Kingdom Disciples

Jesus is revealed as the Savior of Mankind in his sufferings and self-sacrificial death for others, including his enemies . The inability of men to recognize Jesus as the Son of God until after his crucifixion is a key theme of the Gospel of Mark . Ironically, the first man who did so was the Roman centurion on duty at Christ’s execution. The self-identification of Jesus as the suffering “ Son of Man ” made him unrecognizable to unregenerate men. He was the Savior no one expected or, frankly, wanted.

Jesus explained that he was going to Jerusalem where the Son of Man would be arrested, tried, and executed – Mark 10:32-34. Jesus is “ on the way ” to Jerusalem and the Cross in the  Gospel of Mark . This theme occurs several times, beginning with John the Baptist who was sent to “ prepare the way before the Lord .” The Nazarene would complete his messianic mission as the ‘ Suffering Servant ’ portrayed in the Book of Isaiah when he was tried by the priestly leaders of the Temple and executed outside the walls of the City of David at the hands of Rome, the World Empire .

The figure of the Son of Man in the Book of Daniel is the source of Christ’s self-designation, the Son of Man . The term “ Son of Man ” is the self-designation found most often on the lips of Jesus. It is derived from Daniel’s vision of the one “ like a Son of Man ” who received the “ dominion and kingdom ” from the “ Ancient of Days .” All the tribes of the Earth will mourn when “ they see  the Son of man  coming on the clouds of Heaven .”

The Gospel of Mark provides several examples of the many parables taught by Jesus (“ Apart from a parable he did not speak to the crowds ”). The dominant theme of his parables is the Kingdom of God that began to invade the Earth in his ministry and continues to grow and produce fruit wherever the Gospel is preached. The “ Son of Man ” taught the Jewish people in parables, but only as they “ were able to hear ,” and this clause stresses the responsibility of the listener to hear and heed his words.

The Parable of the Sower and its interpretation provide the key to understanding the parables of Jesus. The Kingdom of God began to invade the present age, starting with the proclamation of the Gospel by the “ Son of Man .” This process commenced with his announcement of the Good News in “ Galilee of the Nations .” Since then, it has advanced across the Earth largely unnoticed by humanity.

The whole earth will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of Heaven, and he will send his angels to gather his elect  –Mark 13:21-27. After describing the destruction of the Temple, Jesus turns to the subject of his return. How much time will pass between the Temple’s demise and his arrival, he does not say, but in the intervening period, his disciples must beware of deceivers and “ false prophets ” who spread false information about his coming.

Jesus is the ‘Son of Man’ foreseen by Daniel, the Messiah with absolute authority over the peoples and nations of the Earth . After defeating Satan in the wilderness, Jesus began proclaiming “ the Good News ” of the Kingdom in Galilee – “ The season is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel! ” The term “ Kingdom of God ” is a summary statement that links Christ’s mission to the glorious “ Son of Man ” figure described in the  Book of Daniel .

The Transfiguration confirms his status as the Messiah and the necessity for Jesus to suffer before receiving glory - Mark 9:2-13.  In Mark , the Transfiguration begins with the clause “ after six days ,” a link to the preceding story where Peter acknowledges Jesus is the Messiah. In response, Christ explains the true meaning of discipleship. To follow him, a man must “ deny himself and take up his cross ” just as the “ Son of Man ” did.

The Pharisees and Scribes objected to the looseness of Jesus to their Sabbath regulations, but he used the opportunity to demonstrate that the “ Son of Man ” is “ Lord ” even over that day . God ceased His creative activities on the seventh day. Still, its formal establishment as a regulated day on which no work could be done did not occur until the Torah was given at Mount Sinai (“ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy ”).

The literary unit in chapters 1 and 2 of the  Gospel of Mark  includes five stories highlighting the authority of Jesus as the “ Son of Man .” It also shows the growing conflicts between him and the religious authorities based in the Jerusalem Temple, especially over issues of ritual purity and Sabbath regulations. There are parallels between the present story and the preceding one about the cleansing of the leper.