One of the most oft-repeated questions that Christians encounter is: “Where does the New Testament teach that Jesus is God?”[1] Most enquirers look for the answer in the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Since the content of these books deals extensively with the life and sayings of Jesus, the Gospels should not only confirm what Jesus believed and taught but should also represent what the earliest Christians understood about his identity.
The Gospel of John is widely acknowledged as one that presents a “high Christology.”[2] Indeed, the evidence for Jesus’s divinity and pre-existence begins with the first verse and continues throughout the Gospel:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1, 14 [NASB95]; see also John 1:2–5; 4:25–26; 6:35, 40; 8:58; 10:7–11, 14–18, 27–30, 37–38; 11:25–26).[3]
However, some skeptics are keen to point out that the reliability, accuracy, and, hence, high Christology in John’s Gospel should be considered questionable because of its late dating.[4] Nevertheless, any objections related to the late dating of John will have no bearing on the argument in this essay since the author will not rely on John’s Gospel. Instead, he will answer the above question entirely with evidence from the Gospel of Mark.[5] Though many passages in the New Testament help to answer the question of the deity of Jesus, beginning with the Gospel of Mark is a good strategic move, as will be made clear in the remainder of this article.
About the Gospel of Mark
The reason for focusing specifically on Mark’s Gospel is that it is considered by many to be the earliest of the four Gospels.[6] Commonly accepted dates for the writing of this text range from the 50s to the early 70s CE.[7] Thus, roughly speaking, the Gospel of Mark was composed approximately 20 to 40 years after the death of Jesus. This timeframe would place the narratives and sayings within the living memory of many of those who lived them. In other words, when the original manuscript first appeared and was circulating, plenty of eyewitnesses were still alive to verify (or refute) the content of Mark’s Gospel.[8]
Many biblical and historical scholars agree that the Gospel of Mark was the first of the four canonical (i.e., authentic) Gospels written. However, they may also point out that Mark focuses more on Jesus’s human experience and lacks the earmarks of a high Christology. Conversely, in this essay, the author will make a case that Mark’s Gospel is brimming with internal evidence that strongly supports Jesus’s divinity. If Mark is indeed the earliest of the four Gospels, its textual data should clearly show how the earliest Christians understood the identity of Jesus. Therefore, by carefully examining the text of Mark, the author hopes to demonstrate that the Gospel of Mark teaches that Jesus is a divine person who is co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’s Divinity by Chapters
Mark Chapter 1: Jesus is the Long-Awaited Messiah
In the Old Testament, the Messiah (i.e., “anointed one”) was called by many names, including (1) the “offspring of the woman” (Gen. 3:15), (2) the “offspring of Abraham” (Gen. 22:18), (3) the “priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” (Ps. 110:4), (4) the “root of Jesse” (Isa. 11:10; cf. Rom. 15:12), (5) the “branch of the Lord” (Isa. 4:2), (6) “Immanuel,” son of the virgin (Isa. 7:14), (7) the “Prophet” like Moses (Deut. 18:15), and (8) the “messenger of the covenant” (Mal. 3:1). Religious Jews at the time of Jesus were waiting for the appearance of this long-expected Messiah, a divine king who would come from the “House of David” (i.e., the “root of Jesse”) and restore an earthly kingdom to the Jews.
Early in the Gospel of Mark, we learn that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and the Son of God (1:1–3). Mark is quoting Isaiah, the Prophet of Israel, who called the Messiah both Lord and God: “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (Isa. 40:3, italics added for emphasis). Mark applies these titles to Jesus.
The herald of the Messiah, John the Baptist, “appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (1:4). The author tells us that “the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him” (1:5a). This obvious use of hyperbole (i.e., “all the people of Jerusalem”) vividly communicates the success of the Baptizer’s ministry. People came great distances to hear John preach and to be baptized by him in the Jordan River.
Even though John enjoyed a kind of celebrity status, he was not a self-serving man. He centered his message on the one who would come after him, the long-awaited Messiah: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit’” (1:7–8). Thus, besides deferring to the power and primacy of Jesus as the Messiah, John also attested to the Messiah’s superiority of purpose (i.e., to baptize with the Holy Spirit).
Mark Chapter 2: Jesus Forgives Sin; Only God Forgives Sin
While Jesus was at home in Capernaum, four men arrived carrying an afflicted man on a pallet. The man was seeking healing from a debilitating illness (2:3). However, as they approached, they could not get into the house to see Jesus because of the multitude. So, they made a hole in the roof and lowered the man on his pallet through the opening above Jesus (2:4). Upon seeing their faith (not to mention their ingenuity), Jesus said to the man: “Son, your sins are forgiven” (2:5). This statement immediately infuriated the Jewish leadership sitting nearby. They accused Jesus of blasphemy because only God can forgive sins (2:7).[9] Jesus, knowing their thoughts and intentions, doubled down on his pronouncement, saying:
‘Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home’ (2:9–11).
Being wholly and immediately healed, the once-paralyzed man followed Jesus’s command: He got up, picked up his pallet, and went home. Although John the Baptist heralded the appearance of the Messiah (1:7–8), and God the Father (and the Holy Spirit) personally endorsed his ministry (1:10–11), here, for the first time, Jesus publicly affirmed his own deity. On this occasion, Jesus was not only declaring but also demonstrating his divine authority to forgive sins.
Mark Chapter 3: Jesus’s Authority over Demons
Jesus was widely known as a healer and exorcist during his ministry years.[10] However, the teachers of the law who had been following Jesus accused him, saying: “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is casting out demons” (3:22). But Jesus pushed back: “How can Satan drive out Satan?” As Jesus explained, if someone binds Satan, the demons cannot resist being cast out (3:23–27). In other words, Jesus disabled Satan to cast out the demons. In this way, Jesus was affirming his power over Satan. Since no mere human can incapacitate Satan, Jesus’s actions represented the divine authority and power of God.
Mark Chapter 4: Jesus Controls Nature
After Jesus spent an entire day teaching a large crowd, he climbed into a boat with his disciples and headed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. As they were going along, “a furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped” (4:37). But Jesus demonstrated his control over nature; he “rebuked” the wind and the waves, thereby calming the storm (4:39). Jesus’s actions here were consistent with his increasing displays of authority, especially for his disciples’ benefit. Since only God can control the seas (see Pss. 89:8–9; 104:5–9; 107:23–32), such a display of power should be interpreted as a manifestation of God.
Mark Chapter 5: Jesus Raises the Dead
Jesus met a local synagogue leader named Jairus, who pleaded with Jesus to come to his home and heal his young daughter (5:21–23). However, by the time they arrived, the family was distraught; the girl had already died (5:38–39). But Jesus was unperturbed. After dismissing the guests, he took the girl by the hand and said (in Aramaic): “‘Talitha koum!’ (which means ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’). Immediately, the girl stood up and began to walk around” (5:41–42). The Aramaic phrase uttered by Jesus was not a request, nor was it a magical incantation; it was a command by one with authority (cf. Luke 7:14). By raising this young girl from the dead, Jesus demonstrated not only his authority over death but also reinforced his compassion for individual suffering.
Mark Chapter 6: Jesus Calms a Storm and Walks on Water
So that he could retreat to a nearby mountain to pray, Jesus sent his disciples ahead of him to Bethsaida by boat. Later, Jesus was standing on the shore and saw the disciples in the middle of the lake encountering heavy winds and “straining at the oars” (6:48a). So, Jesus “went out to them, walking on the lake” (6:48b). When the disciples noticed him, they were terrified, thinking they saw a ghost (6:49–50a). Seeing their fear, he spoke to them: “‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid’” (6:50b). And, upon arriving on the small craft, he caused the winds to cease (6:51; cf. 4:39). The disciples were amazed, for only God can subdue torrential seas (see Job 9:8). This was the second time Jesus demonstrated control over turbulent seas (cf. 4:35–39).
Mark Chapter 8: Jesus is the Messiah—”Do you still not understand?”
After witnessing Jesus inexplicably walk on the water and calm the storm at sea, Mark writes that the disciples’ “hearts were hardened” (6:51b–52). How could this be? Here is the backstory. A short time earlier, Jesus performed a miracle, feeding 5,000 people by multiplying five loaves of bread and two fish. When they finished the meal, twelve baskets of bread pieces were left over (6:35–44)! The disciples seemingly did not understand the significance of this miracle, even with the substantial object lesson: twelve baskets of leftovers (one basket per disciple). Therefore, Jesus repeated the message (8:1–8)! This time, he fed 4,000 people by multiplying seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. After the people had eaten their fill, seven baskets were left over! After they had witnessed these two miracles, Jesus made sure the disciples understood the implications. Questioning them on the details of the two events, Jesus (probably without a trace of sarcasm) then asked: “Do you still not understand?” (8:14–21).
One might marvel at the disciples’ hardness of heart. They had been “completely amazed” by Jesus’s display of calming the sea, which he did twice! They then witnessed Jesus multiply a few loaves of bread and fish to feed over 9,000 people! Were the disciples comatose when Jesus healed every illness, cast out every demon, and even revived the dead?! Why did they still have doubts that Jesus was their Messiah?
A short time later, Jesus asked them a crucial question. He needed them to know and genuinely believe the answer. After all, they would soon be called to deliver the “good news” of the Kingdom of God to the world. So Jesus asked: “Who do people say I am?” They answered: “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” Then came the clincher: “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered for all: “You are the Messiah” (8:27–30). With Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah, the significance of Jesus’s identity started sinking in: Jesus was, indeed, their long-awaited Messiah!
