BURCHARD JESUS HEAVENLY MAN

Running Head: BURCHARD JESUS HEAVENLY MAN

The Good News about Jesus He Is The Heavenly Man of the Spirit
Kenneth P. Burchard
Fresno Pacific Seminary

The Gospel of Mark

BURCHARD JESUS HEAVENLY MAN

The Good News about Jesus He Is The Heavenly Man of the Spirit
One of my favorite movies of all time is The Matrix starring Keanu Reeves. The original
science-fiction-meets-martial-arts film, and all its sequels tell the fictional story of a man named
Thomas Anderson. By day, Anderson is a geeky computer programmer, and by night, he is a
computer hacker with the screen name Neo. Anderson lives with a nagging suspicion that
there is more to life than he can actually see, and his capacity to delve deep into the cyber-world
through his computer screen begins to confirm his suspicions.
Neos intuitive abilities to discover hidden cyber-secrets that cover an invisible reality get
the attention of forces for good and evil. He is sought out by a mysterious woman named Trinity
who becomes the gateway to the reality that he suspected was there all along, but which he could
never seem to prove or access on his own.
Trinity introduces Neo to Morpheus, a prophet-like mentoring figure who opens Neos
eyes to the real world; a ravaged and scorched planet that has been taken captive by a race of
machines who live off of the electro-chemical energy they farm from unconscious humans
raised and stored for their consumption. In order to keep the human race asleep, but alive and
occupied, a sub-conscious reality called The Matrix is invented for them and holds them
captive subconsciously in one reality, while human storage containers hold them physically
captive in another, thus effectively causing a gap between their physical reality and their
conscious perceptions.
Morpheus, Trinity, and their band of rebels come to believe that Neo is the one who will
set them all free. He will be able to awaken the sleeping humanity to their true existence, and
free them from the illusion created by their captors who merely use them and discard them. But

BURCHARD JESUS HEAVENLY MAN

to do this, Neo must be able to understand and function in both realities at the same time without
forgetting which is which, and without dying in either the physical, or the subconscious realm.
At the Climax of the movie, while fighting his Arch-Enemy Agent Smith, Neo
becomes completely capable of seeing the green cascading code that controls the Matrix while he
is in it, and is suddenly able to overcome the illusions that he once believed were real. He is able
to stop bullets by holding up his hand, and able to overpower all of the Agents who help Agent
Smith to dominate the rebels. He is capable in body and in mind to see both worlds, to function
in both worlds, and to harness the power of both worlds at the exact same time regardless of
which one he is in. Agent Smith becomes furious. In a final effort, he runs at Neo to attack him.
Neo effortlessly blocks Smith's blows, and then sends him flying with a single kick. Neo then
leaps into Smith's body and appropriates him. Smith's corporeal shell explodes in a sea of
green computer code and Neo is left standing alone victorious. The remaining agents look at
one another and run away. Throughout the movie Neo is referred to, either by question or by
affirmation as The One.
Conceptual Framework
The above illustration using the fictional story of Neo in the Matrix provides introductory
hints about the interpretive lens through which I hope to present my conclusions about Jesus, the
Holy Spirit, and the realm of heaven as they unfold in Mark's Gospel and make his message
Good News to the reader.
I will attempt in this paper to give greater weight to the idea that by virtue of Gods Spirit
at work in Jesus, and Jesus own conscious reliance upon the Holy Spirit, and his constant
loyalty to God, he was able though living fully as a human, to access, perceive, receive,
exercise influence, and even control entities and realities that exist (and yet remain invisible to

BURCHARD JESUS HEAVENLY MAN

eyes that do not see) in heaven (i.e., the realm of their existence and function). And I will
attempt to communicate why all of this is equal to a message of good news about Jesus to the
reader of Marks Gospel.
To put it more simply, and another way in the form of a thesis statement: I believe that
according the Gospel of Mark, Jesus (though He was God) lived a fully human life, but was
given access to the heavenly realm of the Spirit by God the Father Himself, and thereby
participated in and even had dominion over entities within that realm, by virtue of His
submission to Gods Spirit at work in Him and that because of these things, the message about
Jesus in Mark is Good News.
This is not to diminish in any way the theology or the reality of the deity of Jesus Christ,
and the fact that Mark also presents Jesus as God.1 But it is to suggest that Mark wants the reader
to understand that Jesus is living as a man who is wholly yielded to and filled with the Holy
Spirit, rather than featuring Him as a demi-god who is tapping into his own innate (as I
sometimes jokingly call them) super-magic-Jesus-powers (as though he had such a thing) as
the means by which he works and ministers.
This paper is not an exhaustive study on the role of the Spirit in the Gospel of Mark
specifically, though every reference to the Spirit, as well as every reference to heaven will be
given. Because spirit and heaven are two words, two ideas, and two concepts that will be
frequently referenced in the paper, it will be helpful to offer a somewhat detailed survey of all of
the references to both within the Gospel of Mark. This is done in order to provide a wellgrounded interpretive framework for my own conclusions. In this way, the paper is an analysis of
the relationship between the Spirit and Heaven as they are presented, and as they converge and

