Mom's Week, Part 4: John Mark's Mother

An extraordinary mother quietly appears in the middle of one of the most dramatic stories about the fledgling church. You've probably read the story many times without noticing her.

The setting is Peter's imprisonment by Herod, and his seemingly imminent execution. Luke records Peter's miraculous escape (by an angel) in Acts 12:1-11, and then in verse 12 we read this:

"When [Peter] had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying" (emphasis added).

This is the only time that the Bible mentions Mary the mother of John Mark, but we can glean quite a bit of information about her: