I believe that Jesus Christ was the son of God. Jesus was sent in human form in order to help us understand his father and to also showing us the value of salvation. Jesus improved our lives by showing us that if we are faithful miracles will be performed in our lives.
In Mark's Gospel Jesus is depicted as a hero and a prophetic messiah. In the beginning John the baptists says " the beginning of the good news about Jesus the messiah, son of God " which reinforces the fact that Jesus, even before he was born was already seen as a holy gift that would impact there society. Throughout the story Jesus has proven himself to be a holy messenger of God . Jesus lived a life of purity an he never turned his back on those who doubted him, healed the sick, commanded nature and also fed the hungry. ultimately Jesus is a hero of humanity, he has proved that through many of his actions that he is wise and can forgive the sins of people as long as they seek redemption.
Jewel
This portion of the bible starts with the Baptism of Jesus. After the Baptism God came to Jesus. Jesus then begins to cure all of the sick. He allows a paralytic man to walk, and he tells the kids not to question his abilities. Then later in the story the Kingdom of God is compared to a mustard seed. It starts out slow and branches out into something large. During this story Jesus introduces faith. I think Jesus was the forgiver and saw the good in all the people that God created. In Mark's gospel Jesus is the person with all the powers. He is questioned and seen as unbelievable. But really he is the savior coming to help all of God's people.
ReplyDelete-Lindsey Ritter
I believe that Jesus Christ was chosen as the Son of God to fulfill the prophecy of the Messiah. I believe that Jesus was a man devoted to his faith and never had doubts about Gods plan for him. He was faithful and dedicated in forgiving our sins. I think this because of the stories the bible tells about Jesus and because of the teachings the church has taught me. In chapters 1-10 of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is portrayed originally as a teacher and then as a miracle worker. He begins as someone who is not completely well known and by the end of chapter 10, Jesus is recognized by people from foreign lands. He is a healer, miracle worker and teacher through parables and he is even referred to as the Messiah. We know that Jesus is the Messiah because he is able to forgive peoples sins and rid evil spirits from people’s bodies. He is also able to speak with God and is fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah.
ReplyDelete-Nicole Dillon
The first portion of the Gospel of Mark is instrumental in the Christian understanding of Jesus Christ. Not only is the audience confronted with a figure who performs miracles, but also offers a mysterious source of salvation to his people. In the first chapter, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. This act serves to further humanize Jesus. Why would he need to be baptized? What does this baptism actually do for him?
ReplyDeleteWhen Jesus performs his miracles, it allows the audience to recognize how divine he actually is. These acts are used largely to support the belief that he was truly the Son of God. These miracles are also supplemented by the revealing of the "Mystery." This "Mystery," of course, refers to the predicted resurrection of Jesus. Because the miracles are performed before Jesus mentions his future death, it causes the reader to better believe the words of Jesus. As the phrase goes, actions speak louder than words.
Ultimately, the Gospel of Mark introduces us to a man who is ever-loving, and destined to die for our sins. The greatest mystery of the Catholic Religion is revealed here, though only partially. The mystery itself remains above human comprehension. This portion of the bible is essential in understanding why Christians view God as our Savior.
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ReplyDeleteI found the first ten chapters of Mark to be quite interesting. The author seemed very concerned with convincing the reader that Jesus is the Son of God as human and divine. He is stressing the human point by describing the baptism of Jesus because only human beings are baptized. Concerning the divine the author focus mainly on miracles of healing and the driving out of demons. Both of these are powerful and speak to the reader. This reading seems to be impressing upon the people that the Son of God has come to earth to give something of himself to the people.
ReplyDeleteThese first ten chapters also highlight a very important aspect of following Jesus: giving one's whole self to God. John the Baptist spent all his life preparing for the coming of Christ and he was martyred serving his Lord. This is not implying that we have to die to serve God, but it is saying that we should make sacrifices for Him in our worship. This can be seen as foreshadowing for Christ's death, as it will be his sacrifice for us.
