Until Mark, the Greek word euangelion was used in Christian circles to mean God’s action in Jesus Christ, and not a literary work. With Mark, there is a birth of new literary form called “Gospel.”Mark thus “invented” a new literary genre. He was a model for many and some imitated him (Matthew, Luke, John).
The Gospel of Mark contains the words and deeds of Jesus.
Apart from the major discourses, he included other doctrinal passages into the narrative material.
Some of the materials can be s follows
#1 Pronouncement Stories
#.There are brief narratives, which culminate in a “saying or ruling of Jesus” are called “Pronouncement Stories.”
#. The emphasis is not on the narrative as such but on a saying of Jesus.
#. They are short narratives within the Gospel in which Jesus responds to a person or problem or situation and the point of story is the climatic ruling of Jesus.
#. Thus the stories preserves an important saying of Jesus;
2: 15-17- eating with tax collectors and sinners.
2: 18-20- on fasting
2: 23-28- plucking grain on the Sabbath
10: 13-16- the rich young man
12: 18-27- resurrection of the dead
14: 18-27- anointing at Bethany
#2 Miracle Stories
There are many types of miracles, ex. Healings, exorcisms, nature miracles, resuscitation.
These stories reveal Jesus’ authority and also Jesus as the Messiah who is victorious over the powers of Satan, nature and death.
1: 29-34-Peter’s mother-in-law
1: 40-42- a leper
2: 1-12- paralytic
3: 1-6- a man with withered hand
8: 22-26- blind man at Bethsaida
#3 Summaries of Healings
A typical summary statement is seen in 1: 32-34
That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
Gospels is a collection or selection of materials derived from oral tradition, concerning what Jesus did and said.
To some extent they bound together by summaries which reflect Evangelist’s own view of these materials.
In these summaries we find emphasis laid on preaching by Jesus (1: 14-15, 39) and the twelve (6: 12), on the work of healing and exorcism (1: 34, 39; 3: 10-11; 6: 13, 56).
#4 Narratives about Jesus
There are stories which portray major events in the life of Jesus. For ex. Baptism, Temptation, Rejection at Nazareth, Transfiguration, Messianic entry into Jerusalem, cleansing of the Temple, Passion and Death.
Jesus is addressed frequently as “Rabbi” or its equivalent “teacher.” Only once, the title Lord appears in the mouth of audience, that too from a doubly marginalized person, a gentile woman (7: 28, Syro-Phoenician woman).
In Matthew this Christological title was used 19 times and in Luke 16 times.
Mark’s aim in the literary venture is to prove that Jesus of Nazareth, the great carpenter of Galilee is the Messiah and the Son of God.
He is the one anointed by God to bring salvation to humanity through his sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary (8: 31-33; 9: 31; 10: 31-33).
#5 Stories about the Disciples
Mark narrates the story of Jesus in the context of the human cooperation to the divine plan
Jesus’ first public act in the second gospel is the call of disciples (1: 16-20).
The major sections are punctuated with the incidents in the life of disciples. For example
Their preliminary mission (6: 7-12)
Their misunderstanding (8: 14-21)
Their confession of faith (8: 27-29)
The final mission of the disciples (16: 1-20)
#6 Doctrinal section
There are two great sermons of Jesus (Ch. 3 and 13).
Jesus makes discussion with Pharisees and Scribes (five Galilean controversies and five Judean controversies).
The missionary instruction in 6: 7-13 and the teaching on purity in 7: 1-21, warning against riches in 10: 17-31, teaching on divorce in 10: 41-45 and the efficacy of prayer in 11: 22-25 also form part of the doctrinal teaching.