Mark Chapter 9: Jesus’s Transfiguration and Divine Authority
Unfortunately, soon after Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus revealed the most distressing news about his future: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, [he]…must be killed and after three days rise again” (8:31). This shocked the disciples back into doubt. This is why, shortly after this disturbing revelation, Jesus led Peter, James, and John up a high mountain where Jesus was transfigured before them (9:2). His clothes became dazzling white, and Moses and Elijah appeared before them, talking with Jesus (9:4), and the voice of God spoke to them from above (9:7). This scene was meant to shore up the disciples’ lagging confidence by giving them a glimpse of future glory. The appearances were a foretaste of the glorious climax of Jesus’s ministry. However, it would be up to Peter, James, and John to relate this experience to the rest of the disciples and inspire in them the hope of glory that awaited the faithful. But before this could happen, Jesus tempered their enthusiasm. He told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until he had risen from the dead (9:9).
When they came down from the mountain, they found the other disciples standing amid a crowd of people, arguing with “teachers of the law” (9:14). The heated exchange centered around a man who had brought his demon-possessed son to be healed. The father asked Jesus’s disciples to cast out the demon, but they could not (9:17–18). So, they brought the boy to Jesus, who “rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again’” (9:25). After Jesus exorcized the demon, his disciples gathered to him and asked why they were unsuccessful in casting out the demon. He told them: “This kind can come out only by prayer” (9:29). Jesus was teaching his followers that the power to accomplish some exorcisms required them to pray for authority. The key difference was that Jesus did not have to pray; he wielded his personal divine authority to cast out the demons.
Mark Chapter 12: Jesus is David’s “Lord” and “Son”
One day, as Jesus taught in the temple courts, he tested the people’s knowledge of the Messiah. Jesus posed the following questions:
Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: ‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.’ David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son? (12:35–37).
Jesus was quoting from Psalm 110, written by King David. In the Psalm, the one whom David called “my Lord” was God’s anointed one, the Messiah. But he was also David’s “son” or descendent. Jesus was asking them how David’s descendent (i.e., David’s “son”) could also be his superior (i.e., David’s “Lord”). The lesson was that the Messiah would be fully divine and fully human. He would be David’s Lord, as well as David’s son. Jesus possessed these credentials and wanted his disciples to know it.
Mark Chapters 13 and 14: Jesus is the “Son of Man”
By the time of Jesus’s ministry in first-century Palestine, the religious Jews recognized the “Son of Man” as the title of the divine figure introduced in the Old Testament book of Daniel (see Dan. 7:13–14). Chapters 7–12 of the Book of Daniel represent apocalyptic literature (i.e., topics that deal with last things). Daniel presents a series of visions and prophecies of future events:
In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed (Dan. 7:13–14).
The “Son of Man” is portrayed as approaching God (i.e., the “Ancient of Days”) and being given “authority, glory, and sovereign power.” And all the peoples of every nation worshiped him. And his dominion will never end.
It is important to note that Jesus frequently referred to himself as the “Son of Man.”[11] He made use of this title in four ways: (1) to refer to himself, (2) to describe his authority, (3) to foreshadow his suffering and death, and (4) to predict his future exaltation and glory.[12] By claiming to be the Son of Man, Jesus confirmed himself as the divine figure spoken of by the prophet Daniel.
Mark Chapter 14: Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, and the Son of Man
After his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was brought before the ruling body of the Jews (the Sanhedrin) for questioning by the high priest (14:53–60). Under direct interrogation by the high priest (Caiaphas), Jesus acknowledged that he was the “Christ,” the “Son of God,” and the “Son of Man”:
Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, ‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ And Jesus said, ‘I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ (14:61–62 [NASB95]).
In his brief response, Jesus acknowledged that all three of these divine titles rightly belong to him. Jesus’s claims produced cries of “blasphemy” from the high priest and all those in attendance:
Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, ‘What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?’ And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death (14:63–64 [NASB95]).
When Jesus claimed to be the “Christ,” the “Son of the Blessed One,” and the “Son of Man” (14:61–64), he was claiming to be of equal divine status as the Father, which is what served as the motive for the high priest and the rest of the ruling body of the Jews to accuse Jesus of blasphemy.
Conclusion
Though the New Testament cites many examples of Jesus’s divinity, the author has limited his discussion to one source: the Gospel of Mark. The reason is simple; most biblical and New Testament scholars acknowledge Mark’s priority within the chronology of the four Gospels. If one can demonstrate a high Christology in the earliest Gospel, then finding examples in the later Gospels shouldn’t be surprising.
