Mark presents Jesus as the Son of God, the suffering King, the fulfillment of prophecy. I would subtitle it, "The Authority of the Misunderstood, Rejected, and Suffering King Jesus, Son of God." Its uniqueness lies in that it is the story of covenant jeopardy, just like Genesis. Satan is determined to disrupt the plan of salvation, just like Genesis. Opposition is relentless (like in Genesis), the disciples are relentlessly dim (creating one obstacle after another), but the authority of the Savior, in providential power, plays the plan of salvation through to its appointed end (just like Genesis). God reveals himself as he is, despite all the distortions. Jesus addresses the Babel Problem (deity falsely construed) as well as the Eden Problem (sin). Jesus represents God’s initiative to reconcile the world to himself.

What unique purpose do you think the Gospel of Mark serves in scripture?

I’ve seen some Christians describe Mark as a “summary version” of Jesus’ story, but I always thought this didn’t give the Gospel of Mark enough credit for some of what makes it unique.

What do you think?