Mark Bible Trivia: 40 Questions and Answers for Kids

These 40 Mark Bible trivia questions cover the shortest, fastest Gospel from Jesus' baptism to the empty tomb -- the storm, the pigs, Jairus's daughter, blind Bartimaeus, and the centurion at the cross -- with an answer and verse reference after every question. They're sorted into easy (ages 5-8), medium (ages 9-12), and hard (teens and adults) rounds.

Mark is a trivia goldmine because it's the Gospel of vivid little details the others skip: Jesus asleep on a cushion, about 2,000 pigs, a healing that took two tries, and a young man who ran away without his clothes. If your kids think they know the Gospels, the hard round will surprise them.

What Is the Book of Mark About?

The book of Mark is a fast-moving account of Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection that opens with the words "the beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1) -- no birth story, no genealogy, straight to the action. Its favorite word is "immediately," which appears more than 40 times, and its central verse sums up the whole book: the Son of Man "did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

The Gospel is formally anonymous, but early church tradition attributes it to John Mark, a companion of both Peter and Paul (Acts 12:12; 2 Timothy 4:11), and holds that Mark wrote down the preaching of the apostle Peter -- which explains why the book is packed with eyewitness-style details. Most scholars today think Mark was the first Gospel written. It matters because it's the shortest, punchiest introduction to Jesus in the Bible -- the ideal first Gospel for a kid to read cover to cover.

Easy Mark Trivia Questions (Ages 5-8)

1. Is Mark the longest or the shortest of the four Gospels? The shortest -- just 16 chapters

1. Who preached in the wilderness and baptized Jesus in the Jordan River? John the Baptist (Mark 1:4, 9)

1. What did John the Baptist eat? Locusts and wild honey (Mark 1:6)

1. What were Simon Peter and Andrew doing when Jesus called them? Fishing -- casting a net into the lake (Mark 1:16)

1. What did Jesus say to make the fishermen follow him? "Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people" (Mark 1:17)

1. How did four friends get their paralyzed friend to Jesus in a packed house? They dug through the roof and lowered him down on his mat (Mark 2:4)

1. What was Jesus doing in the boat while the storm raged? Sleeping on a cushion in the stern (Mark 4:38)

1. What did Jesus say to calm the storm? "Quiet! Be still!" (Mark 4:39)

1. How many loaves and fish did Jesus use to feed 5,000 people? Five loaves and two fish (Mark 6:38-42)

1. How many basketfuls of leftovers were collected afterward? Twelve (Mark 6:43)

1. What did blind Bartimaeus ask Jesus for? "Rabbi, I want to see" (Mark 10:51)

1. What animal did Jesus ride into Jerusalem? A colt -- a young donkey (Mark 11:7)

1. Whom did the women find inside the empty tomb on Easter morning? A young man in a white robe, who told them "He has risen!" (Mark 16:5-6)

Medium Mark Trivia Questions (Ages 9-12)

1. Does Mark begin with the Christmas story? No -- Mark skips Jesus' birth entirely and opens with John the Baptist preparing the way (Mark 1:1-4)

1. What word does Mark use more than 40 times to keep the story racing along? "Immediately"

1. What nickname did Jesus give the brothers James and John? Boanerges -- "sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17)

1. In the parable of the sower, what four places did the seed fall? The path, rocky ground, thorns, and good soil (Mark 4:3-8)

1. What name did the demon-possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes give? "Legion, for we are many" (Mark 5:9)

1. Where did Jesus send the demons -- and what happened? Into a herd of about 2,000 pigs, which rushed down the bank into the lake (Mark 5:13)

1. Who was healed just by touching Jesus' cloak in the crowd? A woman who had been bleeding for twelve years (Mark 5:25-29)

1. Whose young daughter did Jesus raise from the dead? Jairus's -- he was a synagogue leader (Mark 5:22-23, 41-42)

1. What do the words "Talitha koum!" mean? "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" (Mark 5:41)

1. What trade had Jesus worked in Nazareth, according to his neighbors? He was a carpenter (Mark 6:3)

1. How did Jesus send out the twelve disciples to preach? Two by two (Mark 6:7)

1. When Jesus fed the 4,000, how many loaves did the disciples have? Seven (Mark 8:5)

1. What did the desperate father of a suffering boy cry out to Jesus? "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24)