cf. Mk. 2:5-7; 10:18

BURCHARD JESUS HEAVENLY MAN

become visible to the reader as an integral part of Marks larger message about who Jesus
actually is, how this interprets the way Jesus lived and ministered, and why all of this equals
good news to the one who accepts it.
After the initial descriptive discussion of these terms and their texts, I will primarily
focus on verses nine through fifteen in chapter one of Marks Gospel, as well doing some
intertextual comparisons between these verses with portions of Genesis chapters one and three,
and Leviticus 16:1-16. I will follow all of this with what I am calling a Homily which is
presented as my own interpretive paraphrase of Mark 1:9-15 along with the implications of the
message contained in those verses. It might be best for readers to read that section of the paper
aloud as they imagine it being preached from the pulpit of their own church, or in a first-century
Jewish synagogue, or in the home of a Roman Centurion, or even in a modern-day prison cell
coming from the lips of a pastor or counselor who is sharing the message of Jesus with a
condemned man in the final moments of his life. I am including this because it is my conviction
that theological homework should ultimately result in some mode of ministry expression, and
that I do not study the Bible for the sole purpose of enjoying contemplation of theological ideas
as an end in itself.

I will end with a summary and conclusion of ways in which this

understanding of Jesus can impact our grasp of Gods overall mission to the world through
Christ.
The Occurrences and Significance of the word (spirit) in Mark's Gospel
Marks Gospel contains twenty-two references to 2 (pneuma) in eleven of sixteen
chapters. Chapter one alone contains the most (six) references to pneuma. Of these twenty-two
references, we may generally divide them into three categories.
2

pnuma, pnyoo-mah; from 4154; a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by anal. or fig. a spirit,
i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by impl.) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, dmon,

BURCHARD JESUS HEAVENLY MAN

First, there are six references to the Holy Spirit, or more generally the Spirit, each of
which seems to be an obvious references to Gods Spirit.3
Second there are ten references to unclean spirits, which are unambiguously presented
as the source of either spiritual, psychological, or physical maladies and infirmities, and in some
cases combinations of problems affecting their human victims on one or more of these levels
simultaneously.4
As an aside, it is my belief that unclean spirits ( ) are actually demons
(), which are also referenced ten times in Marks Gospel,5 and which can be seen to
affect their human victims in the same or similar ways as the unclean spirits. Therefore, I
believe that the two terms may be used synonymously though they are never used side-by-side in
a single verse in Mark. However, for the purposes of this section of the paper I will primarily call
attention to the texts that call them unclean spirits.
Third, there are three references to what we might term the human spirit, or the spirit of
a person in Lukes gospel. In two cases, the person whose spirit is referenced is Jesus himself.6
In the third and final case, Jesus seems to be making a general reference to the disciples spirits,
or perhaps more generally to the spirits of people, as he contrasts their spirits with their flesh as a
way of drawing attention to the source of human weakness in times of prayer, testing, and
temptation.7

This particular reference suggests that there are material and immaterial

components within the human identity which affect human behavior in different ways, and which

or (divine) God, Christs spirit, the Holy Spirit:ghost, life, spirit (-ual, -ually), mind. Comp. 5590. From Strong, J.
(2009). A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible. Bellingham, WA
3
cf. Mk. 1:8,10,12; 3:29; 12:26; 13:11
4
cf. Mk. 1:23,26,27; 3:11,30; 5:2,8, 13; 6:7; 7:25
5
cf. Mk. 1:32,34,39; 3:15,22; 5:18; 6:13; 9:38; 16:9,17
6
cf. Mk. 2:8; 8:12
7
cf. Mk. 14:38

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may, depending on a variety of variables, lend themselves to either willingness or weakness

when faced with certain difficulties, and which may at times be out of sync with one another.
To summarize these three categories of pneuma into a cohesive statement about all of
them together, I suggest that Marks references to pneuma indicate that there is first a divine (i.e.
Holy) Spirit who is God Himself. Second, there are also evil or unclean spirits (which are
demons) that exist as conscious, personal, and volitional entities. Third, and finally, each human
possesses his or her own spirit as well, which is unique to that person, and which is an integral
part of their individual human identity.
It also seems from each of these references that the pneuma of God, or an unclean
pneuma, or a human pneuma can be seen as the source or the receptor (or both, as the case may
be) of a variety of phenomenon. In the case of God, His pneuma is presented by Mark as the
divine source of power (1:8,10), influence (1:12), messianic anointing (3:29), inspiration (12:36),
and help (13:11). In the case of an unclean pneuma, Mark features them as a source or root
cause of disquiet (1:23), suffering (1:26; 7:25), depravity (5:2-8), and infirmity (9:17-25).
Finally, in the case of people, of which there are the fewest number of references in Mark, the
human pneuma may be seen as a seat of supernatural perceptiveness (2:8), a source of great
emotion (8:12), and as a repository of strength, which enables humans to overcome weakness in
times of testing and difficulty (14:38).
These various ways of understanding the concepts associated with pneuma are neither
unique to Mark in the scriptures, nor extra-biblical writers, thinkers, or ancient philosophers.8
For instance, within the New Testament, spirit is frequently used as a reference to God
Himself, especially when dynamic supernatural expressions of power, miracles, abilities, and
8

