Rend the Heavens!

The Spirit of God and the voice from heaven confirmed the calling and identity of Jesus - Son, Messiah, and Servant – Mark 1:9-11.

Jesus first appears in the Gospel of Mark when John baptizes him in the Jordan River. The narrative identifies him with his hometown, Nazareth, a village of no consequence. Jesus is the Son and the Servant of the Lord, and the Messiah who does not conform to popular expectations.

John baptized men in the river, including the Nazarene. The story in Mark emphasizes the audible and visual phenomena that accompanied Christ’s baptism, including the splitting of the heavens, the divine voice, and the descent of the Spirit:

• “And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. And immediately, ascending out of the water, he saw THE HEAVENS BEING RENT ASUNDER and the Spirit DESCENDING as a dove into him. And a voice came out of the heavens: YOU ARE MY SON, THE BELOVED. IN YOU I DELIGHT” - (Mark 1:9-11. Note the allusions to Psalm 2:7, Isaiah 42:1, 64:1).

[Dove - Photo by Johannes Plenio (Munich) on Unsplash]

The Greek verb translated as “being rent asunder” is ‘schizō’, which means to “split, rip open, tear apart.” It provides a graphic image of the heavens being opened suddenly and violently in reaction to Christ’s baptism. Both Matthew and Luke use the more common Greek verb ‘anoigô’ or “open” instead of ‘schizō’ - (Matthew 3:16, Luke 3:21).

The same Greek term occurs once more in the Gospel of Mark when describing the veil of the Temple being “torn asunder” as Jesus died. The verbal link is deliberate:

• “And Jesus uttered a loud voice and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent asunder [‘schizō’] from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion who stood by over against him saw that he gave up the ghost, he said, Truly, this man was the Son of God” – (Mark 15:37-39).

Just as the opening of the heavens above the Jordan River revealed the Messiah, so the tearing of the veil of the Temple precedes the moment of revelation when the Roman centurion identifies Jesus as “son of God” – (Compare Matthew 27:51 and Luke 23:45).

The adverb “truly” (‘aléthôs’) and the demonstrative pronoun “this” (‘houtos’) in the centurion’s declaration are emphatic (“TRULY, this man was son of God”). Jesus is identified as ‘son of God’ in the first verse of Mark (“Beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, son of God”). Twice the voice from heaven addresses Christ as “my beloved son” (Mark 1:11, 9:7), and twice demons recognize that he is God’s son (Mark 3:11, 5:7).

However, the centurion is the first human in Mark’s narrative who calls Christ “son of God,” and he does so when Christ dies on the Roman cross. Only then is he identified as God’s Son, and by a Gentile rather than a Jew.

The sudden opening of the heavens following Christ’s baptism highlights the cosmic significance of his public arrival. From this point forward in Mark, the Kingdom of God is open to all men who repent and embrace the Good News. With the anointing of Jesus by the Spirit, History has arrived at its pivotal point, and the new creation has begun to invade the Earth.

The presence of God will no longer be confined to the Temple or restricted to one nation. From this time – “in those days” - the Creator of all things is found and understood in the life and words of Jesus of Nazareth. As the Author of the Letter to the Hebrews declares:

• “Many parts and many ways of old, God spoke to the fathers in the prophets, he has, upon the last of these days, spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things” – (Hebrews 1:1-2).

• “But now, once and for all, upon a conjunction of the ages, for a setting aside of sin through means of his sacrifice, he has been made manifest” – (Hebrews 9:26).

The description in Mark echoes a passage from the Book of Isaiah addressed originally by the prophet to the God of Israel:

• “Oh, that you would rend the heavens, that you would descend so the mountains might quake at your presence <…>, that the nations may tremble at your presence” – (Isaiah 64:1).

The plea of Isaiah is fulfilled as God “rends the heavens” and His Spirit descends to anoint His Son. However, it is not the mountains of Judea that quake, but the hearts of men as they hear the words of Jesus.

The Greek preposition applied to the descent of the Spirit signifies movement “into” or “toward” something or someone (‘eis’). Perhaps the Spirit entered Jesus at this point, though the verb and preposition more likely portray the Spirit coming to rest upon him. This is the picture we find in the Gospel of John:

• “And John testified, saying, I beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven; and it remained upon him, and I knew him not. But he that sent me to baptize in water, he said to me, Upon whomever you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him, he is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God” - (John 1:32-34).

And so, the Nazarene was anointed by the Spirit for his messianic ministry. Having received “the Spirit without measure,” Jesus is equipped to proclaim the Gospel, beginning with the Jewish nation – (John 3:34, 5:26, 7:37-39).

THE VOICE

Jesus heard the voice addressing him as “the beloved Son.” The same voice is heard only once more in Mark, making a similar declaration at the transfiguration of Christ. In Mark 1:9-11, the divine voice combines words from two Old Testament passages to identify Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God:

• “But I have been made king by him on Zion his holy mountain, declaring the ordinance of the Lord: The Lord said to me, you are my son! Today, I have begotten you” - (Psalm 2:6-7, the Septuagint).

• “Jacob is my servant. I will help him. Israel is my chosen, my soul has accepted him. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring forth judgment to the nations” - (Isaiah 42:1, the Septuagint).

By combining these two prophecies, the Gospel of Mark highlights the identity and mission of Jesus. He is God’s son and the servant described in Isaiah who brings justice and salvation to the nations:

• “It is a great thing for you to be called my servant, to establish the tribes of Jacob, and to recover the dispersion of Israel. Behold, I have given you for the covenant of a race, for a light of the nations, that you should be for salvation to the end of the earth” -  (Isaiah 49:6, Septuagint. Compare Isaiah 11:10, Matthew 12:21, Acts 28:28, Romans 15:8-16).

Jesus is now equipped to proclaim the Kingdom of God. The heavenly voice confirms God’s approval of his mission and person, not just because of who he is, but also because he submitted to the baptism of John in obedience to his Father – (Matthew 3:15 [“For thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness”]).

And so, the long-awaited Messiah of Israel was sent to redeem his people, inaugurate the Kingdom of God, and shepherd the nations to salvation and righteousness. However, Jesus fulfills his Messianic role as the Suffering Servant of the Lord, something his contemporaries did not understand and certainly did not expect.

• “For the Son of Man also came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” - (Compare Isaiah 53:10-12, Philippians 2:6-11).

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[Citations of Old Testament passages in this article are based on the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint (see the links here and here). Text printed in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS represents quotations and verbal allusions from the Old Testament. The Septuagint is represented by the Roman numeral for ‘seventy’ or LXX based on the Latin name of the translation, ‘Interpretatio septuaginta virorum’]

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SEE ALSO:

• The Salvation of the Lord - (‘Jesus’ means “Yahweh saves.” In the man of Nazareth, the salvation promised by the God of Abraham has arrived)

• The Gospel Begins - (Redemption and God's Kingdom arrived in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, starting with his baptism by John – Mark 1:1-3)

• The Forerunner - (John the Baptist prepared the way for the Messiah, the herald of the Kingdom of God, and the one who baptizes in the Spirit – Mark 1:4-8)

• In Spirit and Fire - (John baptized men and women in water, but the Messiah of Israel will baptize in spirit and fire - Matthew 3:11-12)