1:1 beginning of the gospel. Most evidence indicates that Mark was the first to write a life of Christ. His mother owned the house in Jerusalem where the early disciples gathered to pray (Acts 12:12), quite likely the one where Christ instituted the Lord’s supper (Luke 22:12; Acts 1:13). Jesus was probably a close friend of Mark’s family. This verse also indicates that the gospel witness began with the witness of John the Baptist.