Brown, C. (1986). New international dictionary of New Testament theology. (Article: Spirit, Holy Spirit, )
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

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influence are said to originate with Him.9 The Holy Spirit, the pneuma of God, is not, however,
presented in the New Testament as an impersonal force of power (such as the Star Wars idea of
The Force). The pneuma of God is instead presented as a He, which is not a reference to
gender, but rather an indication of personhood in contrast with non-personhood.10 These insights
into New Testament understandings of the Holy Spirit as God Himself help the reader of Marks
gospel to understand that the way in which Mark features God working through Jesus was by the
Holy Spirit.
Additionally, pneuma is used in other New Testament texts to refer to demons, and even
Satan himself.11 There are also references to pneuma that, as is the case in Marks gospel, have
reference to human identity and even internal dispositions, attitudes, emotional responses, or
motivations.12
Perhaps all of these insights into New Testament understandings of pneuma, including
those featured in Marks gospel may help to shed light on Pauls reference to
(i.e., the ability to distinguish between spirits) in 1 Cor. 12:10. This may then
provide a remote context for understanding two events in Marks gospel where the source of
Jesus power was questioned.13 In his description of various gifts of the Holy Spirit, Paul
presents one of them as the capacity to discern between spirits (pneuma) as a divine enablement
that comes from Gods own Spirit. Why would there be a need for such a divine enablement? It
is not difficult to imagine a circumstance among early believers (and present-day Christians as
well) where there is a pressing need to know: Does this phenomenon that we are witnessing

cf. Acts 1:8; 4:31; 13:2,4; 19:6, Heb. 2:4; 2 Pet. 1:21, etc.
cf. Jn. 14:26
11
cf. Eph. 2:2; Acts 16:16
12
cf. 1 Cor. 4:21; Eph. 4:23; 2 Tim. 1:7, 4:22
13
cf. Mk. 3:22, 11:15
10

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originate from Gods Spirit, an evil spirit, or simply the human spirit, disposition, or attitude of
this person we see before us? Rather than seeing this spiritual gift as the capacity to recognize,
and then cast out a particular spirit (i.e., a spirit of this or a spirit of that), it might be more
helpful to see this gift as the Spirit-birthed capacity to know the original source () of a
spiritual phenomenon when it might not be so obvious.
By way of correlation, it seems likely from Marks Gospel that a lack of Spirit-enabled
discernment (or spiritual blindness as the case may be) was possible even among those who
witnessed the supernatural deliverance ministry of Jesus first-hand.14 In these texts Mark is
careful to include this lack of discernment on the part of Jesus accusers in his narrative. In these
examples, Mark wants the reader to understand that Jesus was operating under the power of the
pneuma of God (in contrast to an evil spirit, or even Satan himself), which also excludes any
notion that he was functioning out of the charisma of his own human spirit especially as it
pertains to miracles, healings, casting out demons, and other supernatural manifestations in the
life and ministry of Jesus.
The Occurrences and Significance of the word (heaven) in Mark's Gospel
There are eighteen references to 15 (heaven) in seventeen verses within eleven of
the sixteen chapters in the Gospel of Mark. As was true with pneuma, references to heaven may
convey a variety of ideas within the context of each occurrence. For instance, at least ten of the
eighteen occurrences seem to be obvious allusions to, or outright references to a realm that exists

14

cf. Mk. 3:22, 11:15

urans, oo-ran-os; perh. from the same as 3735 (through the idea of elevation); the sky; by extens.
heaven (as the abode of God); by impl. happiness, power, eternity; spec. the Gospel (Christianity):air, heaven ([ly]), sky. From Strong, J., S.T.D., LL.D. (2009). A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The
Hebrew Bible. Bellingham, WA
15

