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Mark 4 · a question people ask

The disciples ask, "Who then is this?" (4:41). Does Mark answer them?

In the text

Not in this chapter: it ends on their question. But the reader already knows, from Mark's first line: "The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (1:1). Chapter 1 showed who had said it so far, a voice out of the sky (1:11) and a man with an unclean spirit (1:24), and since then "The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him and cried, “You are the Son of God!”" (3:11). The disciples in the boat haven't said it. Later Jesus asks them, "But who do you say that I am?" and "Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”" (8:29). Favor's introduction to Mark follows the question through the book.

The verses

“They were greatly afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?””
Mark 4:41 · World English Bible
“The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
Mark 1:1 · World English Bible
“A voice came out of the sky, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.””
Mark 1:11 · World English Bible
“saying, “Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God!””
Mark 1:24 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Mark 4

Mark 4: Ears to hear

Jesus explained the farmer's parable himself: the farmer sows the word, and those on every kind of ground hear it (4:14-20). And in the boat he "rebuked" the wind and said "Be still!" (4:39) with the same two Greek verbs he used when he silenced an unclean spirit (1:25).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions