A Marcan Portrait Of Jesus -- By: Donald E. Cook

Journal: Faith and Mission
Volume: FM 05:2 (Spring 1988)
Article: A Marcan Portrait Of Jesus
Author: Donald E. Cook


A Marcan Portrait Of Jesus

Donald E. Cook

Professor of New Testament,
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Mark’s gospel is of crucial importance to the church for an understanding of her Lord. Many attempts have been made to analyze the Christology of our earliest gospel from various perspectives.1 The present study is quite modest, It is an effort to consider the evangelist’s presentation of Jesus of Nazareth to his readers through the development of the gospel narrative.

The Marcan Purpose and Outline

The evangelist’s purpose is to identify the man on the cross. He establishes his basic theme that Jesus is Messiah and Son of God in 1:1, which is a functional title for Mark’s gospel. The theme is substantiated by divine revelation at baptism (1:11) and transfiguration (9:7), and confessed by Peter (8:27–29) and the Roman centurion (15:39). The first major division of the work centers about a series of four calls to the disciples (1:16–8:30) leading up to the confession at Caesarea Philippi. The second major section (8:31–10:52) develops from the Caesarean confession by means of three passion sayings (also related to discipleship) which point directly toward the final days in Jerusalem and the passion, the third major division (11:1–16:8). Within the movement of the narrative, Mark sketches his portrait of Jesus.

The Beginning of the Gospel

The introduction of the gospel carefully presents the principal motifs of the evangelist’s understanding of Jesus with Jewish (Christ, Messiah) and Jewish-Hellenistic (Son of God) titles. It subsequently moves to apply the Septuagintal “Lord” to him and to indicate John’s witness to his authority to baptize with Holy Spirit (1:8). Baptism confirms Jesus’ identity as Son of God, yet paradoxically prophesies his role as suffering, triumphant messiah.2 In addition, the temptation pericope (1:12–13) reminds the reader that though Jesus is victorious, he is not automatically invincible, a theme that will recur in interesting ways throughout the gospel as Mark considers the humanity and deity of the messiah. The Announcer of the Kingdom of God is fully credentialed at the beginning ...

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