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10

simultaneously with, but beyond the boundaries of the physical cosmos (and, therefore, beyond
the capacity of natural or unenlightened eyes to see it) where God and angels abide.16
Further, there are four occurrences that seem to obviously refer to the sky above, or the
atmosphere just above the external surface of the earth where birds fly, and where clouds
hover.17
From there, the remaining references, while they may at first glance seem to convey
either the abode of God and angels, or the sky above, are actually not so easily categorized into
either of these two understandings of heaven. For instance there are two references that seem to
convey the idea of a future state or mode of existence for people where they may, even now, be
storing up future treasure (10:21), and where they will have a new dynamic mode of
relationships with one another (i.e. as the angels in heaven) that excludes such things as
marriage, and by implication sexual relations (12:25).
A final category of references to heaven may convey a combination of both the presently
invisible realm beyond, as well as the presently visible space above the Earth at the same time.
In this set of verses there are images of Jesus looking up to heaven (6:41; 7:34), stars fall[ing]
from heaven and powers in the heavens being shaken (13:25), and finally, Jesus after the
resurrection, being taken up and into heaven.
This last set of references provokes a range of interpretive questions worthy of careful
consideration, and to which answers may become clearer upon further investigation, such as:
(1) Was Jesus simply looking into the sky when he prayed, tilting his head backward to
signify to all who were looking on that he was directing his attention to God up there? Or was
he, as he prayed, looking again into that realm that was torn open at his baptism? Or was it
16
17

cf. Mk. 1:10,11; 8:11; 12:25,30,31; 12:25b; 13:31,32; 16:19

cf. Mk. 4:32; 13:25a,27; 14:62

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11

perhaps both at the same time? On that note, it is interesting that each time Jesus looks up to
heaven he subsequently does a miracle. In the first case the miracle is to multiply food for
thousands of hungry people (6:41), and in the second case it is to heal a mans deafness and
muteness by commanding his ears to open and his tongue to be released (7:34-35). According to
Utley (2001) the primary reason that Jesus looked up to heaven was that he was showing that
the source of His authority was the heavenly Father.18
(2) One verse the only one with heaven mentioned twice (13:25) seems to be a
description of phenomenon occurring simultaneously in the visible space above the earth (i.e.,
stars falling), and in the invisible realm the abode of God (i.e., powers in the heavens being
shaken). Should this verse, as well as 10:21 and 12:25 be considered to be eschatological in their
imagery and use of the word heaven? The metaphors of storing up treasure in heaven, being as
the angels in heaven, and seeing stars fall from heaven as powers are shaken in the heavens,
all seem to convey images of future rewards, a future state or mode of being, and perhaps future
judgment with the prospect of a future reconfiguration of heaven as it presently exists in relation
to the Earth.
(3) Several of these references to heaven seem to convey spatial, directional, and locative
language. By way of interpretive questions, why does Jesus look up to heaven? Is it because
heaven is actually up in relation to where Jesus was standing when he prayed? He is, after all,
taken up and into heaven. Is heaven therefore a place that one goes into? Further, how
does a voice come out of heaven, and from whence is the Spirits descent? How does one
store up treasure in heaven, and how is one taken into heaven, how are angels in heaven,
and how are powers in the heavens shaken if heaven is not some kind of place (even if it is a
18

Utley, R. J. D. (2001). Vol. Volume 2: The Gospel According to Peter: Mark and I & II Peter. Study Guide
Commentary Series (76). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.

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12

kind of place that is qualitatively and/or modally different from the Earth and the visible
cosmos)? Wuest (1997) contends that the linguistic construction of Mark 1:11 definitely implies
the idea of place with reference to heaven. Writes Wuest:
The preposition is ek (), not apo (). The latter means from the edge of,
the former, out from within. In the previous verse we had, He saw the heaven
being rent asunder. Here we have There came a voice out from within the
heavens. Heaven is a place. It has boundaries. It can be opened and closed.19
However, when discussing the constant use locative language associated with heaven in
the Bible, Moller (1999) helpfully writes that the idea of heaven as a place that is up
has nothing to do with a higher spatial distance as we know it on earth, but it
indicates a higher mode of existence. Thus it is a metaphorical indication of Gods
exaltedness.20
It is my aim within the scope of this paper to attempt to make more sense of these ideas
and questions by specifically looking at them as they are presented in the life and ministry of
Jesus within the gospel of Mark. It is to that end that I now turn my primary attention to the first
chapter of Mark, which I believe adds clarity to the issues at hand.
The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus The Initiation into the Spirit (Mk. 1:9-13)
It seems obvious from the prologue of Marks Gospel that his primary emphasis is the
good news about Jesus Christ,21 and therefore it cannot be asserted that Mark is attempting to
advance a formal pneumatology as his primary objective. In other words, Mark is not giving us
a message about the Holy Spirit, but about Jesus. So, whatever Mark says about the Holy Spirit
19

Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English reader (Mk 1:11).
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
20
Moller, F. (1999). The great endtime events (eschatology). Words of light and life. Pretoria: Van Schaik Religious
Books.
21
cf. Mk. 1:1

