Think Wink.

We come to the second possible source text of Mark 1:11 and looking at how Jesus fills the image of that source, or why that text is applied to Jesus in this pronouncement. Let us get Mark 1:11 NET and also the Greek before us,

And a voice came from heaven: “You are my one dear Son; in you I take great delight.”–NET

καὶ φωνὴ ἐγένετο ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός ἐν σοὶ εὐδόκησα–Zhubert.com/

The second text is Psalm 2:7 LXX which reads, διαγγέλλων τὸ πρόσταγμα κυρίου κύριος εἶπεν πρός με υἱός μου εἶ σύ ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε. (Psalm 2:7 NETS (New English Translation Septuagint; see pg. 7) translates this passage as, “By proclaiming the Lord’s ordinance: The Lord said to me, ‘My son you are; today I have begotten you.’”). It is easy to see the parallel between Psalm 2:7 and Mark 1:11. Yahweh tells the king–most likely David–that he is Yahweh’s son and that day Yahweh became his father. In Mark, the voice from heaven declares Jesus to be his beloved Son. Thus I want us to see how Jesus is the Son that Yahweh pronounces the Davidic king to be. To do so, we must look at Psalm 2 and then come back to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

First, Psalm 2 NET which reads,

1 Why do the nations rebel? Why are the countries devising plots that will fail? 2 The kings of the earth form a united front; the rulers collaborate against the Lord and his anointed king. 3 They say, “Let’s tear off the shackles they’ve put on us! Let’s free ourselves from their ropes!” 4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs in disgust; the Lord taunts them. 5 Then he angrily speaks to them and terrifies them in his rage, saying, 6 “I myself have installed my king on Zion, my holy hill.” 7 The king says, “I will announce the Lord’s decree. He said to me: ‘You are my son! This very day I have become your father! 8 Ask me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the ends of the earth as your personal property. 9 You will break them with an iron scepter; you will smash them like a potter’s jar!’” 10 So now, you kings, do what is wise; you rulers of the earth, submit to correction! 11 Serve the Lord in fear! Repent in terror! 12 Give sincere homage! Otherwise he will be angry, and you will die because of your behavior, when his anger quickly ignites. How blessed are all who take shelter in him!

Let us follow the thought through to the end of the Psalm. The king asks a question, “Why do the nations rebel? Why are the countries devising plots that will fail?” The king looks over the political landscape and sees that the surrounding nations are rebelling against him. The neighbors of Israel plan to overthrow Israel’s rule over them. They plan plans “that will fail.” 2:2 says, “the rulers collaborate against the LORD and his anointed king (literally messiah/τοῦ χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ).” In Psalm 2:3 they speak of throwing off shackles and freeing themselves from the bonds of Israel and her God. But Yahweh, enthroned in heaven, “laughs in disgust” (Psalm 2:4). God is taunting those who oppose them. In his wrath and anger Yahweh speaks to those who oppose Israel and “terrifies them in his rage” (Psalm 2:5). What is it that Yahweh says to the enemies of Israel? “I myself,” note this pronoun as Yahweh says he himself has done this, “have installed my (note that pronoun) king on Zion, my holy hill.” God tells the nations that they will not topple Israel’s king for it is Yahweh who has put that king into power and therefore no one can thwart him.

Now Psalm 2:7-9 is the key verse. Here we have the king looking back upon the day that the Lord made him king, when God “installed [his] king on Zion.” And so the king says, “I will announce the Lord’s decree.” This is the decree in which God set up the Davidic king as King of Israel. This is the decree, “You are my son! This very day I have become your father!” God establishes the Davidic king as his son and himself as the king’s father. This is an interesting play on words because this is not speaking ontologically but rather functionally. Remember in 1 Samuel 8:7 after the people pleaded for Samuel to give them a king so that they might be like the nations Yahweh told Samuel, “The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do everything the people request of you. For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king.’” God is seen as being Israel’s king.

Consider also 2 Samuel 7:12-16,

12 When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent. 14 I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings. 15 But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will stand before me permanently; your dynasty will be permanent.’”

God promises David that, while David will not build a “house” for God, God will build a “house.” This is a pun in that David doesn’t build a “house” or temple but God builds a “house” or a dynasty. And this text is God talking about this dynasty that will be permanent. When David comes to his time to die, God will raise up his son and establish his kingdom. When that occurs 7:14 says that Yahweh will be the father of David’s son and David’s son will become the son of Yahweh. When this son becomes disobedience, God will discipline him but will not remove Yahweh’s hesed from David’s son. This text speaks of Solomon who did build the temple in Jerusalem because this “son” in 7:12-16 will disobey; Jesus does not disobey but is totally obedient. But the dynasty continues forever, unlike Saul’s whose dynasty ended with his disobedience. Even when Solomon and Rehoboam and Manasseh sinned against God, the dynasty continues. Now this happens one of two ways, either son after son will continue to rise up to take the throne and each son will become Yahweh’s son to rule over the people. God establishes the king to function as his vice-regent and rule over Israel on Yahweh’s behalf. Thus the sonship language here and in Psalm 2:7 is functional, not ontological. The king functions as God’s son. In Psalm 82:2, 6 the judges of Israel are referred to as “gods” so that we see a high ranking official in ancient cultures were called “gods” in that functional sense. They functioned as god/God on the behalf of the diety(ies).

The other way that 2 Samuel 7:12-16 is fulfilled is that one appears on the scene who will live forever. One who functions as God’s son, the king, the anointed one lives forever and thus sits on David’s throne. Thus when we come to Jesus in Mark 1:11, God is declaring that Jesus is his son in the way that Solomon, David, the kings of Judah were considered God’s son–the vice-regent who reigns over God’s kingdom. Thus in the baptism scene Mark has a bold declaration of Jesus being Messiah or Christ in that he references a text that speaks of God’s Messiah. And this enthronement and Jesus becoming God’s Son in the typological and functional senses as seen in the Old Testament kings of Judah.

Related posts:

Son, Son, Or Servant and Mark 1:11 Part 3

Son, Son, or Servant and Mark 1:11 Part 1

“Son of Man” and Jesus