One of the most common objections to or misunderstandings about Christianity relates to the divinity of Jesus Christ. Many people fail to understand that Jesus’ claims in the Gospels to be divine, in fact, to be God incarnate, are the most powerful assertions in all of the Bible.
The Bible, from Genesis through the Book of the Revelation, is the story of God carrying out his plan to redeem humanity. He does this by, without forsaking his divinity, becoming a human being, a true human being indeed. It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss the many core theological implications of the divinity of Jesus Christ or the mysteries of the incarnation. Instead, we will be focusing on the ways the Lord Jesus demonstrates, through word and deed, his divinity in each chapter of the Gospel of Mark. This will not be an exhaustive list but will include those passages that are quite specific in revealing Jesus as the true God.
Chapter 1
Of all the Gospels, Mark begins most abruptly, “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way” —“a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him’” (Mark 1:1-3).
Mark quotes this passage from Isaiah (40:3) as a reference to the work of John the Baptist in preparing the way for the Messiah. What is most telling about this quote is that in the Hebrew of the Old Testament, the “LORD” referred to is the one true God, Yahweh. John recognizes that the work he is doing is to prepare the way for Yahweh himself—clearly identifying Jesus as the God of Israel (and the world).
Chapter 2
In the 2nd chapter, Mark includes two powerful events in which Jesus clearly identifies himself as having the authority that only belongs to God. In the first passage, some men bring a paralyzed man and place him before Jesus, hoping that Jesus will heal him. Rather than immediately healing him, this happens, When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:5-7).
There were some Jewish teachers observing this encounter who recognized that Jesus claimed to have the same authority as God, this is why they accused him of blasphemy. Jesus goes on to heal the man and remove any doubt as to what he believes about himself, “I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, I tell you, get up, take up your mat and go home” (Mark 2:10-11).
Later in this chapter, there is a confrontation between Jesus and some Pharisees. It is the Sabbath day, and the Pharisees have strict regulations based on Old Testament law about harvesting food on the Sabbath. As Jesus and his disciples are traveling through a wheat field, the disciples are stripping heads of wheat from the stalks and munching on them. The Pharisees confront Jesus about this. After some discussion, Jesus makes this astounding statement, “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). Jesus could not have said something more shocking! Almighty God established from the very beginning of time that the Sabbath day would be a day of rest and worship—Jesus has just stated that he himself is the Lord of the Sabbath. The implications of that statement would have rattled the bones of all Jewish people listening to him.
Chapter 3
In chapter 3, Jesus doubles down on his authority over the Sabbath. As the chapter begins, we find Jesus in the local synagogue on the Sabbath day. There was a man there who had a “shriveled” arm, and some of those in the synagogue watched to see what Jesus would do for the sole purpose of condemning him. Sadly, Mark records that Jesus “looked at them in anger and was deeply distressed because of their hardened hearts” (Mark 3:5). Then he spoke and healed the man. He did not call on the name of God, he did not pray for the man in the name of God, he did not engage in any spiritual tradition to try to bring healing to the man, he spoke, as only God could do, and the man’s arm was immediately healed.
Later in the chapter, Jesus is accused by some teachers of the law of casting out demons by the power of satan. Again, Jesus does not do so in the name of God or through any of the Jewish traditions for exorcism, he simply speaks and the demons leave. He claims to have power and authority over satan, clearly a divine attribute. In response to the accusations, Jesus says, “No one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house” (Mark 3:27). In other words, Jesus has the power and authority to bind satan and then destroy his works.
Chapter 4
In the next chapter, we see one of the most powerful testimonies to Jesus’s divinity in all of Scripture. We find Jesus in a boat with his disciples in the middle of the Sea of Galilee—a storm is raging. Jesus is asleep and the disciples are fearing for their lives. In a panic, they wake him up, “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4:39, 41). Even the disciples were just beginning to realize that Jesus was far more than a mere rabbi—controlling winds and waves is certainly only within the powers of God.
This story becomes even more significant when connected to a passage in Psalm 107, a Psalm about crying out to God in various distresses. Note first of all, the similarities between what Jesus did and what the writer of the Psalm records. Note also, that the one the writer is calling out to is none other than Yahweh, the true God: Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven (Psalm 107:28-30).
Chapter 5
Chapter 5 begins with Jesus casting a “legion” of demons from a man who identifies Jesus as “the Son of the Most High God” (El Elyon in Hebrew). Clearly this demon recognizes Jesus with more than human eyes (Mark 5:7). However, the passage we are going to focus on is Jesus restoring to life a 12-year-old girl who has died.
