Mark in synoptic context

Morna Hooker brings some interesting things to my mind. I have found Mark’s theme of the secret of Christ’s identity intriguing, ever since my synoptic studies class my senior year. Here we see Mark make plain who Jesus is. We as his readers are introduced to the fact that he is the Son of God by the veracity of a Voice from Heaven. Yet it is significant that only he seems to be the recipient of that news in Mark’s Gospel. We know, and he knows, but no one else seems to get it until his death.

His death is certainly connected to this periscope both in imagery and the Centurion’s later statement at the foot of the cross that He is the Son of God. Yet Mark presents this story with out comment, or question, his isn’t a statement of Christ’s sinless nature or preeminence, but a simple statement of identity.

I’ve also found it interesting that the baptism of the Holy Spirit keeps popping up on these “Baptism of Christ” Sundays. Mark sees the Spirit descending like a dove through rent heavens. He doesn’t say that the Spirit is in bodily form like Luke does, but the image is interesting none the less. “The Babylonian Talmud refers to Gen. 1.2 in this way: ‘And the Sprit of God was brooding on the face of the waters like a dove which broods over her young but does not touch them.’” The Splitting of the heavens, where God is thought to be on the top of a triple-decker universe, along with the decent again of the Creative God gives the impression of a new work of God among man. What an introduction! The Voice is speaking again!