Gospel of Mark

The Gospel of Mark is the second of the four canonical Gospels and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It narrates the ministry of Jesus from his baptism by John the Baptist to his death, the burial of his body, and the discovery of his empty tomb. It portrays Jesus as a teacher, an exorcist, a healer, and a miracle worker. Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man and is called the Son of God, though he keeps his messianic nature secret; even his disciples fail to understand him. This is in keeping with the Christian interpretation of prophecy, which is believed to foretell the fate of the messiah as a suffering servant.

Traditionally attributed to Mark the Evangelist, the companion of the Apostle Peter, the gospel is anonymous, and scholarship is inconclusive on its authorship. It is dated to around 70 AD and was likely written in Rome for a gentile audience. Mark is classified as an ancient biography and was meant to strengthen the faith of its readers. Most scholars hold that Mark is the earliest gospel and was used by both Matthew and Luke. Mark has therefore often been seen as the most reliable gospel, though this has recently been challenged.

There is no agreement on the structure of Mark, but a break at Mark 8:26–31 is widely recognised. Most scholars view Mark 16:8, which ends with a resurrection announcement, as the original ending. Mark presents the gospel as "good news", which includes both the career of Christ as well as his death and resurrection. Mark contains numerous accounts of miracles, which signify God's rule in the gospels, the motif of a Messianic Secret, and an emphasis on Jesus as the "Son of God".