The instances cited in Mark’s Gospel demonstrate that, from a Jewish perspective, Jesus claimed the Father’s full authority and divine status, and he backed up those claims with actions. He acknowledged himself as the “Christ” (8:29; 9:41; 12:35; 13:21; 14:61–62), the “Son of God” (3:11–12; 14:61–62), and the “Son of Man” (2:10–11, 28; 8:31, 38; 9:9, 12, 31; 10:33, 45; 13:26–27; 14:21, 41, 62).
Moreover, Jesus established his authority to (1) forgive sins (Mark 2:5; 10–12), (2) perform miracles of healing (Mark 2:10–11; 8:22–25), (3) exorcize demons (Mark 5:1–20; 9:25–29), and (4) revive the dead (Mark 5:38–42). And if that wasn’t enough, Jesus demonstrated his power over nature, including calming storms and walking on water (Mark 4:36–39; 6:47–51).
Because Mark provides numerous examples of a high Christology, any references to Jesus’s deity in John, Luke, and Matthew should not be seen as inventions of later Christians. From the beginning, believers clearly understood Jesus’s deity. The different perspectives of the four Gospel authors add to the richness of the original apostles’ and disciples’ knowledge of Jesus’s divinity.
In conclusion, examining solely the Gospel of Mark, the author has shown that Jesus claimed to be, and accepted his position as, the Messiah (Christ), the Son of God, and Son of Man. Each was a designation of the divine being who would bring (1) the “good news” of the Kingdom of God (1:15), (2) the warning of judgment (13:24–37), and the universal promise of salvation to all nations (Luke 3:6).
About the Author
David P. Diaz, Ed.D., is an independent researcher and retired college professor. His writings have ranged from peer-reviewed technical articles to his memoir, which won the 2006 American Book Award. Dr. Diaz holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science Degree from California Polytechnic State University, a Master of Arts in Philosophical Apologetics from Houston Christian University, and a Doctor of Education Degree specializing in Computing and Information Technology from Nova Southeastern University. [back to top]
Notes
[1] When referring to “God” in this article, the author is specifically alluding to the orthodox God of Christian theism with all omni-attributes (e.g., omnipotence, omniscience, etc.). Moreover, the God of the Bible is tri-personal. That is, within the nature of the one God, there are three eternal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the astute interpreter of the New Testament will understand that Jesus would never use the exact words, “I am God.” Jesus always distinguished himself from the Father and the Holy Spirit, thereby demonstrating his unique role as the second person of the Trinity. He rightfully acknowledged himself as the “Son of Man,” the “Christ” (i.e., Messiah), and the “Son of God.” Accordingly, the author will not attempt to show that Jesus is identical to the Father but that he is a divine person who is co-equal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
[2] In Christian theology, “high Christology” means that a source emphasizes the divinity and pre-existence of Jesus.
[3] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New International Version (NIV).
[4] Scholars date the Gospel of John as early as the 60s CE, but it is more typically dated between the late 80s and 100 CE. See Bart D. Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 7th ed. (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2020), 83, 97, 244; and Robert H. Gundry, A Survey of the New Testament, 5th ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), 572–574.
[5] The argument presented in this paper was inspired by Dr. Mike Licona in the class “Philosophy of History and the Resurrection of Jesus” (APOL 6321, Houston Christian University, Houston, TX, Spr. 2022). Since the author has attempted to make this argument his own, any errors of fact or interpretation are his alone.
[6] Dating the books of the New Testament has long been a hotly debated topic. Given the limited scope of this paper, the author will not address the subject of dating here. Instead, for the purpose of this paper, the author will grant the assumption that Mark was the earliest of the four Gospels.
[7] For an example of the earlier dating, see Jonathan Bernier, Rethinking the Dates of the New Testament: The Evidence for Early Composition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 2022). For mid-range dating of Mark, see Gundry, A Survey of the New Testament, 572–574. For later dating, see Marko Marina, “Bible in Chronological Order (every book ordered by date written),” July 6, 2024, online at https://www.bartehrman.com/bible-in-chronological-order/.
[8] Obviously, the earlier that Mark was written, the greater the number of people would be alive to verify or refute its content, and vice versa.
[9] Blasphemy is the act of showing disrespect or contempt for God’s name, character, or attributes. It was considered a crime deserving of death (Lev. 24:16; cf. Mark 14:64). Religious authorities accused Jesus of blasphemy because he claimed for himself the attributes, rights, and prerogatives of God; in this case, he claimed the right to forgive sins (see also John 10:30–33).
[10] Bart D. Ehrman, Did Jesus Exist?: The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth, 1st paperback ed. (New York, NY: HarperOne, 2013), 316.
[11] Jesus acknowledged himself as the “Son of Man” fourteen times in the book of Mark.
[12] Leslie T. Hardin and Derek Brown, “Son of Man,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, ed. John D. Barry et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).