~Nicholas Shields
The first ten chapters of Mark paint Jesus Christ as a merciful, mysterious, divine, and yet undesirous of fame. Jesus is merciful because He heals the sick, cleanses lepers, drives demons out, feeds the hungry, and restores hearing and sight. However, at times Jesus isn't clear and appears mysterious; for example, whenever Jesus tells parables there are multiple interpretations available. This creates a mystery, and debate, as to what Christ actually meant to convey as the truth. Jesus appears to be divine since even the devils know who he is. And yet despite being divine and working miracles, Jesus is does not want fame. He always asks people to keep silent not discuss his miracles, so that others may believe by faith and not from proof. Jesus wants us to believe in Him, not in His works.
ReplyDelete~Caitlin Gorecki
I think that Jesus Christ was a man whose mission was to help the people around him. He devoted his time, as Mark’s Gospel tells us, to others’ lives. He was constantly focused on promoting health and peace. I believe that this is the kind of person that Jesus was because of the various stories, including Mark’s Gospel, that I have heard about him.
ReplyDeleteIn Mark’s gospel, Jesus is portrayed as the Son of God. He goes through many situations that very from tests (when he was in the desert) to healings. His purpose as the Son of God is stated when Jesus says “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose I have come” (1:38). It is clear in Mark’s Gospel that Jesus is the voice of God, sent to Earth to spread His message through preaching and these healings. This is apparent because of the many parables that are in the Gospel in addition to the actual events that are recorded. These events (healing the leper, the woman with the fever, etc.) are what lead readers to believe that Jesus was on Earth to teach and care for others. Also included in these events are some miracles- from this I believe it shows that Jesus as presented in Mark’s Gospel is divine and has more power than other human beings living around him.
-Tori McAllister
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is portrayed as the Son of God and the Son of Man. He refers to Himself repeatedly as the 'Son of Man,' and God's own voice from heaven proclaims that Christ is 'My beloven Son.' These both seem to point pretty clearly to both claims. Furthermore, Jesus performs numerous miracles (walking on water, curing the sick, raising people from the dead, casting out demons) which further confirm His claims - He needed some kind of power to be able to do these things.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of whether or not Jesus was the Messiah, this Gospel do not seem to speak directly to that, but it does seem to indicate that this is the case. Peter calls Jesus the Messiah, and then Christ warns His apostles not to tell anybody, which seems to indicate that Peter was right. In addition, if God sent His Son to earth, it would make sense that this person would be the Messiah God's people had been waiting for. However, the answer to this question is never explicitly stated in the text.
Chelsey Sterling
Throughout the gospel of Mark Jesus is perceived as a miracle worker, a teacher and ultimately a being much greater than any of us in human form. The first few chapters involve many of Jesus' performed miracles like the cleansing of the leper or the curing of the paralytic. Later in the gospel is parables and what seems more like teachings. Then comes the questioning of who Jesus is by the Pharisees and the three predictions of the passion. I feel like there is a specific order to this gospel because it seems like Jesus first grabs peoples' attention by performing all sorts of miracles. Then, once he has followers and people that are in awe, he begins teaching and and asking them who they think he is. After he has all of these followers and has been preaching for so long does he begin to predict "the passion".
ReplyDeleteWhat intrigued me the most was certain quotes/teachings from Jesus like, "the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. that is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath." That quote is from the very beginning of Mark, even though that is one of the reasons the Pharisees wanted Jesus dead towards the end.
-Katie Lamb
It seems to me that Mark's Gospel presents Jesus narratively as a Messiah to both Jew and Gentile. Now, I say "narratively" because in the story a 'messianic secret' type of dynamic dominates where Jesus always sternly warns people to keep his true identity on the low down. However his actions speak louder and that is the mode that he communicates his identity to those present. For instance, Mark has a strong focus on miracle working. Jews would've likely heard prophecies about the great deeds the Messiah would perform, and Gentiles, such as the Syro-phoenician woman or the Centurion, would've rejoiced in the glory that they witnessed. Moments such as the Transfiguration also point to a Jewish connection to Jesus identity, with the presence of Moses and Elijah. There are moments such as the very beginning when Mark's explicitly quotes Jewish Scripture, but there are also indications from things such as Jesus location in Gentile Lands. This duality points to a similar duality in Mark's audience, who both have aspects showing each the reality of Jesus Messianic nature to the whole world.
