Today I will consider those places in the Gospel According to Mark where Jesus of Nazareth claims to be God.

Mark 2:1-12: The account of Jesus’ healing of the paralytic can be found in all three synoptic Gospels (Mt 9:1-8, Lk 5:17-26). In all three accounts, Jesus claims to be God in three ways. First, by His claim to forgive sins. When the paralytic is laid before Him, Jesus tells him, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” The scribes present began to think to themselves, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” By claiming to forgive sins, Jesus is claiming to do what only God can do. This is a claim to be God. The scribes know this. Jesus knows this. Jesus does not correct them. Why? Because, they’re right! Only God can forgive sins (Is 43:25). Rather than correct them by claiming that others, besides God, can forgive sins, Jesus doubles down on the question, telling the scribes, “that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”— he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” And, of course, no longer paralyzed, the man does so. By claiming the authority to forgive sins Jesus is claiming to be God, for only God can forgive sins.

In two other ways in this pericope Jesus claims to be God. First, it is in reading the thoughts of the scribes. Mark writes, “Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, ‘Why does this man speak that way?’ He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?’ Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, ‘Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?'” The ability to read the thoughts of people is also, according to Scripture, a power only God possesses (Jer 17:9-10a; 1 Kgs 8:39). Even the devil, since he is but an angel, a creature, and not omniscient, cannot read our thoughts (though he’s very clever as discerning them!). Here, too, Jesus is claiming to be God by claiming to do what only God can do. Finally, to testify to His authority to forgive sins, Jesus tells the scribes, “that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth,” He heals the paralytic. Jesus takes for Himself the title “Son of Man.” This is an allusion to a figure in the Book of Daniel, chapter 7: “As the visions during the night continued, I saw coming with the clouds of heaven One like a son of man. When he reached the Ancient of Days and was presented before him, He received dominion, splendor, and kingship; all nations, peoples and tongues will serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, his kingship, one that shall not be destroyed” (Dn 7:13-14). Two things identify the son of man figure in Daniel as a divine figure. First, he comes “with the clouds of heaven.” This is a classical theophany – a manifestation of God’s presence – that, again, is unique to God (Jer 4:13). Second, the son of man is one who receives from the Ancient of Days (clearly God) a kingship that shall not pass away, but will be “an everlasting dominion.” This is the kingdom of God. Karlo Broussard, in a blog post for Catholic Answers on this same subject, quotes contemporary Jewish scholar Daniel Boyarin, who wrote that the son of man figure in Daniel is a “second divine figure” (Ancient of Days is the first) and “a God who looks like a human being” (The Jewish Gospels: The Story of the Jewish Christ, pp 32-33).

Mark 6:45-51: The second place in the Gospel According to Mark we see Jesus claiming to be God by claiming to do only what God can do is the account of Jesus’ walking on water. An account of this episode can also be found in Matthew and John (Mt 14:22-23; Jn 6:6-12). First, by the very act of walking on water, Jesus is demonstrating His power, His authority, over nature and created things, a power that belongs to God (Job 26; Ps 29:3-5; Ps 95:3-5; Ps 107:23-31). Second, Jesus responds to the fear of His disciples when they see Him walking toward them on the water: “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” The phrase, “it is I” (Greek = ego eimi) can be translated “I AM,” which, of course, is the divine Name revealed to Moses on Mt. Sinai when God called him to redeem Israel from slavery in Egypt. That Jesus uses this phrase in the context of demonstrating His power over the wind and the sea strongly implies that He is claiming the divine Name for Himself, and not merely comforting the disciples by letting them know, “Hey, guys! It’s me!”

The next post in this series will address those places where Jesus claims to be God in the Gospel According to Luke.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.