The Sonship of Jesus: Mark

Overview

The Sonship of Jesus is taught throughout the Gospel of Mark. Those who refer to Jesus as the Son of God or accuse Jesus of claiming to be God's Son are as follows.

1. Mark (1:1-3)

2. God the Father (1:9-11 & 9:2-10)

3. Jesus (12:1-12, 13:32 & 14:55-65)

4. Non-Jews (15:37-39)

5. Demons (3:7-12 & 5:1-13)

6. The Jewish Religious Leaders (14:55-65)

Mark

Mark 1:1-3

(1) The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, (2) as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way” - (3) “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

God the Father

Mark 1:9-11

(9) At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. (10) Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. (11) And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Mark 9:2-10

(2) After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. (3) His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. (4) And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

(5) Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters - one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (6) (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

(7) Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

(8) Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

(9) As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. (10) They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

Jesus

Mark 12:1-12

(1) Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. (2) At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. (3) But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. (4) Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. (5) He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

(6) “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

(7) “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ (8) So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

(9) “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. (10) Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; (11) the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes’?”

(12) Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

Mark 13:32

(32) But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Mark 14:55-65

(55) The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. (56) Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.

(57) Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: (58) “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’” (59) Yet even then their testimony did not agree.

(60) Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” (61) But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

(62) “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

(63) The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. (64) “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

They all condemned him as worthy of death. (65) Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.

Non-Jews

Mark 15:37-39

(37) With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. (38) The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (39) And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

Demons

Mark 3:7-12

(7) Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. (8) When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. (9) Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. (10) For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. (11) Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” (12) But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.

Mark 5:1-13

(1) They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. (2) When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. (3) This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. (4) For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. (5) Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

(6) When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. (7) He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” (8) For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

(9) Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” (10) And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

(11) A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. (12) The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” (13) He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

The Jewish Religious Leaders

Mark 14:55-65

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

(62) “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

(63) The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. (64) “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

They all condemned him as worthy of death. (65) Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.