In Mark’s Gospel, no one recognizes who Jesus is except demons. Only in his death on a Roman cross was his identity understood by men.
In Galilee, the disciples witnessed Jesus heal the
sick, cast out demons, forgive sins, and even calm violent storms, supernatural
acts performed with great authority. However, his words and deeds produced
confusion over his identity, and therefore, the question was asked by many, “Who
is this man?” Only at his execution did a human being finally recognize who
he was.
This ironic storyline occurs often in the Gospel
of Mark, and it leads to a stunning conclusion: Until his crucifixion, no man
or woman acknowledged Jesus as the “Son of God.” He was only recognized
as the Son by the demons he cast out and the heavenly voice that
spoke at his baptism and transfiguration.
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| [Cross - Photo by Cdoncel (Madrid, Spain) on Unsplash] |
That voice proclaimed Jesus to be the beloved “Son.” When he began to exorcise demons, the “unclean spirits” understood who he was, though whenever they made any outcry, he silenced them, “for they knew who he was.”
In contrast, the men of the Jewish nation were incapable
of comprehending his identity and mission, including members of his immediate
family, and even his inner circle of disciples. After casting out one demon, amazed,
the crowd “began to discuss among themselves, saying, What is this?” -
(Mark 1:10-11, 1:24-34, 5:7).
Following his miraculous calming of a storm, the
disciples asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea
obey him?” They were more fearful after Jesus commanded the storm to desist
than they were during the storm. Even a display of power of that magnitude proved
insufficient to open their eyes - (Mark 1:27, 4:41).
Later, while on the verge of grasping Christ’s
identity, Peter declared, “You are the Messiah.” However, when Jesus
explained that his path means suffering, rejection, and death, Peter “began
to rebuke him.” Whatever momentary glimmer of insight Peter had disappeared
at the first mention of a suffering Messiah.
The idea of Israel’s Messiah being crucified by the
nation’s enemies was inconceivable to a devout and patriotic Jew, yet Jesus reacted
by sharply reprimanding Peter:
- “Withdraw behind me, Satan, because you are not regarding the things of God but the things of men!” - (Mark 8:29-32).
Only at his death did one man recognize him, and rather ironically, the Roman centurion who was likely in charge of Christ’s execution. When Jesus breathed his last, the pagan officer declared, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”
The centurion perceived what none of the religious
leaders of Israel or even his own disciples could. Only when he was dying on
the cross did someone understand. Thus, there is no Christianity
without Christ, and there is no saving faith or knowledge apart from Christ
Crucified.
DISCIPLESHIP
The Apostle Paul presents the submission of
Jesus to a shameful death on the Roman cross as the paradigm for Christian conduct.
The Son of God “poured himself out, taking the form of a slave.” He humbled
himself by becoming “obedient as far as death, even death upon a cross.”
This became the ultimate example that his followers must emulate - (Philippians
2:6-11).
Paul’s statement alludes to the description of the
suffering ‘Servant of Yahweh’ in the Book of Isaiah:
- The Servant would “justify many and bear their iniquities <…> Because he poured out his soul unto death was numbered with the transgressors, yet he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors” – (Isaiah 53:11-12).
To follow Jesus requires reconfiguring our lives
to conform to his teachings and deeds. This pattern and principle go back to the
Nazarene himself, who taught believers:
- “The disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above his master <…> He that does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” - (Matthew 10:24-38).
One day, when his disciples were disputing which
of them would be the “greatest” in the Kingdom of God, Jesus admonished
them, and like Paul, he alluded to the passage about the Suffering Servant of
Yahweh:
- “Not so is it to be among you, but whoever will desire to become great among you will be your minister, and whosoever will desire to be first among you will be your slave: just as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give his life a ransom instead of many” - (Mark 10:45).
Paul and Jesus both understood that the Messiah was
(and remains) the “Servant of Yahweh.” Moreover, in his Kingdom, true greatness
is achieved only through humility and self-sacrificial service to others.
Taking up the cross and following "the
Lamb wherever he goes" requires a life of service, submission to the
will of the Father, a willingness to suffer for Jesus and his people and acts
of mercy, and especially forgiveness and compassion for our opponents and
persecutors.
It is not in powerful miracles or displays of supernatural
wonders that God’s power and grace are seen, but in “the Word of the Cross.”
Christ Crucified is “God’s power and God’s wisdom.” It is in Christ’s sacrificial
death for others that we begin to perceive who and what he is, the nature of
his mission, and what it means to follow him - (1 Corinthians 1:18-24).
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SEE ALSO:
- Voice in the Wilderness - (The Kingdom of God arrived in the ministry of Jesus, commencing with his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist – Mark 1:1-3)
- The Son of Man - (The one like a Son of Man in the Book of Daniel is the source of Christ’s self-designation as the Son of Man and his authority)
- Opposition Begins - (Jesus began to proclaim the Gospel following the arrest of John, a foretaste of the opposition that would plague his ministry – Mark 1:14-15)