ReplyDelete-Nathaniel Hlavin
In these passages, Jesus is presented as a "The Son of God." He is not arrogant or boaatful of His miracles; He is just trying to show the power of God to as many people as possible. He is also working towards correcting the Jews views on certain laws; like what it means to keep holy the Lord's day. He is doing all He can to strenghten the faith of Jewish people. He is protrayed as a compassionate forgiving man, but He also doesn't stray from God's teachings. This gospel also names him as the "messanger" of Isaiah, which is most important in establishing Jesus as the Son of God.
ReplyDeleteIn The Gospel of Mark, Jesus is portrayed as all loving and giving to the people who followed him. He displayed compassion along with the workings of miracles to further provide truth behind God's power and existence. Jesus Christ exemplified God's love through his actions, such as healing the ill and downtrodden. Through providing the people with such powerful miracles, many continued to follow as many more joined. His messages were heard and trusted, as his actions improved the lives of his followers.
ReplyDeleteSamantha Smedley
In the Gospel of Mark, the story of Jesus begins with his baptism. Jesus is capable of healing people and is matter-of-fact about this fact and is not boastful about his abilities. Jesus is also helping to establish the importance of doing good over silly laws. Jesus is bring God's message like the true Messiah that he is. The author of this section was trying to fit as much of the story into as few chapters as possible so that they could focus on Jesus's miracles that he performed.
ReplyDelete-Tara Costello
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is shown as the Messiah, the Son of God. He works many miracles, and cures many of the sick. His compassion is shown when He does this. However, He does not yet want to reveal His identity as the Son of God.
ReplyDeleteNot only is He a miracle worker in these first 10 chapters, He is also a teacher. Using parable's Jesus teaches us the Word of God.
Tom May
The first word that came to mind when I thought about the figure of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Mark was "healer". This is because almost every story that He is involved in he is ridding some person of their ailments or he is explaining the importance, through parables, of reaching out to help those in need. This is an interesting focus for this Gospel; I was not drawn to Christ's childhood or his figure as the Messiah. I found myself, however, constantly thinking about and reflecting on Christ's immediate actions and responses to the situations he was immersed in. He saw a need and he satisfied that need by fulfilling his purpose as the Son of God. He is not a lofty God in Mark's Gospel. He is the one God sent to help us; he is a healer.
ReplyDeleteConcerning the Gospel of Mark, most of the obvious has already been stated. The Gospel of Mark describes Jesus adult life, some of his miracles and parables, and his relationships with the apostles and the pharisees. I suppose it would be interesting to discuss how and why is Gospel differs from the other three (included); however, as I am not familiar with these, I cannot progress further.
ReplyDeleteWhat can be gleaned from the Gospel of Mark itself is one (fairly consistent) image of Jesus. He is a miracle worker, who seems to want to remain incognito, though he becomes renown. He travels with twelve men, teaching a sort of refined version of Jewish law/religious teaching. Nothing he teaches seems totally new considering we study the Bible with hindsight. I suppose that some of Jesus' teachings were somewhat revolutionary to the Jewish people, but to me, living in this individualistic society, it seems that the Pharisee's strict maintenance of tradition is radical.
Additionally, I would like to make one last comment. I think it ought to be important to Christians to understand Jesus' miracles literally, as he is fully divine. However, there is no way of knowing if these historical accounts are accurate (except to suppose that in order for one to inspire a religion lasting over a millennium, he must have done something quite impressive). What do people make of the passage about the hemorrhaging woman? The woman touches Jesus' cloak and the power leaves him. Does a being that is fully divine not have total control over his power because he is completely human? What this question gets at at its foundation is, should we take things on faith that we can't understand with reason?
-Caleb Capozella
In the gospel according to Mark the public ministry of Jesus is revealed in great detail. We get a real sense of the person of Jesus as Mark's story of Jesus the Teacher, Healer and Preacher is told. Through many stories, Jesus is revealed as having human emotions such as anger, sympathy, surprise and pity. Jesus' words "Follow Me” and "Your Faith Has Saved You” is meant as much for us today as they did when they were spoken by our Lord to the twelve disciples and the woman with the hemorrhage.
