, because, as far as we know, Luke’s is the only Gospel narrative Theophilus has in his possession.
First, we have Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 2:16), she didn’t have a son named Mark (Matthew 13:55), so she can be eliminated right away. Secondly, we have Mary, called Magdalene, who was one of Jesus’ financial supporters (Luke 8:2-3), but nothing is listed concerning her that would lead us to believe she is this Mary. Thirdly, we have Mary, the mother of James (Luke 24:10) who also has a son named Joseph (Mark 15:40), and she helped prepare the spices with which she and other women intended to anoint the body of Jesus; but if Mark is her son, why is she identified elsewhere as the mother of James the Less (one of the Apostles)? Certainly he would be more renown and a better identifier of the Mary than Mark would be, if Mark were the son of this Mary. Next, we have Mary, the wife of Clopas who stood with Mary Magdalene and Jesus’ mother and her sister at the foot of the cross (John 19:25). Finally we have Mary, the sister of Martha (Luke 10:38-39), but nothing is said of her in the Gospels that would lead us to believe she is the mother of Mark. Matthew tells us of one he calls the other Mary and lists her with Mary Magdalene (Matthew 27:61; 28:1), but she probably is one of the Marys listed above. Matthew seems to believe his readers would know exactly who she was.
The other Mary couldn’t be Magdalene, because that Mary is always listed with her. Comparing the Gospel accounts will show who was at the foot of the cross. Luke is the only Gospel writer who uses ambiguous terms in describing those present, saying only that women were present (Luke 23:49, 55).
| Matthew 27:55-56 | Mary Magdalene | Mary, mother of James & Joseph | Mother of the Zebedee children | |
| Mark 15:40 | Mary Magdalene | Mary, mother of James the Less & Joseph | Salome | |
| John 19:25 | Mary Magdalene | Mary wife of Clopas | Jesus’ mother’s sister | Jesus’ mother |
According to the above, Mary the mother of James and wife of Clopas could possibly be the other Mary who is mentioned in this manner only by Matthew. However, Mary the sister of Martha is not specifically mentioned in the Gospels as someone present at the foot of the cross, which is quite odd, given her importance in John’s Gospel. So, Mary, Martha’s sister may be a match for Matthew’s other Mary as well.
On the other hand, Matthew’s reference to the **other** Mary may indicate that there is only one other Mary besides Mary Magdalene (remember, Mary the mother of Jesus is not a consideration at all). If, therefore, there is only one other Mary besides Mary Magdalene, then, not only must Mary the mother of James the Less and Joseph (also the wife of Clopas) be the other Mary of Matthew (Matthew 27:61; 28:1), but Mary Magdalene must also be Mary, Martha’s sister. So, if there are only two Marys in the Gospel narratives (besides the Mother of Jesus), which of these Marys (Mary Magdalene or Mary the Mother of James) is most probably the mother of Mark?
The one Mary is mother to James the Less, but nothing is said of him in Acts. However, Joseph, her other son (Matthew 55-56; Mark 15:4) could be the same Joseph the Apostles surnamed Barnabas (cf. Acts 4:36)! This would mean that Mary, called Magdalene and sister to Martha (who lived at Bethany) was John Mark’s mother, because Joseph, called Barnabas by the Apostles, was Mark’s uncle (Colossians 4:10). This also means that the other Mary was Mary Magdalene’s mother. Both seemed to have lived in Jerusalem, and most likely, their home was used as the upper room where Jesus and the Apostles prepared the Passover. This is why Peter immediately went to their home. It was undoubtedly also used as a meeting place where believers worshiped. Peter expected to find believers there. He may have expected to find James, the Lord’s brother there, but instead gave Mary instructions for him when he hadn’t.
Why is all this important? It seems to me that the people mentioned in the Gospels must have had a place in the 1st century Church, and many of them would have been leaders and should have been mentioned in Acts or Paul’s epistles. If this is logically true, then there must be a reason for Luke’s ambiguity in referring to them. Could this be because he didn’t wish to reveal their identity to Theophilus, his addressee and member of the powerful priestly clan of Annas?
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13 responses to “Mary, the Mother of Mark”
Greetings Clifford. I don’t remember a question on Salome, so I’m glad I don’t have to answer it. :-)
Concerning Mary Magdalene, I don’t believe women were listed in genealogies. The five in Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew would be an exception to that rule.
Lord bless.
Eddie, I hate to take exception again, but the gospels stating Mary as the mother of James and Joseph is not really a genealogy, is it?
John 11 lists Martha, Mary and Lazarus as siblings, so why would not all the siblings of James and Joseph be listed?
Of course it is strange to me how that Mary is called mother of James in one place and mother of Joseph in another, then both in a third instance.
I’m just not seeing Mary of Magdala and Joseph as siblings.
Good study.
One reason might be to keep enemies from being able to trace key personnel through family lines just by holding a copy of one Gospel narrative (as would be the case of Theophilus having the Gospel of Luke). If enemies of the Church knew everyone and were able to get to everyone during the times of persecution, that would really hurt the Church during its early years.
The upside is, we can trace things out by using all the Scriptures we have and comparing similar records with one another. Being wise as serpents but harmless as doves lets us have the truth, while at the same time keeping the whole picture out of the hands of the enemy.
Other than that, anyone who reads my studies is free to accept them or reject them. Many things I’ve written, although **based** upon Scripture, could be wrong, because I may not have taken in the whole picture for consideration. This is why I’ve said: this sort of study cannot be dogmatic.
Lord bless.