Jesus’ Deity in Mark’s Gospel Part 2

Christian and Ahmet discuss how Mark's Gospel presents the diety of Jesus.

Christian: Hi Ahmet, how did you get on reading Mark’s Gospel?
Ahmet: I’ve got about half way through. It’s certainly been interesting reading.
Christian: Anything that has stood out to you, or caught your attention?
Ahmet: Well, the miracles of Jesus are amazing, I know that in the Quran Jesus does miracles. It was amazing to read of him feeding a huge crowd, not once, but twice. Quran 5.112-114 mentions Jesus praying for food from heaven, but I loved the details in Mark.
Quran 5:112-114

When the disciples said: O Jesus, son of Mary! Is thy Lord able to send down for us a table spread with food from heaven? He said: Observe your duty to Allah, if ye are true believers. (They said:) We wish to eat thereof, that we may satisfy our hearts and know that thou hast spoken truth to us, and that thereof we may be witnesses. Jesus, son of Mary, said: O Allah, Lord of us! Send down for us… read full verse

Christian: What other miracles of Jesus stood out to you?
Ahmet: Well, he seems to have authority over nature, like when he calmed the storm or even walked on the water. That was amazing.
Christian: Yes, Jesus’ miracles are truly amazing. In fact, the disciples were really amazed and wondered who Jesus was. Let me ask you a question, those verses that you mentioned from Quran chapter 5 (Al-Ma’ida), what is the context within the chapter?
Ahmet: Well, from what I remember Al-Ma’ida is all about how Allah wants us to live, especially keeping the food laws in Islam but later in the chapter there are strong warnings to those who disobey. There is quite a bit about Jesus later in the chapter, especially warning Christians not to believe that Jesus is God (see Quran 5.72, Quran 5.75, Quran 5.116). Saying that God has taken a son or has partners is a very big sin in Islam, to which the punishment is ‘the Fire’ as Quran 5.72 puts it.
Quran 5:72

They surely disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary. The Messiah (himself) said: O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Lo! whoso ascribeth partners unto Allah, for him Allah hath forbidden paradise. His abode is the Fire. For evil-doers there will be no helpers.

Quran 5:75

The Messiah, son of Mary, was no other than a messenger, messengers (the like of whom) had passed away before him. And his mother was a saintly woman. And they both used to eat (earthly) food. See how We make the revelations clear for them, and see how they are turned away!

Quran 5:116

And when Allah saith: O Jesus, son of Mary! Didst thou say unto mankind: Take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah? he saith: Be glorified! It was not mine to utter that to which I had no right. If I used to say it, then Thou knewest it. Thou knowest what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Thy Mind. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower of Things Hidden?

Christian: Yes, I’m aware of that, that’s why I know that for you to accept that Jesus is God would be a very hard thing. I do want you to see though, that the writers of the Gospel saw Jesus, not as someone who was made into an ‘associate’ of God, but that he has always existed as God. Did the miracles of Jesus in Mark remind you of anything in the Old Testament?
Ahmet: We’ll not really, I’m not really aware of what’s written in that part of the Bible. Is there anything that should come to mind?
Christian: Well, when you know the story of how God rescued his people out of Egypt and took them to a special land, it’s hard not to see the parallels between what God did then, and the miracles of Jesus in Mark, especially when the Olt Testament said there would be a new exodus when the Messiah comes.
Ahmet: Now I come to think about it, there are a number of verses in the Quran that describe God saving them from Egypt. There were the plagues, right? (Quran 7.103-137) Oh, and then God parted the sea for the people, but then drowned all the people of Pharaoh. (Quran 26.10-68, Quran 2.49-50, Quran 10.75-93), and he fed them, didn’t he yes… (Quran 7.160) It’s all coming back to me…
Quran 7:103-137

Then, after them, We sent Moses with our tokens unto Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they repelled them. Now, see the nature of the consequence for the corrupters! Moses said: O Pharaoh! Lo! I am a messenger from the Lord of the Worlds, Approved upon condition that I speak concerning Allah nothing but the truth. I come unto you (lords of Egypt) with a clear proof from your Lord. So let the Children of Israel go with me. (Pharaoh) said:… read full verse

Quran 26:10-68

And when thy Lord called Moses, saying: Go unto the wrongdoing folk, The folk of Pharaoh. Will they not ward off (evil)? He said: My Lord! Lo! I fear that they will deny me, And I shall be embarrassed, and my tongue will not speak plainly, therefor send for Aaron (to help me). And they have a crime against me, so I fear that they will kill me. He said: Nay, verily. So go ye twain with Our tokens. Lo!… read full verse

Quran 2:49-50

And (remember) when We did deliver you from Pharaoh's folk, who were afflicting you with dreadful torment, slaying your sons and sparing your women: that was a tremendous trial from your Lord. And when We brought you through the sea and rescued you, and drowned the folk of Pharaoh in your sight.

Quran 10:75-93

Then, after them, We sent Moses and Aaron unto Pharaoh and his chiefs with Our revelations, but they were arrogant and were a guilty folk. And when the Truth from Our presence came unto them, they said: Lo! this is mere magic. Moses said: Speak ye (so) of the Truth when it hath come unto you? Is this magic? Now magicians thrive not. They said: Hast thou come unto us to pervert us from that (faith) in which we found… read full verse

Quran 7:160

We divided them into twelve tribes, nations; and We inspired Moses, when his people asked him for water, saying: Smite with thy staff the rock! And there gushed forth therefrom twelve springs, so that each tribe knew their drinking-place. And we caused the white cloud to overshadow them and sent down for them the manna and the quails (saying): Eat of the good things wherewith we have provided you. They wronged Us not, but they were wont to wrong themselves.

Christian: So, do the miracles of Jesus remind you of anything then?
Ahmet: So you are saying that because Jesus did what God did back then, it shows us he is God?
Christian: Yes, exactly, but the most amazing connection though is that the final plague God was the death of the firstborn son, that’s not in the Quran actually, but God told the people to sacrifice a lamb and paint the blood on the door posts. If they did so, they would be spared judgement. In Mark’s Gospel Jesus compared himself with that lamb, saying that by dying for us, we might be spared judgement if we trust him.
Ahmet: Those are amazing connections, I guess I have some more reading to do…