The Gospel of Mark for Kids and Where to Begin

The Gospel of Mark for kids is a good place to begin reading the Bible as a family, because it is the shortest of the four Gospels and it moves quickly from one event in the life of Jesus to the next. It has sixteen chapters, and a family that reads one a day can finish it in a little over two weeks.

Mark opens with these words, “The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). Here is why this Gospel suits children, what is in its sixteen chapters, where it gets hard and how to read it with your family. Each chapter shows us who Jesus is and what He came to do.

Why the Gospel of Mark suits children

Mark tells his story in short scenes. Jesus calls fishermen, heals the sick, calms a storm, feeds a crowd and teaches in parables. A child can hold one scene in mind at a time, and each chapter has a few events to talk about. Mark also never loses sight of the main question, who is this man?

The Gospel of Mark for kids, chapter by chapter

• Chapters 1 to 3. Jesus begins His ministry, calls His disciples, heals many and forgives sins.
• Chapters 4 to 6. Jesus teaches in parables, calms the storm and feeds a great crowd.
• Chapters 7 to 9. Opposition grows, and Peter says that Jesus is the Christ.
• Chapters 10 to 12. Jesus teaches about children, riches, service and the greatest commandments.
• Chapters 13 and 14. Jesus speaks about what is coming, and He is betrayed.
• Chapters 15 and 16. Jesus is crucified, buried and rises from the dead.

The centre of Mark, the cross and the empty tomb

Mark gives us the reason Jesus came. “For the Son of Man also came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). At the cross, a Roman centurion who watched Him die says, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39), and the veil of the temple is “torn in two from the top to the bottom” (Mark 15:38). On the third day a young man in a white robe tells the women, “He has risen. He is not here” (Mark 16:6).

You can read these in the session for Mark chapter 15 and the session for Mark chapter 16. They are the heart of the gospel, that Christ died for sinners and rose again, and they are worth reading slowly and with thought.

The hard places in Mark

Mark does not hide the difficult parts. The disciples misunderstand Jesus, Peter denies Him, and Jesus suffers a cruel death. With younger children, say plainly that Jesus was killed, that He chose to die for sinners, and that He rose again. With older children, talk about why the cross was needed. Let the story be as serious as it is, and let the children see the joy of the resurrection that follows.

How to read Mark with your family

1. Begin with the session for Mark chapter 1.
2. Read one chapter a day, or half a chapter if it is a long one.
3. Ask three questions. What happened? What does it show us about Jesus? What does it ask of us?
4. Sing the hymn in the session and pray at the end.

What Mark asks of every reader

Mark's Gospel is meant to bring us to Jesus. The first call of Jesus in Mark is, “Repent, and believe in the Good News” (Mark 1:15). When you read Mark with your children, call them to do that, kindly and plainly. Do not assume a child believes because they enjoy the stories. Pray that the Lord would give each child a new heart, and keep telling them the good news.

Begin tonight with Mark chapter 1. The whole library of chapters is on the worship page, and gifts at this page help keep it free. May the Lord, who is the subject of this Gospel, meet your family in it.