King's Cross
The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus
by Timothy Keller
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King's Cross
ONE
THE DANCE
The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son
of God.
It is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare
your way”—“a voice of one calling in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for
him.’ ”
And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and
preaching.
(Mark 1:1-4)
Mark wastes no time in establishing the identity of his subject. He abruptly and bluntly asserts that Jesus is the “Christ” and the “Son of God.” Christos was a Greek word meaning “an anointed royal figure.” It was another way of referring to the “Messiah,” the one who would come and administer God’s rule on earth, and rescue Israel from all its oppressors and troubles. Not just a king, but The King.
But Mark does not just call Jesus the “Christ”; he goes further. “Son of God” is an astonishingly bold term that goes beyond the popular understanding of the Messiah at the time. It is a claim of outright divinity. Mark then raises the stakes all the way and makes the ultimate claim. By quoting Isaiah’s prophetic passage, Mark asserts that John the Baptist is the fulfillment of the “voice” calling out in the desert. Since Mark equates John with the one who would “prepare the way for the Lord,” by clear inference it means he is equating Jesus with the Lord himself, with God Almighty. The Lord God; the long-awaited divine King who would rescue his people; and Jesus—they are somehow one and the same person.
In making this audacious claim, Mark roots Jesus as deeply as possible in the historic, ancient religion of Israel. Christianity, he implies, is not a completely new thing. Jesus is the fulfillment of all the biblical prophets’ longings and visions, and he is the one who will come to rule and renew the entire universe.
The Dance of Reality
Having announced him in this way, Mark introduces Jesus in a striking scene that tells us more about his identity:
Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being
torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
(Mark 1:9-11)
For the Spirit of God to be pictured as a dove is not particularly striking to us, but when Mark was writing, it was very rare. In the sacred writings of Judaism there is only one place where the Spirit of God is likened to a dove, and that is in the Targums, the Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Scriptures that the Jews of Mark’s time read. In the creation account, the book of Genesis 1:2 says that the Spirit hovered over the face of the waters.
From KING’S CROSS by TIMOTHY KELLER. Published by arrangement with DUTTON, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc. Copyright (c) 2011 by TIMOTHY KELLER.
King's Cross
Timothy Keller, the man Newsweek calls “a C.S. Lewis for the 21st century,” unlocks new insights into the life of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Gospel of Mark.
There have been many biographies of Jesus, but few will be as anticipated as this revelatory look at the life of Christ by nationally renowned minister and New York Times bestselling author, Timothy Keller. In King’s Cross, Keller describes his exploration of Mark’s gospel as an extended meditation on the historical Christian premise that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection form the central event of cosmic and human history, as well as the central organizing principle of our own lives. Keller calls each of us to examine anew our relationship with God and how we live. His purpose is to show, through the words and actions of Jesus, how beautifully His life makes sense of ours.
King’s Cross has tremendous appeal for believers, those who are looking for a closer connection to Jesus and Christianity and seekers, alike. This is a book that will inspire you to honestly consider how you are living your life in today’s challenging world and to realize you have the greatest mentor there could ever be…Christ Jesus.
Hardcover : 256 pages
Publisher: Dutton, Div of Penguin Putnam ( February 22, 2011 )
Item #: 13-336252
ISBN: 9780525952107
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.25 x 0.562inches
Product Weight: 11.0 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Excellent 
March 08, 2012
You will delve deeper into the book of Mark ... & come out with a better understanding ... Read it in a quiet place where you can appreciate it ...
Reviewer: Kay
Excellent
March 08, 2012
You will delve deeper into the book of Mark ... & come out with a better understanding ... Read it in a quiet place where you can appreciate it ...
Reviewer: Kay
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