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The Jesus Chronicles #2
Mark's Story: The Gospel According to Peter
Overhearing Jesus's prophecies of events to come and witnessing such events as Judas's betrayal, Peter's denial, and the Resurrection, Mark becomes a devoted disciple of Christianity and urges Peter to recount to him the story of Jesus's life on earth. By the authors of John's Story. 350,000 first printing.
308 pages, Hardcover
First published October 9, 2007
178 people are currently reading
1266 people want to read
About the author
Tim LaHaye
780 books2,285 followersTimothy "Tim" F. LaHaye was an American evangelical Christian minister, author, and speaker, best known for the Left Behind series of apocalyptic fiction, which he co-wrote with Jerry B. Jenkins.
He has written over 50 books, both fiction and non-fiction.
He has written over 50 books, both fiction and non-fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
September 15, 2012
I read the first couple of chapters and stopped. I had read the first book in the Jesus Chronicles on John. While I appreciate the amount of scripture that is quoted and the story is woven around it, the story is not that compelling. The writing style is very dry and not very engaging. I decided that I was not going to try to wade through this one like I did John.
March 3, 2017
I'm giving this five stars just because, while it isn't excellent, it's light years better than the one on John. A much more engaging story, and better writing; even if you didn't care for the first book in this series, you might want to give this one a try.
May 31, 2013
I was really hoping for more. I don't know if the point of this book was to make non-Bible readers read a "Mark-light" version of the Gospel but over half of this book is just Peter telling Mark what Mark wrote down. I was really hoping for more of the surrounding events that led to writing the Gospel of Mark and sadly that's a weak part of the book. There are so high points that bring a historical context of post-Crucifixion, but they can only carry the book so far. The author does take a few liberties with tying some people together (like Barnabus being Mark's cousin), it's nothing that distracts from the real account and it actually adds to the story telling. If the author was going to do more of writing just the Gospel account as dictation - I was hoping he'd deal with providing more context and exegesis or how Peter brought to mind what to talk about through the power of the Holy Spirit (this latter issue is only brought up briefly one time). Overall I was quite disappointed with the book and I wonder if the others are like this as well. (Side note to the audio version - the narrator is BORING! He whispers most of his dialog and puts no feeling into anything he's reading. Probably one of the worst audio book narrators I heard in quite some time). Final Grade - D+
August 5, 2011
How do you explain this one. This is fiction about the day before Jesus death and the early church, (Mark and 1st and 2nd Peter.)which contains within the story,the entire books of Mark and 1st,and 2nd Peter. The story involves Peter telling young John Mark the history of Jesus, which eventually became his gospel and the Peter books. Whenever Mark tells peter any of the events that occur,they are reported with the actual words of scripture. By the time you hear the whole story which John Mark eventually recorded in these books, you have actually read all four books of the Canon. A brilliant concept, carried off so well that many readers will love the story AND fall under conviction as it is all God's word. Read this to gain new biblical insights and share it with a friend who may be close to a life decision. God's word is Powerful and could seal the deal!
April 17, 2010
This is my first Tim LaHaye/Jerry B. Jenkins book. It was interesting and is the story abut John Mark who they portray as the author of the gospel of Mark. There are various traditions about who wrote the gospel of Mark and John Mark is one of them albeit not the only one.
It was a good book and one that many religious readers will enjoy. It is a novel so it is not portrayed as total fact though it is built upon facts and presents itself well.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
It was a good book and one that many religious readers will enjoy. It is a novel so it is not portrayed as total fact though it is built upon facts and presents itself well.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
July 5, 2011
I dragged through this book. That's the best I can say. It was awful. I was expecting a fictionalized story. Instead I got an exact copy of the Bible with a little bit of present day English thrown in. I don't think I'll be reading anymore of this series. I enjoyed the Left Behind series because it took Biblical verses and wove them into a great story. This book does not do this. I give it two stars just because of the Biblical verses, but that's all I can say about it. I would not recommend it to anyone I know.
February 2, 2022
I liked Luke’s Story better, but this was intriguing. I really liked reading about the disciples and their eventual martyrdom.
June 24, 2022
I read about half this book and gave up.
May 8, 2025
Very excellent reading. I'm looking forward to the next two in the series.