ReplyDelete-Carolyn Spero
The Gospel of Mark does indicate that Jesus is the Messiah. In the first chapter Mark quotes the prophet Isaiah, who often spoke of the Messiah. Jesus is also said to be "lord of the sabbath," which suggests that He may be the Messiah (2:28). In addition, in Mark's description of the Transfiguration, Jesus is portrayed speaking with the Jewish leaders Elijah and Moses, and Peter suggests building an individual tent for Elijah, Moses, and Jesus, suggesting their equality. However, then Elijah and Moses vanish, leaving only Jesus, suggesting his superiority to them. Peter also says "You are the Messiah" to Jesus (Mark 8:29).
ReplyDeleteThe Jewish people may find signs that Jesus is not the Messiah in Mark's Gospel. For example, Jesus does not follow some of the Jewish traditions of fasting and cleanliness. By contrast, we Catholics see Jesus's coming as the fulfillment of the Old Testament, so certain laws are no longer needed.
Mark's Gospel portrays Jesus as more of a political messiah in the first chapters and as more of a suffering servant in the predictions of the Passion. Jesus can be seen as a political messiah in that he teaches with authority, he preaches to large crowds, and he has apostles, which act like assistants. However, Jesus differs from a political messiah in that he warns people to not make Him known. Jesus clearly identifies Himself as a suffering servant when he tells of His death and resurrection, and He says, "'For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life for the ransom of many'" (Mark 10:45).
In the Gospel of Mark, it is evident that Jesus Christ came and filled the Messianic Prophesy. He performed numerous miracles and it was soon solidified that he was, in fact, the Messiah. I think, though, that the Gospel of Mark was too focused on the minute details and multitude of the miracles he performed. I think that the Gospel focused far too much on every single story and I felt it wasn't necessary to prove the power of Jesus Christ. Although the amount of healing stories was quite lengthy, I think that the Gospel did a good job at proving that Jesus Christ was the Prophetic Messiah.
ReplyDeleteWhat I found interesting about the Gospel of Mark was the idea that Jesus is presented as a Messiah to the people. To me, Jesus seems to be playing two roles: one of the Messiah, and one of the suffering servant. He is the "savior" in the sense that he is a healer, he speaks God's word, and evidence in Mark's Gospel suggests that Jesus has come to fulfill a promise made by God in the Old Testament. However, I also see a "suffering servant" type in Jesus; he is doing God's work by serving God's people (he does this when he heals the lepers, and preaches God's word to the people). In these acts, Jesus is a servant of the people, since he is doing what he can to give the people what they need. As we know, Jesus is crucified and dies for his sins, which makes him a suffering servant of God.
ReplyDeleteI do think that a belief in Jesus Christ as the Messiah is solidified in the fact that he plays both roles: the Messiah, the strong voice and leader; and the suffering servant, doing good for God's people.
Mark's focus on Jesus's miracles shows the reader historical evidence to support Jesus being the true Messiah for the Jewish people. Mark, however, tends to focus on Jesus's miracles instead of his teachings to show he is the son of God. Stories such as the cleansing of the leper give people an unquestioning belief about the Messiah. I feel that Mark focused on Jesus's miracles intentionally so the readers will be able to trust Jesus's future teachings since they do not question his divinity.
ReplyDeleteJay Garrick
In the Gospel of Mark Jesus is presented as the Messiah and "Son of God." It begins with Jesus' baptism and then focuses on his adult life. The Gospel of Mark shows the loving and caring side of Jesus and includes different stories of how he is completing God's work on Earth. This Gospel focuses on his miracles which will ultimately prove that he is the Son of God. The message of the Gospel is inspiring for the people to believe and trust in God through is son Jesus Christ.
