Many skeptics claim that the Gospels evolved over time. While most agree that the Gospel of Mark was the earliest of our four ancient biographies about Jesus of Nazareth, many will claim that these accounts were embellished, and by the time we get the Gospel of John, we have a very different Jesus. In their estimation, this is due to the fact that Jesus did not start out as God, but this idea was a later Christian invention. In this post, I will argue that the Gospel of Mark actually demonstrates this narrative to be false.1 Further, I will show that when Jesus referred to Himself as the "Son of Man," He was claiming to be divine.
In Mark 14:53-65, we find Jesus standing accused before the theologians of his day - the chief priests, the elders and the scribes.2 During this interaction, Jesus is asked, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"3 Jesus responds as follows:
"I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."4
Their response is telling - "What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?" The text goes on to tell us that "they all condemned Him to be deserving of death."5
You see, they understood exactly what Jesus meant when He called Himself the "Son of Man." Jesus was directly referencing the Old Testament Book of Daniel in which the Son of Man has universal authority and everlasting dominion and even receives the worship of all nations. Daniel 7:13-14 states:
"I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed" (NKJV; Emphasis mine).
The response of the Sanhedrin confirmed what Jesus meant. He is the very incarnation of God. As theologian and philosopher William Lane Craig explains, "...the claim to be the Son of Man would be in effect a claim to divinity."6
Our earliest Gospel shows Jesus openly claiming to be divine—shattering the idea that His deity was a later Christian invention. And far from being a humble nod to His humanity, the title “Son of Man” was a bold declaration of His divine authority.
Courage and Godspeed,
Chad
Footnotes:
1. For a further demonstration of this, please see this post.
2. Mark 14:53, NKJV.
3. Mark 14:61, NKJV.
4. Mark 14:62, NKJV.
5. Mark 14:63-64, NKJV.
6. William Lane Craig, The Son Rises, p. 140.
Related Posts and Links
Nabeel Qureshi's Case for the Deity of Christ in the Gospel of Mark
New Testament Scholar Mike Licona on a Divine Jesus in the Gospel of Mark
Nabeel Qureshi's Case for the Deity of Christ in the Gospel of Mark
New Testament Scholar Mike Licona on a Divine Jesus in the Gospel of Mark
Jesus - the Son of Man?
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