March 20, 2014
A fictional biography of Mark and his relationship with Peter. Unfortunately, it reads more like a biography of Peter, and much of Mark's life is whitewashed. Furthermore, the characters going from modern English to New King James to quote scripture (much less how much scripture is quoted) makes this novel laughable.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
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July 24, 2011The volume on John added insight into the background and personalities. For the most part, this one did not. The bond established between Peter and Mark does develop well in a novel, but, once, there, it doesn't add much to the Bible.
January 15, 2022
If you’re familiar at all with Dallas Jenkins’ popular video series, “The Chosen,” one could imagine Dallas’ father Jerry’s series, “The Jesus Chronicles,” (which “Mark’s Story” is a part of), is built on the very same concept: take the written text from the New Testament and fill in all the holes in the Biblical narrative with imaginary events, characters and dialogue. Literary license, in other words. Nothing wrong with that. Except it is only the inspired Word of God, the Bible, that we are embellishing.
With “Mark’s Story,” it is sometimes hard to tell if what you are reading is from the original Biblical text and what is from Jenkins and LaHaye’s own imagination. For example, according to Jenkins and LaHaye, the mother of our hero Mark hosted many if not most of the meetings between Jesus and His disciples in her upper room. The authors suggest that Jesus and His followers used Mark’s family home nearly exclusively for their headquarters and for clandestine meetings around Jesus’ arrest, trial, execution and after His resurrection. In fact, the gospel of Mark’s own account of the Last Supper, does not mention his family’s own involvement. LaHaye and Jenkins would have their readers believe that the man carrying a water pitcher and meeting two of Jesus’ disciples to lead them to an upper room to prepare for their Passover meal was in fact Mark himself. (By the way, the two disciples are not named in the gospel of Mark, but LaHaye and Jenkins identifies them on page 4 as Peter and John.) How does Jenkins and LaHaye know all this? Creative license? The gospel of Mark in chapter 14 and verse fifteen indicates the (nameless) man with the water pitcher “will show (the two disciples) a large upper room, furnished and prepared.” There is nothing in Jesus’ prediction that would identify either Mark, Mark’s mother, or their ownership of “a large upper room.”
Other features of this Scripture-fill-in-the-blank novel include LaHaye and Jenkins suggesting that Peter dictated his New Testament writings to Mark. In fact, in the nineteenth chapter, we find that Mark “still believed he could talk the old man (Peter) into getting (his gospel story) all written” down. Still other surprises the reader will wonder about, is it fact or fiction? On page 196, we find Mark spent a “few years preaching, teaching, discipling, and traveling from Rome to various cities throughout Asia Minor and even Egypt, laboring with both Peter and Paul. All the while he carefully penned his (own) gospel of Jesus Christ, according to the personal memories of Peter, of course, and Peter carefully studied the documents, clarifying, adjusting, correcting.” Did any of that really happen in First Century church history? Did Peter proofread Mark’s gospel? On the very next page, page 197, we find Mark pastoring a church “for a few years” in the city of Colossi. Did that really happen in First Century church history? On page 199, we find Peter and his wife Esther, (was she ever actually named in the New Testament?), in the city of Rome along with Mark to assist the apostle Paul. On page 226, we find Peter dictating his epistles to Silas as Mark listened in. Is that the way it was done in First Century church history?
When LaHaye and Jenkins do quote actual Scripture, it is typically in the context of an imaginary, person-to-person conversation. Often that makes the entire dialogue sound mechanical, artificial, clumsy, odd. On a positive note, page 235 is a good reminder of the huge part the apostle Paul played in the development of the early New Testament church through his “epistles being spread abroad.”
For this reviewer, the last five chapters and the epilogue were the most interesting. Largely because that section of the book reads much more like a straight, historical novel. It’s also the most suspenseful and violent while documenting “the brutality of (the blood thirsty) Caesar Nero.” As we later learn, “Nero was soon deposed and he committed suicide to avoid execution, but a pattern of persecuting Christians had begun.” When you consider all the atrocities against Christians that the ministry Voice of the Martyrs reports monthly, here Jenkins and LaHaye remind us that it all started with Nero.
The takeaway here? “Mark’s Story” is an excellent way to visualize the historical events and personalities recorded in Scripture. Under the creative pen and imagination of Jenkins and LaHaye, Jesus’ last days on earth and the first days of the early Church come alive in living color.