1. What did Jesus say when the disciples tried to keep children away from him? "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them" (Mark 10:14)

1. What did the poor widow put in the temple offering, and what did Jesus say about it? Two very small copper coins -- and Jesus said she gave more than all the others, because she gave everything she had (Mark 12:42-44)

Hard Mark Trivia Questions (Teens and Adults)

1. Whose preaching does early church tradition say Mark wrote down in this Gospel? The apostle Peter's

1. What detail about Jesus' temptation in the wilderness appears only in Mark? He was with the wild animals (Mark 1:13)

1. Complete Jesus' saying: "The Sabbath was made for man..." "...not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27)

1. Which healing -- found only in Mark -- happened in two stages? The blind man at Bethsaida, who first saw people "like trees walking around," then saw clearly (Mark 8:22-25)

1. What does "Ephphatha," the word Jesus spoke to a deaf and mute man, mean? "Be opened" (Mark 7:34)

1. What did James and John ask Jesus for on the road to Jerusalem? To sit at his right and his left in his glory (Mark 10:37)

1. Why did Jesus say the Son of Man came? "Not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45)

1. In Mark's account, how many times would the rooster crow before Peter denied Jesus three times? Twice -- and it did (Mark 14:30, 72)

1. What happened to the young man who followed Jesus after his arrest -- a moment recorded only in Mark? He fled naked, leaving his linen garment behind (Mark 14:51-52)

1. Who carried Jesus' cross, and which of his sons does Mark name? Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus (Mark 15:21)

1. What time of day does Mark say Jesus was crucified? Nine in the morning -- "the third hour" (Mark 15:25)

1. What did the Roman centurion say the moment Jesus died? "Surely this man was the Son of God!" (Mark 15:39)

How to Use These Questions

Because Mark moves in strict story order, these questions work beautifully as a road-trip game -- start at question 1 and the answers retell the whole Gospel by the time you park. At the dinner table, give the little ones the easy round (the four fishermen and the calming of the storm are stories they likely already know), and save the "only in Mark" details for the adults at family Bible trivia night -- question 37 wins the night every time.

For pre-game prep, our story pages on Jairus's daughter and the feeding of the five thousand cover the two biggest miracle questions, and our video lessons at Faithful Kids pair each of these stories with a short quiz. Then keep the streak going with our Matthew Bible trivia or the full New Testament trivia for kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote the book of Mark?

The Gospel never names its author, but early church tradition attributes it to John Mark, a companion of Peter and Paul whose mother's house was a meeting place for the Jerusalem church (Acts 12:12). The earliest tradition, from a church leader named Papias, says Mark recorded the preaching of the apostle Peter -- which fits the book's vivid, eyewitness-style details.

How many chapters does Mark have?

Mark has 16 chapters, making it the shortest of the four Gospels. It skips Jesus' birth and childhood entirely, covering his ministry, death, and resurrection at a sprint -- you can read the whole book aloud in about 90 minutes.

Was Mark the first Gospel written?

Most scholars today think so -- the view is called Markan priority, and it holds that Matthew and Luke both used Mark as a source. Church tradition long placed Matthew first, which is why Mark sits second in your Bible, but either way Mark preserves some of the earliest written accounts of Jesus' ministry.

What is the most famous story in Mark?

The calming of the storm (Mark 4:35-41) is probably Mark's most famous scene -- Jesus asleep on a cushion, then three words that silence the wind. The feeding of the 5,000 (Mark 6:30-44) and the raising of Jairus's daughter (Mark 5:21-43) are close behind.

Why does the ending of Mark look different in some Bibles?

The earliest manuscripts of Mark end at 16:8, with the women fleeing the empty tomb, and most modern Bibles include a note saying that verses 9-20 are not found in those earliest copies. Nothing in the longer ending changes the book's message -- the resurrection is already announced in Mark 16:6 -- but it's worth knowing why your Bible has a bracket or footnote there.

What age can kids start learning the book of Mark?

Mark is arguably the best first Gospel for kids of any age -- ages 4-7 love its action stories (the storm, the pigs, the roof), and ages 8-12 can realistically read the whole book themselves because it's so short. Teens can tackle the "only in Mark" details and the question of the book's ending.