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with respect to Jesus will help us to understand his message about Jesus more clearly. However,
this does not mean that we cannot glean insights into Marks understanding of other kinds of
spiritual realities (including human and demonic ones) as they are presented in the flow of
Marks narrative. In fact, there is quite a bit of information about the Holy Spirit in the prologue
itself. This may suggest that Mark wanted his readers to know right off the bat, that the Spirit is
an integral part of the story, and a necessary even primary component in understanding the
broader message about Jesus in the second gospel. As Powery (2003) writes: Since this scene
appears in the prologue of the Gospel, many assume (as I do) its programmatic function for the
entire narrative.22
Only nine verses into Marks Gospel, Jesus is found being baptized by John in the
Jordan. Verses ten through twelve, though they are succinct in their description of what happens
next, seem packed with an incredible amount of information about the world of the Spirit, and
Jesus capacity to both see and interact with the unseen, yet, no-less-real realm of heaven. The
reader is given the perspective of the entire event from Jesus own point of view as Mark notes
that what happens in this scene is precisely what he [Jesus] saw (v. 10). Several elements are
worthy of consideration here.
Jesus saw The Heavens being torn open (1:10b)
The first thing that Mark describes as Jesus comes up out of the waters of baptism is that
Jesus saw the heavens being torn open (v. 10b). The language of the heavens being torn
open is unique to Marks gospel, though the other Gospels record the event in a similar way.23
Regarding the torn open language employed here by Mark, Bob Utley (2001) writes: This
term means to rip open, which would have been a metaphor for tearing open the canopy above
22

Powery, E. (2003). The Spirit, The Scripture(s), and the Gospel of Mark: Pneumatology and Hermeneutics in
Narrative Perspective, Journal of Pentecostal Theology, Vol.11.2, p. 187.
23
cf. Matt. 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22

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the earth.24 In keeping with Marks typical emphatic word-choices, the language here indicates
not the gentle opening of a curtain as it remains fixed to the curtain rod so that it might be closed
again later, but rather the tearing away () of the curtain itself so as to remove it
permanently from its place. And what is the curtain in my metaphor? I suggest (for now) that it is
whatever barrier or veil occupies the place between the visible world which can be understood
with the mind, and perceived with the five senses, and the unseen dimension of heaven, which
can only be seen when the access point to that realm is either torn open or completely removed
by the one who placed it there in the first place. I will offer a prospective way of thinking more
about the veil in time.
This event is a pivotal moment in the life and ministry of Jesus. I suggest that this tearing
open of heaven was not merely a one-time event, but rather a way of describing how Jesus will
live in relationship with God as a man in the world from this moment forward. In other words, I
am putting forth the idea that Jesus lived under an open heaven (by which I mean to say that he
lived with access to it, awareness of it, and participation in it) in various ways for the rest of his
life and ministry. This is a central way in which the earthly supernatural ministry, and ultimately
the eternally salvific ministry of Jesus on behalf of all humans who come to God through Him
(and therefore Marks larger good news message about Jesus) can be understood more clearly.
To illustrate the above point, Mark 1:10 is not the only occasion in Marks Gospel that
the language of tearing is used to describe something with reference to the person and work of
Jesus. In Mark 15:38 (ESV), just after the crucified Jesus has cried out and taken his final
breath, we read; And the curtain of the temple was torn () in two, from top to bottom.
In Exodus 26:31-34, this curtain is described as an intentional barrier that separated the Holy
24

Utley, R. J. D. (2001). Vol. Volume 2: The Gospel According to Peter: Mark and I & II Peter. Study Guide
Commentary Series (13). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.

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15

Place from the Most Holy Place. The Ark of the Covenant was to be placed within the veil,
and the Mercy Seat which was the lid that covered the Ark was to be placed on top of it as it
rested within the veil. In Leviticus 16:1-16, instructions are given to Moses about priestly
conduct within the Most Holy Place, and God Himself says I will appear in the cloud over the
mercy seat (Lev. 16:2, ESV). The Most Holy Place seems to be symbolic of full access to the
very presence of God Himself on His own terms, with a specific person who has His approval
and permission to be there meeting with Him, only on the basis of the pre-approved offering that
he makes.
The tearing of the veil as it is described in Mark 15:38 near the end of the Gospel,
seems to be a message to the reader; namely that because of what has been done by Jesus in his
death upon the cross, there is no longer such limited access to Gods forgiveness or Gods
presence for those who seek relationship with Him through Jesus. Jesus, as he is featured by
Mark, is Himself the approved offering which grants permanent access to Gods mercy, and
therefore, Gods presence. In that way, the tearing of the veil generally speaks of openness,
access, freedom of participation, and communion between the human race and God through the
work of Christ. But there is more to say here.
There is a much earlier reference to a place of intimate communion with God, and full
access to the heavenly realm of the Spirit in Scripture. In fact, the original sealing off of this
realm from humanity seems to be what is being communicated in Genesis 3:22-24 (ESV).
22 Then the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become like one of us in
knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree
of life and eat, and live forever 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from
the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out