With “Mark’s Story,” it is sometimes hard to tell if what you are reading is from the original Biblical text and what is from Jenkins and LaHaye’s own imagination. For example, according to Jenkins and LaHaye, the mother of our hero Mark hosted many if not most of the meetings between Jesus and His disciples in her upper room. The authors suggest that Jesus and His followers used Mark’s family home nearly exclusively for their headquarters and for clandestine meetings around Jesus’ arrest, trial, execution and after His resurrection. In fact, the gospel of Mark’s own account of the Last Supper, does not mention his family’s own involvement. LaHaye and Jenkins would have their readers believe that the man carrying a water pitcher and meeting two of Jesus’ disciples to lead them to an upper room to prepare for their Passover meal was in fact Mark himself. (By the way, the two disciples are not named in the gospel of Mark, but LaHaye and Jenkins identifies them on page 4 as Peter and John.) How does Jenkins and LaHaye know all this? Creative license? The gospel of Mark in chapter 14 and verse fifteen indicates the (nameless) man with the water pitcher “will show (the two disciples) a large upper room, furnished and prepared.” There is nothing in Jesus’ prediction that would identify either Mark, Mark’s mother, or their ownership of “a large upper room.”
Other features of this Scripture-fill-in-the-blank novel include LaHaye and Jenkins suggesting that Peter dictated his New Testament writings to Mark. In fact, in the nineteenth chapter, we find that Mark “still believed he could talk the old man (Peter) into getting (his gospel story) all written” down. Still other surprises the reader will wonder about, is it fact or fiction? On page 196, we find Mark spent a “few years preaching, teaching, discipling, and traveling from Rome to various cities throughout Asia Minor and even Egypt, laboring with both Peter and Paul. All the while he carefully penned his (own) gospel of Jesus Christ, according to the personal memories of Peter, of course, and Peter carefully studied the documents, clarifying, adjusting, correcting.” Did any of that really happen in First Century church history? Did Peter proofread Mark’s gospel? On the very next page, page 197, we find Mark pastoring a church “for a few years” in the city of Colossi. Did that really happen in First Century church history? On page 199, we find Peter and his wife Esther, (was she ever actually named in the New Testament?), in the city of Rome along with Mark to assist the apostle Paul. On page 226, we find Peter dictating his epistles to Silas as Mark listened in. Is that the way it was done in First Century church history?
When LaHaye and Jenkins do quote actual Scripture, it is typically in the context of an imaginary, person-to-person conversation. Often that makes the entire dialogue sound mechanical, artificial, clumsy, odd. On a positive note, page 235 is a good reminder of the huge part the apostle Paul played in the development of the early New Testament church through his “epistles being spread abroad.”
For this reviewer, the last five chapters and the epilogue were the most interesting. Largely because that section of the book reads much more like a straight, historical novel. It’s also the most suspenseful and violent while documenting “the brutality of (the blood thirsty) Caesar Nero.” As we later learn, “Nero was soon deposed and he committed suicide to avoid execution, but a pattern of persecuting Christians had begun.” When you consider all the atrocities against Christians that the ministry Voice of the Martyrs reports monthly, here Jenkins and LaHaye remind us that it all started with Nero.
The takeaway here? “Mark’s Story” is an excellent way to visualize the historical events and personalities recorded in Scripture. Under the creative pen and imagination of Jenkins and LaHaye, Jesus’ last days on earth and the first days of the early Church come alive in living color.
January 21, 2021
I know this is an older series that has been out for awhile, but somehow I missed it. So glad that my son gave me a Thrift books card for Christmas, which caused me to start the series. I started it with John's story and now I'm on to the 3rd book in the series, Luke's story.
I love how the bible is quoted verbatim, but the author writes it in such a way that it makes it so real that you can grasp how the letters came to be.
I love getting to know each of the disciples a little more personally, as the author gives them each their own personality - of course, I realize that part of the book is fiction, but I'm still enjoying it.
Since I was a little girl, I always had the image in my head of the disciple sitting at his desk and this halo of light coming down of his head as the Holy Spirit lead him to write what he did...so funny - but now it really makes much more sense of how much the disciples loved the Lord and were fighting to spread the gospel in a time that meant death, usually by a horrible means.
