Kingdom Disciples

The one like the Son of Man in Daniel is the source of Christ’s self-designation as the Son of Man and his royal authority . The term “ Son of Man ” is the self-designation found most often on the lips of Jesus. It is derived from Daniel’s vision of the one “ like a Son of Man ” who received the “ dominion and kingdom ” from the “ Ancient of Days .” All the tribes of the Earth will mourn when “ they see the Son of man coming on the clouds of Heaven .”

The Gospel of Mark provides several examples of the many parables taught by Jesus (“ Apart from a parable he did not speak to the crowds ”). The dominant theme of his parables is the Kingdom of God that began to invade the Earth in his ministry and continues to grow and produce fruit wherever the Gospel is preached. The “ Son of Man ” taught the Jewish people in parables, but only as they “ were able to hear ,” and this clause stresses the responsibility of the listener to hear and heed his words.

The Parable of the Sower and its interpretation provide the key to understanding the parables of Jesus. The Kingdom of God began to invade the present age, starting with the proclamation of the Gospel by the “ Son of Man .” This process commenced with his announcement of the Good News in “ Galilee of the Nations .” Since then, it has advanced across the Earth largely unnoticed by humanity.

After describing the destruction of the Temple, Jesus went on to the subject of his return. How much time would pass between the Temple’s demise and his arrival he did not say, but in the intervening period, he warned his disciples to steer clear of deceivers and “ false prophets ” who would disseminate false information about his coming.

After defeating Satan in the wilderness, Jesus began proclaiming the “Good News” of the Kingdom in Galilee – “ The season is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel .” Although the clause “ Kingdom of God ” was a summary statement that meant different things to different people, Jesus identified his mission with the glorious “ Son of Man ” figure described in the Book of Daniel .

In the Gospel of Mark , we see Jesus “ on the way ” to Jerusalem and the Cross. This theme occurs several times in Mark , beginning with the Baptist who was sent to “ prepare THE WAY before the Lord .” The Nazarene would complete his mission as the ‘ Suffering Servant ’ portrayed in the Book of Isaiah . He would be tried by the priestly leaders of the Temple, and face death outside the walls of the City of David at the hands of Rome.

In the three synoptic gospels, the term “ Son of Man ” is the self-designation found most often on the lips of Jesus. It is derived from Daniel’s vision of the one “ like a Son of Man ” who received the “ dominion and kingdom ” from the “ Ancient of Days .” According to Jesus, “ All the tribes of the Earth ” will mourn when “ they see the Son of man coming on the clouds of Heaven .”

The Transfiguration confirms his status as the Messiah and the necessity for Jesus to suffer before receiving glory - Mark 9:2-13.  In Mark , the Transfiguration begins with the clause “ after six days ,” a link to the preceding story where Peter acknowledges Jesus is the Messiah. In response, Christ explains the true meaning of discipleship. To follow him, a man must “ deny himself and take up his cross ” just as the “ Son of Man ” did.

One day, after teaching the multitude, Jesus set out to cross the Sea of Galilee. But a violent storm descended suddenly, frightening the disciples. Storms were common enough on that body of water, and several of the men were fishermen familiar with its moods. Their terror indicated this was an especially severe storm.

The Pharisees and Scribes objected to the looseness of Jesus to their Sabbath regulations, but he used the opportunity to demonstrate that the “ Son of Man ” is “ Lord ” even over that day . God ceased His creative activities on the seventh day. Still, its formal establishment as a regulated day on which no work could be done did not occur until the Torah was given at Mount Sinai (“ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy ”).

The literary unit in chapters 1 and 2 of the  Gospel of Mark  includes five stories highlighting the authority of Jesus as the “ Son of Man .” It also shows the growing conflicts between him and the religious authorities based in the Jerusalem Temple, especially over issues of ritual purity and Sabbath regulations. There are parallels between the present story and the preceding one about the cleansing of the leper.