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the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a
flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
At the beginning of his Gospel, Mark introduces Jesus as one who sees into a torn-open
heaven. At the end of his Gospel, Jesus death on the cross results in a torn veil. Both of these
texts communicate access to Gods approval, visitation, presence, and mercy. Contrastingly,
Genesis 3:22-24 and Leviticus 16:1-16 both illustrate either lost or limited access to fellowship
with God respectively, by either the establishment of an impassible boundary, or the raising of a
barrier, and strict prescriptions and prohibitions about limited and occasional access. When seen
together as part of a larger remote context, we may conclude that Mark wants the reader to see
his over-arching message about Jesus; namely that He is the one who has, by Gods own
invitation and initiation, access to the very presence of God in a real, visible, and dynamic sense.
The reinstitution of relational access and intimacy is initiated by God through the removal of
barriers which hindered this access to begin with, and which were placed there purposefully by
God Himself. This seems to be reinforced and further illustrated by what happens next in the
narrative flow of chapter one.
Jesus saw the Spirit descending on him like a dove (1:10b).
It is unfortunate that many English translations render this portion of the verse on him.
The original language has it (literally into him). The differences between these two
ways of seeing this event are not unimportant. As Geddert (2001) notes: Mark presents Jesus as
having the driving force of the Spirit within himself.25 Driggers (date) goes further than this,
and suggests that: the Spirit descends into Jesus (), so that his anointing is also a kind of

25

Timothy J. Geddert. Mark (Believers Church Bible Commentary) (p. 34). Kindle Edition.

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possession.26

17

This idea was particularly intriguing to me because it would set Jesus in

purposeful contrast with the 20 references in Marks Gospel that illustrate the debilitating and
destructive results that come into the lives of those who are said to be possessed by unclean
spirits or demons. Using Driggers lens (i.e., Jesus was possessed by Gods Spirit), we would
see Jesus as the anti-Adam. Rather than succumbing to the influences of evil spirits and thus
being controlled by them as so many were in Marks Gospel, Driggers suggests that we see Jesus
as only ever under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and therefore the very influence of God flows
out of Jesus into the world in dramatic ways. This, to me, is a helpful way of understanding, for
instance, the deliverance and healing ministry of Jesus.
If the torn heaven can be seen as Gods initiation of relationship based on full access,
then perhaps his Spirit coming into Jesus can be seen as Gods way of communicating that
Jesus fully bears His glory and functions in every aspect of life under full submission to His will.
If Mark intends to have his readers see Jesus as the personal fulfillment of Gods original
promise to restore the fallen human race,27 then perhaps this rending of the heavens, and the
Spirits descent into Jesus in the manner of a dove is his way of framing the events
theologically so that what happens to Jesus can be seen as Gods inaugural event of that
restoration. Keener (1993) indicates that this is a helpful and accurate way of looking at this
verse when he writes:
The tearing of the heavens may also indicate that the kingdom is near (Is 64:1;
65:17). Although ancient writers used the dove symbolically in many diverse
ways, it may here allude back to Gods promise of a new world (Gen 8:1012).28
26

Driggers, I. (2007) Following God through Mark. (p. 15) Knoxville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press
cf. Gen. 3:15
28
Keener, C. S., & InterVarsity Press. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary : New Testament (Mk 1:9).
Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.
27

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In this way, Jesus is presented by Mark as the heavenly man of the Spirit who is Gods
agent of renewal and restoration. But there is more to see (and hear).
A Voice from Heaven Came Gods Affirmation of a Pleasing Son (1:11)
There is no mention in this verse of who actually heard the voice from heaven, and as
was the case with the descending Spirit, the original language ( ) may be
rendered out from within the heavens. It is possible that it was only Jesus who heard this
voice, but that is not clear. In any case, Marks inclusion of it gives his readers access to Gods
pronouncement that Jesus is Gods beloved Son, and that God is well pleased with Jesus.
This then becomes the message to the reader, and makes the good news about Jesus accessible
to them.29 This coincides with a major aspect of my overall premise that Mark is putting Jesus
forth as the man who is pleasing to God and that God attests to this personally by opening the
heavenly realm of the Spirit to Jesus in a way that has not been possible since Genesis 3; namely
that Jesus can see into that realm, and things out from within that realm flow directly into
Jesus. This realm, as I have already said, was formerly sealed to the human race at the fall of the
first man. Mark wants the reader to know that the heavenly realm of the Spirit is open again. It
is open to Jesus. Further, Gods own Spirit is in Jesus, and God is pleased with Jesus as His own
beloved son. He even says so Himself.
Going back to the veil language of Mark 15:38 and Leviticus 16:1-16, as well as the
imagery of sealing off access to the Garden in Genesis 3:22-24, I propose that in each of these
texts, when compared intertextually with Mark 1:11, the veil could simply be seen as a
representation of the difference between Gods approval and his disapproval of the person who