In this story, Jesus has been summoned to the house of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue in town, to heal his young daughter from some grave illness. However, as Jesus is on his way, he is notified that the little girl has died. Nevertheless, he continues to Jairus’ home. Jesus takes the girl’s parents, as well as Peter, James, and John, into the house, and, in a veiled expression of his authority over the Old Testament law, he takes the dead girl by the hand (thus defiling himself according to the laws of Moses), and speaks the words, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” (Mark 5:41)—immediately the little girl stood up. Those who saw it were completely astonished. Once again, Jesus demonstrates that he has the power, not only to heal, but to actually rebuke death and give life. Obviously, this is something only within the powers of God.
Chapter 6
Chapter 6 contains two very powerful stories that declare the divine power of Jesus. In the first of them, Jesus is in a field where he has been teaching thousands of people. It is getting late in the day and Jesus, in his compassion, realizes these people either have not eaten, or have eaten very little, throughout the day. He resolves this by taking five loaves and two fish from a little boy who had brought them along. He then, in a way that only God can do, creates. These five loaves and two fish are miraculously multiplied to the extent that, according to Mark, more than 5,000 people are fed. Creating something from nothing harkens back to Genesis chapter 1, where God speaks all of creation into existence. This story also draws our attention to God providing mana for the Israelites in the wilderness. This story, recorded by all four Gospel writers, is intended to make us see Jesus as the Creator.
The second story in chapter 6 is a very well-known miracle. However, the power of the imagery cannot be overstated. I will let Mark share what happens, “Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed” (Mark 6:47-51). Once again, who but God can defy the laws of physics and actually walk on top of water?
Chapter 7
In this passage, Jesus encounters a man who cannot speak and cannot hear. Mark records, “After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly” (Mark 7:33-35).
Once again, to restore a man’s hearing and speech is within the powers of God—remember the words God spoke to Moses at the burning bush, “And the LORD said to him, ‘Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?’” (Exodus 4:11).
Chapter 8
In chapter 8, similar to chapter 5, Mark records a story of Jesus feeding another giant crowd of people. All that was said regarding that miracle is also true for this one, “They had seven loaves and a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. About four thousand were present” (Mark 8:6-9).
Chapter 9
Chapter 9 contains possibly the most amazing event in the ministry of Jesus. In this chapter, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John, to the top of a mountain (traditionally Mt. Tabor) where he is transfigured (Mark 9:2-4). Mark records that Jesus’ “clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.” It appears that the three disciples who accompanied Jesus saw him in his absolute glorification. However, he was not alone—there with him was Moses and Elijah.
Many possibilities are put forward as to why these two men met with him, a popular theory is that Moses represented the law of the Old Testament and Elijah represented the prophets of the Old Testament. One thing is for sure true, both of these men met with God on mountain tops, Moses at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 24) and Elijah at Mt. Horeb (1 Kings 19). The message in this event is most likely that Moses and Elijah are meeting once again with God on a mountain top. This is very powerful imagery.
Chapter 10
In chapter 10, James and John approach Jesus to ask him if they can sit at his right hand and his left hand when he is reigning in heaven, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory” (Mark 10:37). The language here is important, the disciples recognize the authority of Jesus, an authority that would typically only be attributed to God. To seek to sit at the right hand or left hand of Jesus in his glory would be a blasphemous statement if the disciples did not believe that Jesus was indeed God.
Chapter 11
Mark records this unusual story in Chapter 11: The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” (Mark 11:12-14, 21-22).
The meaning of this story is beyond the scope of this article, but what has happened here is very much tied up in imagery related to the nation of Israel, this story serves as a kind of parable. However, what is astounding, is that Jesus has the power and authority to speak to a tree and have it wither. Again, this is very clearly an action that can be accomplished only by divine power.
Chapter 12
While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: “‘The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with delight (Mark 12:35-37).
In Mark 12:36, when Jesus says “The Lord said to my Lord,” he is quoting Psalm 110:1, which is interpreted as a prophecy where David, a human king, refers to the coming Messiah as his “Lord,” thus establishing that the Messiah is superior to David and has a divine nature, even though he will be descended from David’s lineage, essentially arguing that the Messiah is both David’s son and his Lord. The first “Lord” refers to God the Father, and the second “Lord” refers to the Messiah (Jesus). By quoting this verse, Jesus is claiming that Psalm 110 is a prophecy about him, indicating his divine status. Jesus uses this passage to challenge the religious leaders who were trying to downplay his divinity by emphasizing only his lineage from David.
Chapters 13 and 14
Possibly the most powerful prophecy regarding Jesus in the Old Testament comes from Daniel chapter 7. We will look at the passage as a whole in just a moment. In Mark chapters 13 and 14, Jesus identifies himself as the Son of Man who will be coming on the clouds of heaven. This is a direct reference to the passage in Daniel and is quite possibly the most well-known passage to the Jews about the authority and power of the Messiah. In fact, in Mark 14:64, the high priest is so acutely aware of the reference Jesus is making, that he calls Jesus a blasphemer. Here is the passage from Daniel,
In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed (Daniel 7:13-14).
