Dr Paul Allen

The Gospel of Mark is understood by some as having a low Christology . This is understandable, to some extent, in light of the very human aspects of Jesus in the Gospel:  He displays a range of emotions (Mark 1:41; 8:12; 3:5; 6:6);  He doesn’t know everything God the Father knows (Mark 13:32; Edwards 2002, 13);  He is occasionally unable to perform miracles (6:5);  His question to the rich man—“Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mk. 10:18)—could be interpreted as a direct denial of divinity. Mark’s use of the Old Testament, however, reveals a Christology that is “enigmatic and paradoxical” (Strauss 2014, 734), full of the reality of Jesus’ humanity and yet pointing to his divinity. Jesus is the Davidic Messiah , and yet a suffering servant. He is the Danielic Son of Man who, at his lowest point, claims the highest authority (Mark 14:62). More than that, whether by direct quotation or by allusion, Jesus is revealed as the God ...

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the whole city stirred with one question: “Who is this?” (Matt. 21:10). That same question reverberates through the Gospel of Mark—and still echoes in our culture today. Mark doesn’t merely offer theological claims about Jesus; he constructs a narrative arc that progressively unveils His identity in dramatic, revelatory moments. Here are seven powerful ways Mark’s Gospel reveals who Jesus truly is: Mark Opens with a Bold Declaration: Jesus Is the Son of God Mark wastes no time: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). From the first verse, we’re told that Jesus is not just a man — He is the divine Son, the visible Yahweh revealing the invisible God. At His baptism, the heavens rip open and the Father declares, “You are my beloved Son” (Mark 1:11). This is more than a title; it’s a declaration of identity and purpose. Jesus isn’t merely bringing good news — He is the good news. Even Demons Recognise His Auth...

Dear Friend, Two thousand years ago, the Roman world suffered many of the same challenges we encounter today – oppression, racial hatred, lies, bitter divisions, and wrongs. Into that culture stepped the most amazing thing imaginable: the Creator of the universe. If you’re unfamiliar with Christianity, the story of the baby Jesus may seem sentimental and perhaps no more real than Santa Claus. But the Gospel of John tells the story from the cosmic perspective. He calls Jesus the “Logos”, the living Word: In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through him, all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, which was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light that gave light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own...

As David looked out to the battlefield, there stood Goliath of Gath, the Philistine giant, defying Israel’s God. In David’s hands were a few small stones. Did anyone believe this shepherd boy could stand against a warrior like Goliath? As David walked onto the battlefield, he responded to Goliath with words meant to reassure Israel that they had a better champion than the Philistines. Did anyone believe these words? And who was the identity of this champion? The Lord God of Israel. All the assembly today will know, David said, that “the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Sam. 17:47). Israel needed to learn a profound lesson. They were absolutely helpless before Goliath. The lesson was never to be missed: You can’t win this battle, so the Lord must fight and win for you. Sadly, many Christians still haven’t learned this lesson. The most common interpretation of this passage places the responsibility squarely on us to slay the Goliaths in our lives. Some of the best-selling Christian books today p...

So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel , and fought against all his enemies on every side (1 Sam. 14:47a). In the concluding verses of 1 Samuel 14, we find a summary of Saul’s reign, or at least of his early years as king. Interestingly, the general tone of this summation is positive. Despite the fact that Samuel has told Saul he will not have a dynasty because of his unlawful sacrifice (13:9–14), Saul seems devoted to his duties as the commander of the armies of Israel. He “establishes his sovereignty over Israel,” we are told, meaning he draws the tribes of Israel together into a national unit capable of standing up to (or at least harassing) the other powers around the region. Furthermore, he builds Israel’s army by scouting out and drafting “any strong man or any valiant man,” just as Samuel had said the king would do (8:11). And Saul leads Israel in battle against many of its hostile neighbors, including Moab , Ammon, Edom, Zobah , Amalek , and, above all, the...

What child is this? Really? It’s Jesus, of course. We all know that — even the kids know that. When the disciples found themselves in a great windstorm, with waves breaking into the boat, and Jesus calmed the storm, they said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41). They knew the answer from Scripture. Only God himself can still the seas (Psalm 65:7; 89:9; 107:29); this, somehow, must be God. But it was too wonderful just to say. This new revelation of Jesus’s glory was too stupendous to keep quiet, and too remarkable not to say it in some fresh way. God himself had become man and was in the boat with them. “Who then is this?” It’s in a similar vein that we say at Christmas, “What child is this?” We know the answer. It has been plainly revealed. And it is almost too wonderful to be true. God himself has become man in this baby, and has come to rescue us. The eternal Word has become flesh and dwells among us (John 1:14). It is cle...

Moses with the tablets of the Ten Commandments, painting by Rembrandt (1659) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen”  ( Deut. 18:15). A study of the names of Jesus will demonstrate that each name contains a variety of nuances and emphases that reflect the complexity of the God-man. The name “Savior” ultimately refers both to physical and spiritual salvation. The title “ Messiah ” that is given to Christ includes the Old Testament expectation the Messiah is to be a prophet. In the verse above we see the promise that God would raise up a prophet for Israel like the prophet Moses (Deut. 18:15). However, this new prophet would also be the Messiah who would save His people and empower them for new obedience. Since Jesus is Messiah, He is also this prophet. But we might be a bit confused when we read that Jesus would be a prophet like Moses. This is because most of ...

King Louie (Photo credit: Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton ) What does it mean to say that God is sovereign? The refrain has become so common, almost clichéd, in Reformed writing and preaching that it sometimes slips away from the reader or listener without lodging meaning in the mind. Worse, we typically hear the phrase to mean something it doesn't. When Christians affirm that "God is sovereign," they often mean "God is in control." Paul Tripp , for example, wrote in his excellent book Lost in the Middle that "God truly is sovereign . . . there is no situation, relationship, or circumstance that is not controlled by our heavenly Father." The problem is that the English word sovereignty does not mean control. The government is sovereign within its territory, but that doesn't mean the government controls everything within its borders or causes all that happens. If you look up sovereignty in the dictionary you'll not find control in the defi...