29

cf. Mk. 1:1

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wants to approach Him. When God puts up a veil, He is communicating that he does not
approve. When He removes a veil, He is communicating approval.
In the case of the first man, God demonstrates His disapproval by ushering the man
immediately out of his presence, and making it impossible for him to get back in.
In the case of the High Priest in Leviticus, God will allow a meeting, but only within the
veil, and only by one person the High Priest, and only if that person comes with an appropriate
offering; namely, the blood (symbolizing the life)30 of a wholly innocent creature that has not
been tainted by autonomy, rebellion, disloyalty, disobedience, and sin.
In the case of Jesus, no such disapproval, and therefore, no such exclusion or protocols
exist for interacting with God without a veil in place. God himself tears the veil down and
allows Jesus to look into His realm. God himself fills Jesus with His own Spirit, and God himself
explains why. It is because he completely approves of Jesus. Jesus is beloved to Him, and Jesus
is pleasing to Him. Because Jesus has Gods approval, he also has full access to everything
within Gods space, including (and especially) all of God Himself.
Finally all of this insight can become a message of good news to the one who hears it and
embraces it. In the case of the torn veil in Mark 15, we may now see this as Gods own invitation
to embrace Jesus as the means by which all people are invited to come back into the unveiled
presence of God.31
But what proof is there in the face of choices to do evil that Jesus is who God says He is?
Beyond affirmation and verbal, audible approval from Gods side, what can be seen in the life of
Jesus that confirms Gods pronouncement that Jesus remains pleasing to Him at all times? This

30
31

cf. Lev. 17:11

cf. 2 Cor. 3:18

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seems to be what Mark wants to deal with next in the narrative flow. There is more to this
message of good news.
The Spirit Drove Him Out to be Tempted by Satan (1:12-13)
Mark gives the shortest summary of Jesus wilderness testing of all the Gospel writers
who include it.32 If my former conclusions are accurate, then it is possible that one reason for this
abbreviated summary is that Mark is simply concluding his larger argument with final proof that
Jesus is pleasing to God at all times, and that because Jesus is always pleasing to God, God
opens the heavenly realm of the Spirit to Him.
From this point forward in Marks Gospel, Jesus lives in the sin-cursed world as a man
who never ceases to be pleasing to God. He lives in full relationship with God as a sinless man
who will do nothing to violate relationship with His Father. Jesus is therefore able to bring the
reign of God near (viz. back into proximity) to the world in Himself. In fact, the nearness of
Gods reign is very nearly the first thing out of Jesus own mouth after he begins to preach
following his forty-day combat with, and victory over Satan in the wilderness.33
My Homily: A Paraphrased and Interpreted Summary of Mark 1:9-15
After Jesus was baptized, God Himself removed the barrier between the physical
cosmos and the heavenly realm of the Spirit in a way that enabled Jesus to actually see it. God
literally tore a hole in it. God affirmed Jesus and put His own Spirit in Him, calling Jesus His
own beloved son and telling Him that He was pleased with Him.
Jesus was always pleasing to God no matter what he faced, and so He always lived with
Gods approval. The Holy Spirit Himself who was the driving force in every aspect of Jesus
life, has proven this by intentionally bringing Jesus face-to-face with Satan Himself for forty
32
33

cf. Mat. 4:1-14; Lk. 4:1-13

cf. Mk. 1:15

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straight days. During this time, the fact that Jesus was pleasing to God at all times was proven
beyond all doubt, and Gods affirmation of His son was vindicated by Jesus unfailing obedience
and faithfulness to God, even in the face of relentless Satanic temptation. Jesus, filled with Gods
Spirit, was all alone with Satan out there in the wilderness. There was no other person helping
him during the whole ordeal. He was out in the middle of nowhere where wild beasts roam.
When it was all over, heavenly messengers came to care for Jesus. When He left that season of
testing, he went to Galilee and said I have good news for all of you. The old way of things is
gone now, and a new time has come. The reign of God is right here again, and God has removed
the distance between you and Himself. The heavenly realm of the Spirit has been re-opened.
There is access once again, so change the whole way you think about everything, and believe this
good news message.
Conclusion Why it is Good News that Jesus Is The Heavenly Man of the Spirit
What does it matter that Mark says Jesus could see into the heavenly realm? What does
it matter that he said Gods Spirit descended into Jesus? What does it matter that God, in Marks
Gospel tells Jesus that He is His beloved son, and that Mark tells the reader that Jesus overcame
every temptation of Satan? Why is it important for Mark to tell his readers of the times when
Jesus controlled the actions of unclean spirits and drove them out of dear people who were
victimized by them in so many ways, or multiplied food for hungry fellow humans, or walked on
water, or told storm winds to stop blowing and waves to stop crashing? Is Mark trying to tell the
reader how awesome it is that Jesus has supernatural capacities, or is there a bigger message in
all of these things? Hearkening back to the introductory illustration of Neo and the Matrix, I
believe that Mark is saying, Good news! Jesus is The One! Look! He can live in the world the
way God originally wanted everyone to live. God is doing something new in Jesus!

