Mark Summary

Of the four gospels, Mark is the shortest, and probably the most action-packed. I’ve seen at least a couple of commentaries talking about the fact that Mark is constantly saying “immediately this happened,” and then “immediately that happened.” For these reasons, and maybe because of its straightforward, simple language, many advise that new Christians start with Mark, to learn about Jesus and his ministry.

The introduction to Mark written in the ESV had an interesting point: “In addition to Jesus, Mark features three main groups of people: the disciples, the crowds, and the religious leaders, none of whom understand Jesus.” It’s a very good point; Mark devotes a lot of space to Jesus telling his disciples, and especially the apostles, over and over again, that he was about to die and be raised up, and each time he told them, they simply wouldn’t or couldn’t understand what he was trying to say. And it’s not just at the end, either: already in Chapter 8 Jesus is telling the disciples that he’s going to die and rise again—but this is the famous passage where Peter, having none of it, rebukes Jesus for saying this. How could Jesus possibly die before saving his people? Of course Jesus rebukes Peter even more harshly, calling him Satan, and telling him that he has in mind the things of man rather than the things of God—which is a big part of the apostles not understanding Jesus’ teaching: they’re looking for a political messiah, but Jesus is a spiritual Messiah. (Yes, I spelled it “messiah” and “Messiah” on purpose.)

Mark doesn’t devote any space to Jesus’ early years, the book starts with Jesus already grown up, and, starting with his baptism by John, going right into his ministry. Mark’s focus doesn’t seem to be on the life of Jesus, rather it’s on his teachings: he is a man, but he’s also God (and our king), and he has to suffer and be sacrificed in order for us to have a proper relationship with God. Once we do, he calls us to be humble, serve others, and follow God.

Another reason that new Christians are sometimes pointed to the book of Mark is that Mark is writing to a wider audience, not just to Jewish Christians, so he takes care to explain Jewish customs when they come up in the text. You can probably read Mark pretty easily, even if you don’t know a lot of the Old Testament, or have a deep understanding of Paul’s epistles. But even if you do know the other parts of the Bible, it’s worth coming back to Mark from time to time, and getting a simple, precise reminder of who Jesus is, and why we should care. It’s only 16 chapters, so it can easily be read in one sitting.

1:1–8: John the Baptist Prepares the Way 1:9–15: The Baptism of Jesus, The Temptation of Jesus, and Jesus Begins His Ministry 1:16–20: Jesus Calls the First Disciples 1:21–28: Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit 1:29–34: Jesus Heals Many 1:35–39: Jesus prays 1:40–45: Jesus Cleanses a Leper 2:1–12: Jesus Heals a Paralytic 2:13–17: Jesus Calls Levi 2:18–22: A Question About Fasting 2:23–28: Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath 3:1–6: A Man With a Withered Hand 3:7–12: A Great Crowd Follows Jesus 3:13–21: The Twelve Apostles 3:22–30: Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit 3:31–35: Jesus’ Mother and Brothers 4:1–20: The Parable of the Sower, and the Purpose of Parables 4:21–25: A Lamp Under a Basket 4:26–34: The Parable of the Seed Growing, and The Parable of the Mustard Seed 4:35–41: Jesus Calms a Storm 5: Jesus heals some people 6:1–6: Jesus Rejected at Nazareth 6:7–13: Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles 6:14–29: The Death of John the Baptist 6:30–44: Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand 6:45–56: Jesus Walks on the Water, and Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret 7:1–23: Traditions and Commandments, and What Defiles a Person 7:24–30: The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith 7:31–37: Jesus Heals a Deaf Man 8:1–10: Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand 8:11–13: The Pharisees Demand a Sign 8:14–21: The Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod 8:22–26: Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida 8:27–9:1: Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ, and Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection 9:2–13: The Transfiguration 9:14–29: Jesus Heals a Boy With an Unclean Spirit

9:30–37: Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time 9:38–41: Anyone Not Against Us Is For Us 9:42–50: Temptations to Sin 10:1–12: Teaching About Divorce 10:13–16: Let the Children Come to Me 10:17–31: The Rich Young Man 10:32–34: Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time 10:35–45: The Request of James and John 10:46–52: Jesus Heals Blind Bartemaeus 11:1–11: The Triumphal Entry 11:12–25: Jesus Curses the Fig Tree, Jesus Cleanses the Temple, The Lessen from the Withered Fig Tree 11:27–33: The Authority of Jesus Challenged 12:1–12: The Parable of the Tenants 12:13–17: Paying Taxes to Caesar 12:18–27: The Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection 12:28–34: The Great Commandment 12:35–37: Whose Son is the Christ? 12:38–44: Beware of the Scribes, and The Widow’s Offering Mark 13: Jesus Foretells the Destruction of the Temple, Signs of the End of the Age, The Abomination of Desolation, The Coming of the Son of Man, The Lesson of the Fig Tree, No One Knows the Day or Hour Mark 14:1–11: The Plot to Kill Jesus, Jesus Anointed at Bethany, Judas to Betray Jesus Mark 14:12–25: The Passover with the Disciples, Institution of the Lord’s Supper Mark 14:26–31: Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial Mark 14:32–42: Jesus Prays in Gethsemane Mark 14:43–65: Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus, A Young Man Flees, Jesus Before the Council Mark 14:66–72: Peter Denies Jesus Mark 15:1–20: Jesus Delivered to Pilate, Pilate Delivers Jesus to be Crucified, Jesus is Mocked Mark 15:21–32: The Crucifixion Mark 15:33–47: The Death of Jesus, Jesus is Buried Mark 16: The Resurrection, Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene, Jesus Appears to Two Disciples, The Great Commission