Messiah, Son of Man and the Baptism
Mark's Gospel keeps asking one question: who is Jesus? Explore the titles Messiah and Son of Man, the meaning of his baptism, and how Christians respond when the nature miracles are given a purely scientific explanation.
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One question, all the way through ✝️
Mark's Gospel keeps returning to a single question: **who is Jesus?** Different people give different answers, and the Gospel builds its own through the titles it uses and the things Jesus does. Two titles matter most: **Messiah** and **Son of Man**. Christians believe Jesus is the Messiah, and that his baptism and his miracles reveal who he really is. This module explores those ideas - and how Christians respond when a sceptic offers a purely **scientific** explanation instead.
Titles that answer the question 🗂️
These terms run through the topic. Learn what each one means - the next steps ask you to use them.
Match each title to its meaning 🔗
- Messiah
- Son of Man
- Suffering servant
- The anointed one; the deliverer God's people awaited
- A figure given authority by God, echoing Daniel's vision
- One who suffers for others, described in Isaiah 53
What kind of Messiah? 📜
Many people at the time expected the Messiah to be a powerful king who would drive out the Romans. How does the picture in Isaiah 53 challenge that expectation?
- It describes a servant who suffers for others, suggesting a Messiah who suffers rather than only conquers
- It confirms the Messiah will be a military king above all
- It says the Messiah will be wealthy and powerful
- It says nothing about what the Messiah would be like
The baptism of Jesus 🕊️
In Mark 1:2-11, John the Baptist prepares the way, baptising people in the River Jordan as a sign of **repentance**. Jesus comes to be baptised too. As Jesus comes up out of the water, Mark describes three things Christians see as revealing his identity: the **heavens open**, the **Spirit** comes down **like a dove**, and a **voice from heaven** declares Jesus to be God's beloved Son. Many Christians see all three Persons of the **Trinity** here - the Father's voice, the Son being baptised, and the Spirit as a dove.
The baptism, in order 🪜
An interactive activity.
What does the baptism reveal? 🌟
For Christians, what is the main significance of the voice from heaven and the Spirit descending at Jesus' baptism?
- They reveal Jesus' identity as the Son of God and mark the start of his ministry
- They show Jesus needed to be forgiven for his own sins
- They mark the end of Jesus' work on earth
- They prove John the Baptist was greater than Jesus
Two ways to read a miracle ⚖️
In the nature miracles Jesus shows power over creation. But a non-religious view offers a natural explanation instead. The exam wants you to understand BOTH sides - and the Christian response.
Match each nature miracle 🌊
- Calming the storm
- Feeding the 5000
- Walking on water
- Jesus stills a storm on the lake and the disciples ask who he is
- Jesus feeds a huge crowd from only a few loaves and fish
- Jesus comes to the disciples across the surface of the lake
Why Mark includes the miracles ✅
Select the TWO reasons Christians give for why Mark records the nature miracles.
- To show Jesus has authority even over nature
- To help answer the Gospel's question of who Jesus is
- To entertain readers with impressive tricks
- To show Jesus wanted to become wealthy and famous
Answer the sceptic 🧭
An interactive activity.
The summary 📝
The title _____ means "the anointed one", while Son of Man echoes _____ 7:13. Isaiah 53 pictures a suffering _____, suggesting a Messiah who suffers. At his _____, a voice from heaven calls Jesus God's Son. In the nature miracles Christians see Jesus' _____ over creation, though a non-religious view offers natural explanations.
Your turn ✍️
An interactive activity.
The grade-9 technique 🎯
Two things lift an answer here. First, on the miracles, always give **both** sides - the natural explanation **and** the Christian response - before your judgement. An answer that gives only one side cannot reach the top level. Second, on the titles, show you understand that Christians read the Messiah as one who **suffers** (Isaiah 53), not only a conquering king, and that **Son of Man** carries God-given authority (Daniel 7:13). Naming the source and attributing the belief - "Christians believe...", "Mark presents..." - is exactly what the examiner rewards.