ReplyDelete-Katelyn Bockin
I think Jesus Christ is the Messiah who the Jewish people were waiting for. I believe this because I'm a Catholic Christian by choice and believe in the evidence that has been provided throughout the bible and other texts and accounts as well. I believe him to be merciful and kind and slow to judge. Essentially, I view Jesus Christ as perfect. In Mark's Gospel, Jesus Christ is a miracle worker and healer with unwavering authority that "he commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him." Jesus is also a teacher in Mark's gospel because of all the parables Mark records Jesus saying and preaching to the Jews. He teaches many lessons to the Jews through example and story. Mark is more focused on Jesus' works than who he actually was in his Gospels.
ReplyDeleteEmma Leary
In Mark's Gospel, Jesus is said to be the Messiah. However, this identity is not widely known at the time. Many people believe that Jesus is John the Baptist, others think Elijah, while others believe Him to be another prophet. Overall, at the time nobody is definitively sure of who Jesus Christ really is. In my opinion, I do not think Jesus to be very messianic in this passage. Although he saves many individuals, he does not yet offer salvation of people as a whole. Additionally, as reading this from a viewpoint of a person of Jesus' time, Jesus is contradicting Jewish beliefs. "Now some of the scirbes were sitting there asking themselves, 'Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.'" (Mark 2:8) Even the most educated in the Jewish faith were doubting Jesus' ways. Therefore, I find it hard for the people at the time to truly trust in Jesus as Messiah from the accounts given in this reading.
ReplyDelete-Elisabeth O'Toole
In the Gospel of mark , the story begins with the gospel of Jesus. Throughout the story, Jesus os portrayed as the all- loving, caring son of God. The Gospel proves that Jesus is the son of God, by focusing on his performance of miracles and completion of God's work. He is not boastful of his works, he carries on. People believe he is the savior and messiah by having faith in what he has done, not by seeing what he had done.
ReplyDelete-Kate Shannon
In Mark 1-10 Jesus is presented to the reader as the Messiah. He begings a ministry in which he performs miracles, tells parables, and sets an example of selfless love. He is baptised and overcomes temptation in the desert. The Passion of Christ is predicted three times, and Jesus reveals himself at the Transfiguration along with Moses and Elijah to James, Peter, and John. The first half of Matthew ends with Jesus's welcoming into Jerusalem and the cleansing of the Temple, which angered those who wanted to put him to death. Jesus was a saving servant who defied the social norms of the time in persuit of justice and love.
ReplyDeleteIn Mark 1-10 for the Messiah, Jesus is the reader where he portrayed as the son of God, which is proven in the Gospel of God. This is proven by showing that he has miracles happen to people i believe that Mark purposely focuses on certain things so that the readers will believe in Jesus and what he teaches us.
ReplyDeleteMary Vogt
The Gospel of Mark begins with Jesus' baptism, and then continues to focus on his adolescence. Jesus is presented as the Messiah in the Gospel of Mark. The Gospel focuses on the good Jesus did, and the multiple miracles he produced. I think the Gospel focuses on the miracles performed by Jesus to make readers further believe Jesus was indeed the son of God, and to trust in his teachings and intentions.
ReplyDelete-Elise Ariens
I believe that the Jesus depicted in the Gospel of Mark is the long-awaited Messiah of the Jewish people and the Son of God. Jesus Christ was a teacher, redemeer, leader, healer, and friend, according to Mark. He performed many miracles that were recorded, but it is stated in the Gospel that he taught the people while performing these miracles. What did He say that would concur with the miracles? Perhaps He taught the way to God, maybe he explained and challenged political issues of the time. I think that most of what He actually said wasn't recorded. Jesus definitely was revolutionary, however, and what he taught was confirmed by His actions. So, I believe Jesus Christ can be viewed as both the Suffering Servant--God incarnate come down to heal and redeem humanity from sin--and also as a political leader--a divine inspiration to not only His Jewish followers, but also an inspiration to political leaders of all time.
ReplyDelete~Risa Eskew
Jesus is depicted in Mark's gospel as the Messiah that the Jewish people have been waiting for. The stories told in this gospel depict Jesus as a spiritual and political leader, a teacher, and healer. The gospel opens with Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist. Then he heals many people and tell other not to doubt his powers. He also teaches the people many different lessons to try and show the people that God loves them and show the people what they need to do to go to heaven.
ReplyDelete-Courtney Geary