New Testament · 16 chapters
Mark
Author
John Mark, by early church tradition drawing on Peter's preaching
Written
c. AD 55-70, probably the earliest Gospel
Themes
Jesus as the suffering Son of God · Discipleship · The kingdom of God · Secrecy and revelation
Mark is the shortest Gospel and reads like a sprint — 'immediately' appears dozens of times. It spends its first half on Jesus' power in Galilee and its second on the road to Jerusalem and the cross, turning on Peter's confession in chapter 8.
Outline
John the Baptist, baptism and the first disciplesChapter 1
Healings, parables and growing opposition in GalileeChapters 2-6
Who do you say I am? Peter's confession and the first passion predictionChapters 7-8
On the road to Jerusalem: teaching on discipleshipChapters 9-10
Jerusalem: temple, controversies and the coming endChapters 11-13
Last Supper, arrest, crucifixion and the empty tombChapters 14-16
Where to begin
Read it straight through — at 16 chapters it fits in one or two sittings, which is how its first hearers met it. If you only have ten minutes, start with chapter 8:27-38, the hinge of the whole book.