In Mark’s account of the life of Christ, we find the identity of Jesus of Nazareth clearly presented in the very first chapter of his gospel, verses 1-11:
- Verse 1: Mark, an associate of an apostle (Peter), declares Jesus to be Christ, the Son of God.
- Verses 2-3: Isaiah and Malachi declare Him to be the
- Lord, a reference to His divinity.
- Verses 4-8: The predicted forerunner of Messiah, John the Baptist, declares Jesus to be the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
- Verses 10-11: Jesus’ identity is validated by the Spirit descending upon Him (10) and the Father’s declaration that Jesus was His loved Son (11).
So, of Jesus’ identity there can be no mistake: He was/is the Lord Christ, our Savior and our only hope in this life — and in the one to come. This is critically important to know and be assured of in our day, for every attempt imaginable is being employed to erode, dilute, to syncretize Christianity, to make Jesus one of any number of paths to God and ways to make sense of life.
We see this in some of our department stores this time of year! Some, like Wal-Mart, J. C. Penney, Kohl’s, Home Depot, etc. are “Christmas-friendly.” Others are Christmas-negligent or even Christmas-offensive: “We don’t want to offend anyone!” This reminds me of the two women who stood looking into a department store window at a large display of the manger scene. There they were: the Wise Men, shepherds, the animals, Joseph and Mary — and of course the baby Jesus lying in the manger.
Disgustedly, one woman said: “Look at that, the church trying to horn in on Christmas!” Mark makes it clear that the way is narrow and exclusive: it’s Jesus — period! This is the Christmas message, the glorious news heralded by the angel of the Lord in Luke 2:9-14:
“Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them [the shepherds], and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior— yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize Him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.’
“Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.’”
Messiah Jesus, the Way, Truth, and Life (John 14:6) — God the Father’s gift, freely given to all who believe and receive Him as the one and only Savior of mankind (John 3:16; I John 5:11-13).