Unfolding Career

So the special man who comes from Nazareth is of age and he has been baptized and somehow associated with or recognized by the famous John the Baptist, who is like an apocalyptic Elijah, then he travels about the villages in the Galilee preaching and gathering followers, healing the sick and casting out demons, and clashing a bit with some people...

John the Baptist preached repentance, returning to G-d. At the baptism the Voice says Jesus is His beloved son, like Isaac (Genesis 22). In lieu with the Elijah theme, Jesus is coming to pave the way, to bring back the hearts of the fathers to the sins and the sons to the fathers. And John the Baptist is arrested and Jesus seems to continue the work.

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other,

“What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

In this particular passage, the story within the story, people are perplexed by this mysterious powerful young man. The man with demons cries - “Jesus of Nazareth” and also “Holy-one of G-d”. Here he is not called Son of Man nor David nor Messiah. We continue.

Who is This Man?

There are a few more instances with this theme - the names and the perception of Jesus of Nazareth. This dynamic is a thread within the elaborated narrative of the Gospels. 

In chapter 3 of Mark, after casting out impure or evil spirits from someone “they” (the demons / spirits) shout: “You are the son of G-d!” and Jesus curiously rebukes them assertively not to tell the secret (?) of his identity. Okay. And then in chapter 5 again, the demon possessed “Legion” character yells “What have I with you Jesus son of the Almighty G-d?” Believe it or not, there is a theme here. It manifests within this Gospel narrative as the demon possessed in particular seeing him as a or the son of G-d, while people are astonished and curious. 

And then we come across this pearl in chapter 8, where the disciples of Jesus are asked by him, who the people and who they themselves think of his identity or being (27-31):

Jesus goes out with his disciples to the villages… on the way he asks one of the disciples, What do the people say about me, who am I? They answer and say: John the Baptist, and some say Elijah, and others say ‘one of the prophets’.

And what do you say, who am I? Keifa answers him: You are the Messiah. Jesus warns them not to tell this about him to others. Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly, and that the elders and priests and scribes will reject him, he will be killed, and after three days he will rise.

The narrative shows us here what the people think of Jesus. They speak of him as some special prophet or spiritual preacher. The disciples, according to the thread inside the narrative, have more significant insight, like the demons, not to compare… and Jesus responds to them in a slightly similar way, telling them not to reveal this insight to the people. 

The passage relates to the 6th chapter verses 14-15, after Jesus hears that Herod has had John the Baptist executed. Jesus hears that the people say of him, Jesus, that he is “John the Baptist rose from the dead and therefore such great powers operate through him, others said this is Elijah, and others said a prophet like the prophets of old”.

The people call him a prophet of sorts, the disciples call him Messiah, the demons called him son of G-d. Now Jesus speaks of himself, as Son of Man. 

Jesus associates himself with the Son of Man, presumably the apocalyptic redeemer from Daniel 7, who was a figure that was featured a fair amount in the literature of the time. The Son of Man, Jesus says, will be arrested and killed and will rise, etc. 

Assuming the disciples said this, what did they mean with the term “Messiah”? At this point in the Gospel of Mark alone, we do not know. What is clear though, within this Gospel, is that the Messiah concept was not clearly at play from the beginning of Jesus’ career. It came around.

Moses, Elijah, etc.

To top off this thread of a thread, of associations of the people and demons and disciples and Jesus himself, we might include chapter 9 verses 2-8:

After six days Jesus took Keifa and James and John and went up to a high mountain by themselves and he transformed before them:

his clothing shined and were very white… and then before them appeared Elijah and Moses and they spoke with Jesus.

Keifa responded and said to Jesus: “Rabbi, it is good that we are here, we will build three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

He did not know what to say (?!) because he and his friends were very afraid. And then a cloud appeared and covered them.

Then a voice sounded from within the cloud: “This is my beloved son, whom you will heed.” Suddenly they looked about and didn’t see anyone except Jesus.

When they descended from the mountain Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what they saw until the Son of Man will rise from the dead…

This passage connects to a the previous mentioned passage - the voice from the cloud is as the voice from the heavens at the beginning in chapter 1, and here the voice says “my beloved  son whom you will heed” while in chapter 1 the voice says “you are my beloved son in whom am I well pleased”.

In the first chapter and afterwards John the Baptist is Elijah or like Elijah or the futuristic apocalyptic Elijah, if you will - and Jesus is seen as perhaps another John the Baptist or perhaps another Elijah himself.

[Intriguing it is that Moses and Elijah both were in the 2nd Temple era perceived both to be apocalyptic figures of sorts, we see this in various texts: they were both perceived to be heavenly present figures, who did not die in this world -

Elijah based of course on 2 Kings chapter 2 verse 11, who ascends to the heavens in a chariot of fire and wind, while Moses died according to the Bible but Josephus’ work “Antiquities (4:323-326) writes that many believed that Moses did not die at all but rather was taken up to the heavens… ]

These themes continue in chapter 9, verses 11-13: And they asked him saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Then he answers and tells, “Indeed Elijah is coming first and restores all things,

and how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that he must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him…”

Growing Names

This is all to further show these different attributes and associations “growing” on him, according to this thread within the Gospel of Mark narrative. They, the people and the disciples, carry these figures in their minds, the Elijah and the Son of Man, and Jesus himself relays these titles this way and that. 

Still, according to this Gospel alone, we found the title of Messiah only at the very beginning, which is not part of the content but rather the context given by the narrator, and the particular instance in chapter 8 where Jesus asks also the disciples what they themselves think of him and Keifa says - You are the Messiah. It feels we forgot that bit, as we continue to read. Rather, we continue to hear of John the Baptist / Elijah and the Son of Man, and perhaps Son of G-d.