In these times when much damage is done in the name of Jesus, I have been rediscovering Jesus’ humble divinity in the Gospels. I long to see others discover Jesus’ Divine-human identity afresh– a revelation that I believe will compel many to become his disciples.
Daniel Bourguet’s excellent books The Humble Divinity of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel, Volume 1-2 have been particularly enlightening. I have just been especially blessed reading these books aloud as audiobooks for Audible, to add to The People’s Seminary Press’ paperback and e-book version (links below). Check out this beatiful treatment of Jesus’ words to the paralytic in Mark 2:11.
“I say to you
“When Jesus said to the paralytic: “Rise, take up your bed and go to your home” (2:11), he introduced what he was saying with the words, “I say to you.” We will pause over this expression.
“I say to you”: it is astonishing to see here that Jesus doesn’t invoke anyone’s name to tell the paralytic to stand up. Peter would later say to a sick man, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6); he would likewise say that the forgiveness of sins should be received “in the name of Jesus” (Acts 10:43). Paul would do the same as Peter and so say to an evil spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ, come out of this woman” (Acts 16:18).
The difference between Peter and Paul on one hand and Jesus on the other is huge. Peter and Paul relied on the authority of another, Jesus, to bring about a miracle or to announce the forgiveness of sins. In contrast, Jesus relied on no one to forgive or to perform a miracle, having the authority himself. He is “the Son of Man who has authority to forgive sins,” just as he had authority to call upon the paralytic to stand up. He has the authority as the Son who has received the authority of his Father at the heart of the Trinity.
In Mark’s gospel, Jesus never either performs a miracle or speaks “in the name of God” as did the prophets. Jesus is more than a prophet. His “I say to you” spoken to the paralytic has the authority and power of a divine word. The power of the Word of God means that what it announces is accomplished, as at creation: “God said ‘Light be,’ and the light was” (Gen 1:3). That is what is happening here: Jesus says to the paralytic, “Stand up,” and he stands. The prophet Isaiah reports a word of God that makes this very clear:
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return without having watered the earth and caused the plants to grow, or without providing seed to the sower, so is my word that goes out of my mouth: it shall not return to me without effect, without having executed my will and accomplished my plans” (Is 55:10–11).
“I say to you” has the power of a divine word since the Jesus who spoke it is not a prophet who transmits and speaks in the name of God, but is God speaking on his own divine authority.
“I say to you”: this is great discretion on Mark’s part. He reports these few words without any commentary, it is enough to reveal Jesus as God.
In the gospels of Matthew and Luke, we find the same as here in Mark, that Jesus does nothing in the name of God or in the name of his Father. Everything he does is on his own authority, his divine authority. It would seem to be not quite the same in John, but only in appearance; it is more nuanced but the result is the same.
In John’s gospel, then, Jesus says this: “I do the works in the name of my Father” (10:25), which seems to put him on the same level as the prophets. But we should not be mistaken; his speaking in this way is a matter of humility, to honor his Father, because elsewhere he speaks quite differently, in fact that the Father acts in the name of the Son: “The Father will send the Holy Spirit in my name” (14:26).
This last verse is surprising: we see God the Father, who does nothing in anyone else’s name, acting in the name of Jesus, his only Son. How wonderful this is: the Father is so humble that he acts in the name of the Son, just as the Son in his humility acts in the name of the Father. Neither of them is a prophet to the other; each is as humble as the other; each defers humbly to the authority of the other.
Here in Mark’s gospel, Christ’s humility is manifest differently, not in his leaning on the authority of his Father but in effacing himself behind the figure of the Son of Man who has received authority from his Father:
“That you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins, I say to you, Stand up, take up your bed and go to your home.” p.23-25.
The Humble Divinity of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel, Volume 1, Audiobook.
The Humble Divinity of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel, Volume 1 (Chapters 1-9), paperback and e-book versions.