Baylor University

George W. Truett Seminary

Introduction to Christian Scripture THEO 7340
Professor: Andrew Anterbury
Eli Gutierrez Briseño

The central message about Jesus in the gospel of Mark

Most scholars agree that Mark is the first gospel and one of the two main sources for the gospels

of Matthew and Luke. This is important because the portrait that the first gospel presents about

Jesus influenced the other gospels and the entire Christianity for posterity. Since the beginning, it

is clear who is Jesus for the author of Mark. The first verse says “Jesus Christ, son of God”. The

whole gospel is written to prove such affirmation, that Jesus is the Christ (the Jewish Messiah) and

the Son of God. The author narrates Jesus' miraculous deeds and the progressive revealing of his

identity which reaches its climax in his crucifixion. Through his healings, exorcisms, and teachings

Jesus makes evident who he is. However, he seems unwilling to let everybody know his identity.

Moreover, his own disciples struggle to recognize him and Jesus rebukes them for their lack of

faith. In sum, the whole gospel is written to show that the identity of Jesus is special and important.

In this essay, I will show that the central message about Jesus in the gospel of Mark is that he is

the Son of Man, the Jewish Messiah and the Son of God, and that his identity is something crucial

to understand.

The theme of Jesus’ identity in the gospel of Mark is present from the first verse to the last

one. For the reader, it is clear who is Jesus since the beginning of the gospel. But in the inner plot,

the identity of Jesus is revealed progressively. Jesus himself did not want everybody to know who

he is. The unclean spirits recognized him and he rebuked them and made them silent (Mark 1:25).

The daemons knew him but Jesus did not permit them to speak (Mark 1:34). Moreover, Jesus
commanded the leper to say nothing, but the leper spread the news and Jesus could no longer enter

openly in towns (Mark 1:43-44). This feature of the gospel is called the Messianic Secret. Jesus

also commanded to keep the secret to other unclean spirits (Mark 3:12), to those who saw him

healing Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:43), to the deaf man (Mark 7:36), to the twelve in Caesarea

Philippi (Mark 8:30), and to his closest disciples after the transfiguration (Mark 9:9). Conversely,

it is interesting that Jesus not only did not demand silence to the Gerasene man, but he

commissioned him to go and spread the news (Mark 5:19). In contrast, Jesus refused to reveal his

identity to the Jewish scribes (Mark 11:33). Perhaps it has to do with Mark’s theme of a gospel for

the Gentiles too. Other possible interpretation is that, as Jesus said in Mark 4:11, the secrets of the

Kingdom are not revealed to everyone. Anyway, what it is true is that the question about Jesus’

identity is the central theme of the gospel.

The special identity of Jesus in the gospel of Mark is shown particularly in his miraculous

deeds. Two of the main features of the ministry of Jesus, especially in the first chapters of the

gospel, are the healing of the sick and the expel of unclean spirits. As we can see in several passages

throughout the gospel (e.g. Mark 1:32-34, 45) the miracles of Jesus resulted in a great fame for his

own person. People crowded around him and exclaimed amazed “we never saw anything like this”

(Mark 2:12 ESV). His miraculous deeds revealed that he was stronger than Satan (Mark 3:23-27),

that he was above the Jewish law (Mark 2:28, 3:1-6), that even the nature obeyed him (Mark 4:39-

40), that the spirits fell before him (Mark 5:6-7), that he had power over death (Mark 5:42-42),

and that all this was because of his identity. The spirits acknowledged him as the “Son of the Most

High God” (Mark 5:7). It seems that the author of the gospel of Mark wants to show that Jesus

made such miracles by the authority that was within himself. In Mark 2:28, just before healing a

man on the Sabbath Jesus stated that “the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath”. The power for
healing a woman came “from him” (Mark 5:30). Many were healed only by touching the fringe of

his garment (Mark 6:56). And the power to perform exorcisms came from his own name (Mark

9:38-41).

Other two features of Jesus’ ministry in the gospel of Mark that point to his identity are his

preaching and his discipleship. Indeed, Jesus stated that the reason he came was to preach (Mark

1:39). According to Mark, the people were amazed and they wondered “what is this? A new

teaching with authority” (Mark 1:27). Moreover, the author of the gospel intentionally attracts the

attention of the reader to the question of where did Jesus get such authority (Mark 1:21). In a

couple of passages, this question is put explicitly in the mouth of some characters (Mark 6:2,

11:28). Furthermore, Mark leads the plot of the gospel to show that such authority was in Jesus’

identity. It is illustrative the way that Mark depicts the disciples of Jesus struggling to understand

his message, mission, and identity (e.g. Mark 4:40-41, 6:50-52). In chapter 8, Jesus rebuked them

for their lack of understanding (Mark 8:21). Perhaps the slow healing of a blind man is a metaphor

for their slow understanding (Mark 8:22-26). Immediately Jesus asked them “who do you say that

I am?” (Mark 8:29) and Peter answered correctly that he was the Messiah. But even then, they did

not understand completely his mission, which was to suffer and to die (Mark 8:32-33, 9:32). The

whole point of his discipleship was himself. Jesus called them, in the first place, to be with him

(Mark 3:13-14). In their lack of faith, Jesus comforted them with his own person saying “it is I”

(Mark 6:50). It was a personal, private, and intimate discipleship (Mark 33-34), which central

teaching, as I will show, was his own identity.

