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Below you will also find the summary of this book.
Purpose of The Book of Mark:
To describe the life of Christ with apocalyptic thrust and intensity. The gospel of Mark is the
first and shortest of the four gospels. He was not an apostle himself, but was a disciple of Peter and was
a missionary with both Peter and Paul. His gospel reflects the action-packed, speedy, urgent nature of
the gospel ministry and shows us how Jesus calls us to a life of active faith.
Summary of The Book of Mark:
Mark’s gospel is concerned with the question and the identity of Jesus as the messianic
Son of God. This picture is modeled on the suffering servant Messiah who is vividly described in Isaiah
53, the one who would come to deliver his own people but whom they would reject and scorn. Mark’s
gospel begins with the statement that Jesus is the “Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). At his baptism,
Jesus is confirmed to be the messianic Son of God by a voice from heaven, “This is my Son… listen to
him!” (9:7). At the end of the book, the Roman centurion states “Surely this man was the Son of God”
(15:39). The importance of Jesus’ final week is evidenced by the fact that Mark 11-16 is devoted soley
to Christ’s final seven days in Jerusalem.
Author and Dates of The Book of Mark:
Mark probably wrote his gospel in the late 50s or early 60s AD, when Nero was
beginning his persecution of Christians in Rome.
Rome seems the most likely situation in which Mark wrote his Gospel. Peter is known to
have been situated at Rome, so Mark would probably have spent much time there with him. The gospel
is almost certainly intended for a gentile audience like Rome, since Mark felt the need to explain most of
the Jewish customs and idioms mentioned in the book.
Outline of The Book of Mark:
Themes of The Book of Mark:
Urgency: Mark includes very little of Jesus' teaching in his gospel. It moves very quickly from
event to event, and describes them vividly but succinctly. One gets the sense from reading Mark that
Jesus and his followers were always on the move, zealous to accomplish his purposes (Mark 1).
Secrecy: Although all gospels mention Jesus hushing the recipients of his miracles, Mark includes
many more incidents than any other. Time and time again, Mark records Jesus ordering people not to
speak of his miraculous acts of healing. Much of his ministry was discreet, just as God often works
in mysterious and unseen ways in our lives (Mk 3:11; 5:35-39).
Incompetence of the Disciples: Mark is harsh in his depiction of the disciples, making frequent
mention of their confusion, bickering, and selfishness. On the one hand, this shows the futility of
trying to understand everything God is doing, and encourages obedience even before total
comprehension. On the other hand, this encourages others who want to serve Christ, but don't feel
adequately prepared or trained. The disciples were not especially gifted or especially attentive, yet
they changed the world because they believed Jesus' message and received His Spirit (Mk 8:14-20;
9:31).
The Way: Mark uses the word "way" unusually often in his description of Jesus' travels, and many
of the most significant events and discussions in the book happen "along the way" to somewhere or
other. Mark seems to be saying that the journey of faith is as important as the destination, and that
God is leading us down a particular path in order to prepare us for the next curve in the road (Mk
1:2; 8:27; 9:33; 10:32,52; 12:14).
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