Mark’s Gospel cuts closest to the bone—a raw sketch of Jesus, the Jew, before Paul’s Hellenistic gloss turned him into a cosmic Christ. Take Mark 12:28-34 (NIV): a teacher of the Law asks Jesus the greatest commandment, and he fires back, calm and clear, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one,” straight from Deuteronomy 6:4-5. No hostility, just a shared nod to Jewish monotheism—Jesus and the scribe agree, “Well said.” Matthew 22:34-40 muddies it later with Paul’s “love fulfills the Law” (Rom. 13:8), but Mark holds firm—God is one, no Trinity in sight. The NAB’s “Lord alone” hints at later pressure, but even the KJV and NIV stick to “one.” How does that square with John 1:14’s “Word became flesh” or a Holy Spirit barely whispering in the Old Testament (Ps. 51:11’s rare)? Reason demands proof, not mystery.
Mark, tied to Paul (Acts 12:25, Phlm 1:24) yet split from him (Acts 15:37-39), wrote around 70 AD for Gentiles blind to Judaism—post-Paul’s letters (50s), pre-Luke’s polish. No virgin birth, no risen Jesus strolling—just an empty tomb (Mark 16:8) and a rebel facing Rome. Mark’s Jesus isn’t the cosmic figure Paul spins; he’s a Jew, grounded, clashing with power. Look at Mark 2: the “blasphemy” charge for healing (2:7)—forgiveness isn’t blasphemy in Jewish law (Lev. 4:20), more a jab at priestly turf. Sabbath fights (2:23-28)—Pharisees allowed survival picks (Mishnah Shabbat 22:6), but Mark pits Jesus against Sadducees’ rigidity, not Judaism itself. “Son of Man” (2:28)—human, not divine—echoes Daniel 7:13, not a god in flesh.
Then there’s the undercurrent—Mark’s Satan (1:13) jars with Judaism’s “God does all” (Isa. 45:7), a whiff of Paul’s dualism (2 Cor. 4:4) creeping in. Yet Mark keeps Jesus earthy—no divine glow, just a man Rome nails as “King of the Jews” (15:26). Luke picks up this thread later (Lk 22:36), arming Jesus with swords—two, “enough”—and Peter slashing an ear (Lk 22:49-51), expecting God’s strike. Pilate asks, “King of the Jews?” (Mark 15:2); Jesus deflects, “You say so”—not a claim, Rome’s tag. Hangs with rebels (*lēstai*, 15:27)—insurrectionists, not thieves—cries “forsaken” (15:34), shocked God didn’t move. Luke’s “fulfillment” (Lk 4:21)—bunk; Mark’s Jesus dies a rebel, not OT king (Isa. 11:1-5).
The OT Messiah—a warrior-king—frees Israel from Rome (Jer. 23:5-6), forges peace (Isa. 2:4), rebuilds the Temple (Ezek. 37:26-28). No dying savior. Mark’s Jesus fits the rebel Rome crucified—sedition, not theology—while Luke spins a Gentile savior, softening the edge. Paul’s Christ, the Trinity’s three—none of that’s here. Mark’s “one God” (12:29) aligns with my transcendent God—beyond matter, no Hellenistic split. Reason strips the layers: Jesus, the Jew, misjudged God’s silence, died a rebel—not the cosmic figure Luke and Paul built atop Mark’s bones.
Acknowledgment: Grok, an AI by xAI, smoothed this critique. My view—Jesus the Jew, not Paul’s Christ—stands on reason.
