This is part of a year-long series. Learn more about this series here.

Below is a summary of the Gospel of Mark I wrote for a seminary class. The professor broke Mark into four sections, and we were instructed to outline the significant events and flow of thought for each section. The point of such an assignment is to grasp a big-picture view of Mark’s Gospel and to understand how the material he included drives his narrative forward. If you’ve never done so, I would encourage you to read the entire Gospel of Mark in one sitting so you can experience the flow of his story of Jesus.

Mark 1:1-4:34

This section launches the story of Jesus, spanning from an introduction of who Jesus is, to his first parables. Mark tells the reader of Jesus’ identity and links that identity to the Jewish Scriptures. John the Baptist is then introduced, and he explains his ministry and the followup-ministry of “one who will come after him.” The person of Jesus is finally introduced, and Mark strings together the narrative of his early ministry with a series of fast-paced events. Jesus’ baptism, temptation, first proclamation of the Kingdom, and calling the disciples are quickly mentioned. The emphasis on ensuing narratives, based on where Mark chose to include details, is centered on Jesus’ authority. Mark mentions the people were astonished by the authority of Jesus’ teaching (1:22), and then he emphasizes Jesus’ authority over the world with stories of how he cast out unclean spirits, healed, drove out demons, cleansed people, and forgave sins. Jesus’ authority is questioned by the religious leaders, which leads to multiple confrontations. Through these confrontations and questions, Jesus clarifies his vocation. The scribes accuse him of being in league with demons, which is the catalyst for Jesus preaching in parables.

Mark 4:35-8:26

This section provides strong contrasts of peoples’ responses to Jesus. It opens with, perhaps, the most climactic display of Jesus’ authority yet seen by the disciples, causing them to ask “who then is this?” The reader is privy to the answer, but the disciples have not yet worked it out. There is foreshadowing of the gospel spreading to the Gentiles (5:1-20, 7:24-30). Jesus also commissions the Twelve, whom Mark has already identified (cf. 3:13-19), to proclaim the good news and heal the sick (6:6-13). Jesus continues to display his authority, but he is met with mixed responses. Crowds flock to him in the wilderness and villages (5:24, 6:32-34, 54-56, 8:1), but he is resisted in his home synagogue (6:1-6). Jesus rebukes the Pharisees and explains how defilement actually works, which strongly contrasts the practices of the Pharisees with true righteousness (7:1-23). The disciples still struggle to understand at the end of the section as they did in the beginning (8:11-21, cf. 4:41). John the Baptist is also killed by Herod (6:14-29).

Mark 8:27-10:52

This third section of Mark is centered around the revelation of Jesus as Messiah (8:27-9:13) and Jesus’ explanations of his coming death (8:31-33, 9:30-32, 10:32-34). Sprinkled in-between these marquee moments are a series of teachings and a few healings. Jesus succeeds in exorcising a spirit out of a boy where his disciples failed. He also restores the sight of Bartimaeus. These healings, however are not the main thrust of the narrative as they were in chs. 1-8. Instead, Jesus’ teaching is more central, specifically his teachings to the disciples (9:33-50, 10:13-16, 23-31).

Mark 11:1-16:9

The final section of Mark is centered on tension. Jesus’ identity, being announced to the reader in 1:1, has been reinforced through his works and teaching, Peter’s confession, and the triumphal entry. His authority culminates in the cleansing of the temple, but the chief priests and scribes seek to kill him for it. Jesus returns to the city, and the tension between him and the religious leaders continues to grow as they confront him and he responds (11:27-12:40). Leaving the city and returning to the Mount of Olives, Jesus explains upcoming trials and persecutions that will happen, including the destruction of the temple (13:1-37). The tension continues as Peter proclaims his undying loyalty to Jesus, but Jesus predicts that Peter will deny him that very night; Jesus is in anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane, but his disciples cannot stay awake to pray with him; Jesus is betrayed by his disciple, Judas; he is convicted unlawfully by the religious leaders, and they turn to Rome, the very occupiers they wanted to be liberated from, to have Jesus crucified. The tension carries all the way through 16:8, where the women are confronted with the reality of Jesus’ resurrection but are too afraid to tell anyone about it. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene in 16:9.