What is unique to Mark's Gospel?

Answer 1

There is little of significance that is unique to Mark's Gospel, as Matthew's Gospel and Luke's Gospel were both developed from it and, although some details were omitted, almost every important event was in fact copied.

The most important passage unique to Mark's Gospel is chapter 13, which says that Jesus told his listeners that the world will end during the lifetimes of those then still living, with Jesus prophesying the end of the world and his own return on clouds of glory. Jesus told them that they would see the great buildings destroyed, and the abomination of desolation, followed by the Son of man coming in clouds of glory, and that this would take place during their own generation. Mark 9:1 foreshadows the fuller account in chapter 13, saying that some of those who stand here will not taste death until they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. Of course, this prophecy did not come to pass, but at the time of writing (about 70 CE), it certainly seemed as if the end was nigh. The later gospels followed Mark's text as closely as possible, but instead of expecting the end of the world within the generation of Jesus, which had already passed away, they say that no one knows when the world will end. They do retain the text of Mark 9:1, into which modern theologians read various other meanings.

The young man who ran away naked at the time of Jesus' arrest is also unique to Mark's Gospel. Some say that the naked young man is an allegory for conscience.

The presence of the young man in the tomb on the day of the resurrection is unique to Mark. Matthew replaced him by an angel, while Luke has two men in shining garments, presumably angels. Following Luke, John has two angels but alters the context.

In the "Long Ending" to Mark (verses 16:9-20), Jesus met Mary Magdalene afterwards, while each of the other gospels contains somewhat different resurrection appearances.