When reading the Bible, it is hard to miss one of its most pervasive teachings – the deity of Jesus Christ. Repeatedly, the writers of Scripture present Jesus as God.
The four gospels are the most obvious example of this. John tells us that he wrote his account so that “you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31).
This purpose statement can also be applied to the accounts penned by Matthew, Mark and Luke.
The beginning of Mark’s gospel is both a wonderful picture of the early ministry of Jesus and a powerful demonstration of his deity. Consider these four manifestations of divine authority from Mark 1.
Jesus defeated the devil (Mark 1:12-13).
After his baptism in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit sends Jesus into the wilderness for a 40-day fast, where he is tested by Satan and is victorious over him. Mark’s brief description of these 40 days only mentions that Jesus was tempted by Satan, but we know from the parallel accounts in Matthew 3:1-11 and Luke 4:1-12 that Jesus successfully resisted these temptations and thereby demonstrated his deity.
Jesus called his disciples (Mark 1:16-20).
Four fisherman’s lives were changed forever when Jesus gave them the simple command to “Come, follow me” (Mark 1:17). Peter, Andrew, James and John willingly submitted to the divine authority of Jesus, for immediately “they left their nets and followed him” (Mark 1:18).
Jesus overpowered demons (Mark 1:21-28, 33).
If Jesus could overcome the temptations of the devil himself, he could also demonstrate his divine power over demons. This is a recurring theme in Mark, as Jesus repeatedly issues the command for demons to come out of their victims; and without fail, this command is obeyed (Mark 1:25-26). Jesus even had the power to stop the demons from talking.
Jesus banished illness (Mark 1:29-34, 40-45).
Every physical ailment known to man was an opportunity for Jesus to display his divinity. Peter’s mother-in-law had a fever, which Jesus cured with a touch. And even dreaded leprosy was instantly removed by the hand of Christ. From the most common illnesses to the most devastating, Jesus healed people by the thousands.
And so the evidence for the deity of Jesus is overwhelming. He had authority over the devil, his own disciples, demons, and disease. These four types of power are seen throughout the book of Mark, as well as the accounts written by Matthew, Luke and John. Jesus did so many miracles that John says, “If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25).
The deity of Jesus Christ is demonstrated clearly and powerfully on the pages of Scripture. How should we respond when considering the abundant evidence that Jesus was both God and man? We are compelled to echo the words of the Roman soldier who watched Jesus die on the cross and said, “Surely this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39).
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