But how could they not? I mean, meeting the Lord personally! How wonderful.
I love how the bible is quoted verbatim, but the author writes it in such a way that it makes it so real that you can grasp how the letters came to be.
I love getting to know each of the disciples a little more personally, as the author gives them each their own personality - of course, I realize that part of the book is fiction, but I'm still enjoying it.
Since I was a little girl, I always had the image in my head of the disciple sitting at his desk and this halo of light coming down of his head as the Holy Spirit lead him to write what he did...so funny - but now it really makes much more sense of how much the disciples loved the Lord and were fighting to spread the gospel in a time that meant death, usually by a horrible means.
But how could they not? I mean, meeting the Lord personally! How wonderful.
February 19, 2018
This is the last book in this series I have read. This has been the most I had ever read about Mark. What I learned was, he was the youngest, younger than Peter and Paul and all of the other disciples. Instead of being in the events where Jesus taught them, he sat back and observed. The more he did, the more he wanted to be a part of this.
What do I compare it to (and I don't intend to mock the beauty of this story)? Having access to a celebrity, though being in the shadows, and observing how they talk and act. That was what I thought of in the first few chapters of the book when his mom received Jesus and His disciples on a regular basis.
Mark learned what the cost is of following Jesus. He could have stayed home, in his comfort zone. When he did, he saw many Christians being martyred, one of whom Stephen. But he just kept right on going, no matter what.
There's more I could say. But among the 4, this the deepest and most graphic in including details of persecutions, imprisonments, and deaths of Christians for being bold in preaching His Word.
What do I compare it to (and I don't intend to mock the beauty of this story)? Having access to a celebrity, though being in the shadows, and observing how they talk and act. That was what I thought of in the first few chapters of the book when his mom received Jesus and His disciples on a regular basis.
Mark learned what the cost is of following Jesus. He could have stayed home, in his comfort zone. When he did, he saw many Christians being martyred, one of whom Stephen. But he just kept right on going, no matter what.
There's more I could say. But among the 4, this the deepest and most graphic in including details of persecutions, imprisonments, and deaths of Christians for being bold in preaching His Word.
July 27, 2018
I truly enjoyed this fictionally offering of the life of Mark. However, compared to other work by this awesome authoring team, I felt it wasn't up to par. Usually Jerry Jenkins writes my favorite style of dialogue, but this felt stiff by comparison. I expected Peter to have a much more down to earth tone. After all, he was just an unschooled fisherman, and I have always imagined him just a bit rough around the edges. In this book Peter was portrayed as a man who spoke Queen's English much of the time. After all, the word "verily" doesn't come from the Hebrew, and you won't hear any laborers say it today, so I was just a bit disappointed at that level. I guess they were trying to stay true to scripture, but I think they could have created a more commonly phrased translation from the Greek and made the dialogue more believable and readable. The plot and the historical value were good as always.
February 25, 2020
This one was even worse than Luke's Story, although that's probably just because I wasn't aware of the "formula" before reading Mark's Story. There's some decent narrative, but it's overshadowed by dialogue that's copy-and-pasted from the Bible. It's pretty easy to tell when this happens, too, because the dialogue becomes stiff and unnatural. What works as a sermon or as a letter doesn't really work as casual speech. Plus, as others have mentioned, this book includes the entire Gospel of Mark, as well as 1 and 2 Peter, so there really wasn't any point in trying to awkwardly insert those verses into dialogue.
June 7, 2021
I listened to this one, and though it told the story of who John Mark was and what compelled him to write his gospel, it was also very slow, and very monotone. I did like how the apostles stories (Paul, Peter, Barnabus) and historical moments (Nero as Emperor, the Christian persecution under his rain, and the historical fire that destroyed major parts of Rome) were weaved together as if the Gospels, Acts and Romans was one big story. I am intrigued to listen to one of the other books mainly because I love to hear the Bible come alive, but I am not sure I can deal with the readers tone. If I take the chance, this will be another "extra" book, that may take long time to finish.
March 26, 2024
As with John’s story, I was completely awe inspired. The vividness given to the scriptures and providing a more in depth vision of Jesus and his disciples as people made my appreciation of Christ and the disciples grow tenfold! LaHaye and Jenkins have always been amazing writers that have studied the scrolls and spoken with those who have true knowledge and wisdom of the writings of the Bible and done their due diligence to create the purest and factual information as possible to bring the Bible to life. Even though I have read the Bible all the way through twice I found myself weeping and being in shock throughout this story of things I never fully grasped before in my own studies. Bravo!
