Parson to Person - Surely this man was the Son of God

And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, ?Surely this man was the Son of God.? (Mark 15:39)

You might have expected that when Jesus of Nazareth arrived on the scene that Jesus? disciples and other religious leaders would have been first to recognize Jesus as Son of God.

But it wasn?t so, at least according to Mark?s gospel account. Perhaps some were expecting a political leader more like their ancestor King David.

Others may have wanted a Messiah that would fit into their existing religious rites so that they wouldn?t lose power, prestige, or income from their current jobs at the temple.

In Mark?s account, none of Jesus? followers are able to see that Jesus would be the Messiah, Son of God, who suffers and dies for their sins.

Mark writes in chapter 1, verse 1: ??the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.?

By verse 11, Jesus is baptized, heaven is torn open, the Spirit descends on him like a dove, and a voice from heaven says, ?You are my ? Son.?

In the first half of Mark?s gospel there is one miracle after another where Jesus casts out demons, forgives sins, calls his disciples, heals the sick, calms the storm, raises the dead, feeds the 5,000 (a Jewish miracle), feeds the 4,000 (a Gentile miracle), and so on and on.

For example, in Mark 2:1-12 Jesus forgives the sins of a paralytic let down through the roof of a house. The religious leaders are thinking that is blasphemy because only God can forgive sins. So Jesus, knowing their thoughts, tells the paralytic to get up and walk.

In the next passage Jesus calls Levi (Matthew). The religious leaders complain that Jesus is eating with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus replies, ?It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but ? sinners.

By Mark chapter seven Jesus makes clear that failing to observe man-made traditions is not sin. Failure to observe ceremonial washings is not the real issue.

But many folks, Jesus says, do fail to honor and care for their parents, sometimes even as a pretense for giving to God instead! What contaminates us all is what comes from inside: evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. (Mark 7:20-22)

At the mid-point of Mark?s gospel, Jesus tells his disciples, ?Do you still not see or understand? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?? Jesus has come as Son of God to die for the sins of Jews and Gentiles but they do not understand. (Mark 8:17-21)

So Jesus heals a blind man by touching him twice. An odd healing that only Mark recounts. It is an object lesson for the disciples? faith, and you and me. Sometimes we only see or understand clearly after repeated lessons. (Mark 8:22-26)

Immediately Jesus asks his disciples, ?who do people say that I am?? They see this clearly enough, Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ.

Jesus, then tells them that they are going to Jerusalem where he will ? die.

Peter rebukes Jesus about this. To which Jesus tells Peter, ?Get behind me Satan!?