Jesus is identifying himself as the one who is led into the presence of God and given dominion, glory, and kingship over every nation and language of the world so that they should serve him. His dominion will never pass away and his kingdom will never be destroyed. The Son of Man spoken of in Daniel’s vision is clearly divine and eternal. The New Testament underscores these attributes of Jesus and his kingdom time and time again.
Chapter 15
This passage in chapter 15 is very powerful. Here we have the testimony of a centurion, a Gentile, testifying to the fact that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. For this Roman soldier, the title “Son of God” would certainly be an affirmation of the divinity of Jesus. It is significant because the Roman emperors claimed “Son of God” as one of their many titles, and here this Roman centurion is identifying Jesus, a crucified criminal, with a title only the emperors had claimed, “And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’” (Mark 15:39).
As Jesus breathed his last, the sky grew dark like night, there was a great earthquake, and the veil in the temple that separated the holy place from the holy of holies was ripped from top to bottom. These extraordinary events caused this Roman soldier to recognize that Jesus certainly was more than a man and ascribed to him the highest title he could.
Chapter 16
Chapter 16 contains the culmination of all of these events we have Considered. Could there be a greater testimony to the divinity of the Lord Jesus than his resurrection? An event no other human being in the history of humanity has ever experienced (thus far!). Mark records it this way, “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” (Mark 16:6-7).
In John 10, Jesus says, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father” (John 10:17-18). In this passage, Jesus claims authority to take up his own life again. Not only has Jesus shown that he has the power to restore life to others who have died, in his own resurrection, he has shown that he has the power to restore his own life, a spectacular claim and feat to say the least. This is why his resurrection is the greatest confirmation of his own divinity we have in the Bible.
The Divine Acts of the Lord Jesus Recorded in the Gospel of Mark
1:2f John’s affirmation of preparing the way for the “LORD,” that is, Yahweh.
1:21ff Jesus drives out an impure spirit
1:29ff Jesus heals many in Capernaum
1:40ff Jesus touches and heals a man with leprosy
2:1ff Jesus heals and forgives the sins of a paralytic man
2:27f Jesus claims authority over the Sabbath
3:1ff Jesus heals a man in the synagogue on the Sabbath
3:27 Jesus claims authority over satan
4:39 Jesus speaks and calms the storm
5:1ff A demon refers to Jesus as “Son of the Most High God”
5:21ff Jesus heals a woman with a chronic flow of blood
5:41ff Jesus restores life to a 12-year-old girl
6:30ff Jesus feeds more than 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish
6:45ff Jesus walks of the surface of the Sea if Galilee
7:31ff Jesus heals a deaf and mute man
8:1ff Jesus feeds more than 4,000 people with seven loaves and a few small fish
8:22ff Jesus heals a blind man
9:2ff Jesus is transfigured and meets with Moses and Elijah on a mountain top
9:14ff Jesus heals a boy possessed by an unclean spirit
10:35ff James and John aske to sit beside Jesus when he is in his glory
10:46ff Jesus heals a blind man
11:12ff Jesus causes the fig tree to wither
12:35ff Jesus claims the role of the Messiah by quoting David in Psalm 110
13:26ff Jesus claims the prophecy of the divine Son of Man in Daniel is about him
14:62ff Jesus claims the prophecy of the divine Son of Man in Daniel is about him
15:29 Jesus is identified as the Son of God by the Roman centurion
16:1ff Jesus has risen from the dead
Here we have at least 27 different expressions of the divinity of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. Of course, if we include the other Gospels, especially the Gospel of John, this number grows higher. In the Gospel of John, there are several passages that express without doubt Jesus’ claim to be God.
Throughout the history of the world and the history of the Church, many people have made claims to divinity and divine power. However, no human being has ever had the ability to consistently use words to cause the healing of the blind, deaf, mute, lame, paralyzed, diseased, or dead. No human being has ever had the ability to use words to stop storms and cause trees to wither. No human being has ever had the power to defy the laws of physics by walking on the surface of deep waters. No human being has ever had the ability to feed thousands with a few loaves of bread and a few fish. No human being has ever declared that they will die and then three days later will rise again and actually do it.
Jesus, though completely fully human, is also completely and fully God. This is what places him in the unique role of being able to offer himself as the full and satisfactory sacrifice for the sins of humanity. He is the Creator himself, and he chose to take on the flesh of his creation, to live a perfectly sinless life, and to offer himself as the atoning sacrifice that would create the means of reconciliation between human beings and the true God. This is the overarching message of the entire Bible and the core message of the gospel.
This article or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the author. Please contact the author at coheablog@gmail.com.
© 2025 D. Edwin Cohea/Coheasive Christianity.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™