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The Bibles narrative begins in Genesis with the creation of a reality that is both the
Heavens and the Earth.34 Within that reality, and upon the earth, God placed the first man and
breathed into him the breath of life. In that original creation, there was no veil between the
two aspects of Gods creation, and the people God first created were able to interact with God
within those two aspects seamlessly, and lived in the world with dominion over it as Co-Regents
with God Himself, ruling over His creation.35 That is what God wanted, and that is how God
created it all.
The fall of the human race is the result of humans listening to the serpents lies, and
ultimately the mans own disloyalty to Gods stated purposes for his existence. He abdicated his
high position for a low one, and exchanged his proximity to God on Gods terms with alienation
from God by living on his own terms. One of the consequences of his fall was the veiling off of
the heavenly realm whereby God distanced Himself from humanity, and vice-versa. God
remained exalted (another way of thinking of the word up), and the human race became
diminished, fallen, and deteriorated to a state that is beneath Gods original created intent
(another way of thinking of the word down) and ultimately suffers both physical and
spiritual death. But from the very beginning, God Himself promised that this fallen-ness would
not be the end of the story. Another would come to re-institute what was intended from the very
beginning.36 To tie an earlier verse in Marks prologue into this interpretive framework, I suggest
seeing Mark 1:8 as a promise that begins to be fulfilled in Mark 1:9-15. Following is my own
paraphrase of this verse with my conclusions as the interpretive backdrop:

34

cf. Gen 1:1

cf. Gen. 1:28
36
cf. Gen. 3:15
35

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I am only doing something that points prophetically to what Messiah will do in

reality. When He comes, he will immerse the human race back into the reality that
God has always wanted for us. He will plunge us down into the heavenly realm of
the Holy Spirit, and reconnect the human race, inside and out, with God again.
In Mark 1:15, Jesus comes announcing good news and says that the time has come.
What is the good news? What time is he talking about? I believe that Marks message is that
Jesus is the one that God promised long ago. He is the inauguration of a new creation. He is the
new humanity. In Jesus, there is again the capacity for humans to live in the fullness of what God
made at the beginning. In Jesus, the veiling off of heaven begins to be removed, and will
eventually be unveiled fully for every person in the human race who approaches God through
Him.37 Jesus is first. He is the new man the new and proto-type version of the future
human race.38
Through Jesus, God re-establishes an open, visible, participatory relationship with a
member of the human race, wherein He grants that human access to the heavenly realm, and
gives a human dominion in the cosmos once again. This seems to me to be what God had in
mind at the original creation, and it is what He wanted in the first place.39
In Marks Gospel, the affirmation of Jesus by God as His beloved and pleasing Son is the
inauguration of a new creation. At the consummation of Gods full program and process of
restoration which is happening even now, there will ultimately be no veil at all between God
and any human who is in Jesus.40 This is a message of good news about what is happening to
this world because of Jesus. In Jesus, the human race again can be a race of heavenly men and
37

cf. Mk. 15:38; 1 Jn. 3:2; Rev. 1:1 - ;

Gk. (neos); cf. Mk. 2:21-22
39
cf. Gen 1:26
40
cf. 1 Jn. 3:2
38

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women of the Spirit in a creation where there is no alienation from God, and no separation
between heaven and Earth.41
Finale: A Restoration Illustration Jesus, Heavenly Man of the Spirit
I teach a philosophy and worldview class to High School juniors two days every week at
Kings Christian School in Lemoore. There is a young lady in the class who is an exchange
student from Korea. Her name is Sue, and she has heard me teach some of the Jesus Stuff that
I communicate in this paper. After a short series on the cross, she recently drew me a picture and
gave it to me, saying in broken English: This what I learn from you about Jesus. I draw for
you. She handed me the picture below which is a great illustration of some of the things I have
been trying to convey in this paper.

There are two phases in the image.

Two men bow one in submission to evil voices, one in prayer and submission to Gods voice.
Two serpents one speaking lies, and one vanquished under the cross.
Two trees one a place of rebellion and autonomy, and one a place of submission (the cross).
Two thorns one that grows out of a cursed ground, and one that becomes a crown of mockery.
Two graves one is sealed, one is opened.
Two angels one is forbids access to God, the other is sent by God himself to minister.
One ascent to Gods heavenly presence. For one, the way is shut, for the other the way is open.

41

cf. Rev. 21:1

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brown, C. New international dictionary of New Testament theology. Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan Publishing House. 1986
Driggers, I. Following God through Mark. Knoxville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press .2007
Timothy J. Geddert. Mark Believers Church Bible Commentary Kindle Edition
Keener, C. S., & InterVarsity Press. The IVP Bible background commentary : New Testament
Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press. 1993
Moller, F. The great endtime events (eschatology). Words of light and life. Pretoria: Van Schaik
Religious Books. 1999
Powery, E. The Spirit, The Scripture(s), and the Gospel of Mark: Pneumatology and
Hermeneutics in Narrative Perspective, Journal of Pentecostal Theology, Vol.11.2. 2003
Strong, J. A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible.
Bellingham, WA 2009
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good
News Publishers, 2001
Utley, R. J. D. Volume 2: The Gospel According to Peter: Mark and I & II Peter. Marshall,
Texas: Bible Lessons International. 2001
Wuest, K. S. Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English reader
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. 1997