The title “Christ” is a reference to Jesus’ messiahship. It puts Jesus in continuity with

Jewish traditions. He is the one who fulfills the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah (Mark 1:2-4, 9:12).

John the Baptist regarded Jesus as mightier and greater than him (Mark 1:7). And Peter confessed
him as the Messiah (Mark 8:30). This passage is a turning point in Mark’s narrative because Jesus

reveals his identity. Then in chapter 9, Jesus transfigured before his closest disciples revealing his

glory. In this scene Jesus talked to Moses and Elijah, representing Jewish traditions, but a voice

from heaven regarded Jesus as greater than the other two (Mark 9:7). Moreover, when Jesus was

celebrating an important Jewish ritual with his disciples he referred to his own blood as part of the

covenant. And he said that his blood was “poured out for many” (Mark 14:24). It is particularly

important the word “many”. Mark presents Jesus preaching not only to Jewish men. He ministered

gentiles (Mark 5:1, 7:31), women (e.g. Mark7:24-32), and children (Mark 10:15). Furthermore, in

the last chapters, the messianic identity of Jesus is revealed farther than his close group of disciples.

In his trial, the High Priest asked Jesus: “are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”, and he

answered “I am” (Mark 14:62). Finally, Jesus acknowledged before Pilate that he is the King of

the Jews (Mark 15:2). Thus, the gospel of Mark presents Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, who fulfilled

the prophecies of the Old Testament, who was greater than the Jewish tradition, and who gave his

blood for many.

It is possible that the title “Son of Man” is also a messianic reference. Many scholars agree

that it was an expression used by Jesus for self-reference. In the gospel of Mark, the title is mainly

used in three ways. First, to show that Jesus had authority. The Son of Man had authority to forgive

sins, as only God can do (Mark 2:5-7). Moreover, he was the lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28-3:6).

Second, to refer to the prophecies that Jesus was fulfilling (Mark 9:12, 14:21). And third, when

Jesus foretells his death. Three times he revealed to his disciples that the Son of Man must suffer,

be killed, and rise again (Mark 8:31, 9:30-31, 10:32-34). Thus, the gospel of Mark presents Jesus

as the Son of Man, who had authority for himself, who was fulfilling the prophecies, and who gave

his life for many (Mark 1:45).

 In the gospel of Mark, the title “Son of God” expresses strongly Jesus’ identity. Since the

first verse, it is stated that Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 1:1).1 In his Baptism, the spirit descended

upon him and a voice from heaven said: “you are my beloved Son” (Mark 1:10-11). Then, Jesus

was led by the spirit and was ministered by angels (Mark 1:12-13). Which shows his close

relationship with God and his high divine status. It is interesting that Jesus has some divine

attributions in the gospel of Mark.2 He is worshiped by the angels (Mark 1:13), and he can forgive

sins (Mark 2:5-7). Moreover, the unclean spirits called him “the Holy One of God”, “the Son of

God” and “the Son of the Most High God” (Mark 1:24, 3:11, 5:7). In the transfiguration, perhaps

the highest Christological moment, a voice from heaven called him again “my beloved Son” (Mark

9:7). Therefore, the gospel of Mark presents Jesus as the Son of God, who held a unique

relationship with God to the point of sharing the divine glory and attributions.

In summary, the main concern for the author of the gospel of Mark is to make the reader

ask himself or herself who is Jesus? It is clear that for Mark the significance of Jesus was in his

own person and not only in his message or his mission. To proclaim Jesus’ identity as Messiah

and the Son of God is the main purpose of the gospel. The turning point in the gospel is the chapter

8 where Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ. And the climax is his crucifixion, where a gentile

expressed: “truly this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39). For Mark, the time of Jesus’

ministry was a special one because of himself (Mark 2:19-20) and it is a blasphemy not to

recognize his authority (Mark 3:28-30). Thus, we can say that the whole gospel is written to show

that the identity of Jesus is extraordinary and it is crucial to understand it. And, as I have shown,

the central message about Jesus in the gospel of Mark is that he can perform miraculous deeds and

1
Against those who argue that Mark presents the Baptism as the moment where Jesus acquired his divine status.
2
He also receives the title “Lord”, which perhaps means that he held the name of God. But such theme is not to be
addressed in this essay.
preach with great authority because of who he is, the Son of Man, the Jewish Messiah, and the Son

of God.