July 25, 2025
i’m not gonna lie…this took me 3 months bc i couldn’t get into it like the john one as much bc it was SO many bible quotes & little context/story- it was essentially half a page was just bible quotes. but once it got to king nero’s rule it provided a lot of humbling & compelling context so i will give this 4 stars. i did love the inclusion of paul, esther, silas & barnabas in this on top of clearly mark working with peter to get his books written. i am hoping that luke & matthew’s are more like how john’s was written!
June 10, 2018
I expected more from this book, expected it to flesh out in more imaginative details the stories of St Mark and the early Church. Instead, most of the book consisted of paragraphs lifted directly from the Bible! Don’t get me wrong. The Gospel stories are quite valuable. But simply lifting the stories and placing them in another book and labeling that book as yours struck me as a lazy effort.
This book is best for people who are not yet familiar with the Gospels.
This book is best for people who are not yet familiar with the Gospels.
April 16, 2021
Very good account of a historical dramatization of a huge part of the Bible and the early church being founded in Asia and Rome. I had no idea how connected and close Peter and mark were. I really learned a lot and am thankful for this book. It's always good to be reading the Bible and this book ends with the entire Bible books of mark and 1 and 2 Peter which may or may not be overkill depending on your pov.
November 14, 2022
I love this book and series...
I love this book and series. It's fascinating and impossible to put down. I still have to read Luke and Matthew - and I can't wait. The authors have done a great job with this series. I will definitely read all of their books. I love the characters, location and everything about these books. I recommend this book to anyone who want to read their stories - not in substation of the Bible - but as a companion to the Bible.
I love this book and series. It's fascinating and impossible to put down. I still have to read Luke and Matthew - and I can't wait. The authors have done a great job with this series. I will definitely read all of their books. I love the characters, location and everything about these books. I recommend this book to anyone who want to read their stories - not in substation of the Bible - but as a companion to the Bible.
April 5, 2023
I loved reading Jesus' story from Mark's POV. So many think Mark was actually an apostle since he wrote one of the gospels, but he was just a follower, and actually a follower of Peter.
The story starts with the last supper, where Jesus is having dinner at his house and Mark gets to watch and listen. He then follows along as all unfurls. And written from such a younger perspective gave me goose bumps.
The story starts with the last supper, where Jesus is having dinner at his house and Mark gets to watch and listen. He then follows along as all unfurls. And written from such a younger perspective gave me goose bumps.
October 2, 2024
This book is part of a series. I've read the others and had a very hard time finding Mark's Story. It has taken me years to get this, and I am so excited that I found it. The others were so well written that I found myself walking along these men during the time of Jesus. It became a ritual each night after dinner that I would travel to another time and place listening to them preach the word. It changed the way I looked at life from then on!
January 5, 2026
The story is so well done, drawing on facts from scripture and seamlessly weaving a historical narrative around them. I love how candid it was. I loved the richness. At the end of Mark's "story" (including what tradition says about his death), his gospel is printed in its entirety.
Actually, I listened to the audiobook, which I highly recommend!.
I've listened to John's and Matthew's stories in 2025. After Mark, there is only Luke, which I will begin next.
Actually, I listened to the audiobook, which I highly recommend!.
I've listened to John's and Matthew's stories in 2025. After Mark, there is only Luke, which I will begin next.
July 17, 2018
It is a risky, risky job to fictionalize Scripture. From what I could tell the big picture is historically accurate, but I did not appreciate the assumptions made in regard to what a person was feeling. I also had hoped that this would be written with more modern language, but to me it felt archaic.
August 7, 2023
I like the idea of this book, that is, weaving a narrative story around Biblical passages; but, the writing is really dull and flat, often repetitive and not too compelling. (I enjoyed the Left Behindseries much more.) It almost was like they wanted to whip this story out to complete their Bible story series.
February 16, 2017
Oh my, what horrible things the holy people suffered for loving God
July 11, 2018
A novel about the life of the Gospel writer Mark.
November 1, 2018
Another great story!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews