Mark 1:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

NIV: And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

NASB: and a voice came from the heavens: 'You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.'

CSB: And a voice came from heaven: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased."

NLT: And a voice from heaven said, 'You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.'

KJV: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

NKJV: Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

The voice from heaven is clearly God the Father, and this is not the only time that God calls down from heaven to declare that Jesus is His beloved (agapetos) Son. This will occur again at the Transfiguration, when Jesus is glorified and Peter, James, and John begin to see Him as He really is (Matthew 17:5).

The Bible recounts God's voice coming from the heavens in several other events. In Genesis 21:17, He comforts Hagar after Sarah banishes her. In John 12:28, God reaffirms that Jesus' sacrifice will glorify Him. On Sinai, God spent forty days talking to Moses and giving him the law by which the Israelites were to live (Nehemiah 9:13). Because we have the completed Scriptures, God does not primarily speak to us audibly, but He does use the Bible, circumstances, and the words of other Christians to comfort, encourage, and train us.

Islam, in particular, has a difficult time accepting this verse. Islam teaches strict monotheism, and the concept of God having a "Son" worthy of worship sounds like polytheism. In later passages, Jesus will go on to teach that "The Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Mark 12:29) and that He "and the Father are one" (John 10:30). The concept of the Trinity—three persons but one God—is not easy to understand, but it is clearly taught in the Bible.

Mark 1:1–13 rapidly introduces the ministry of Jesus, as introduced by John the Baptist. While other Gospels include many details, the Gospel of Mark briefly sets the stage for Jesus' baptism by John. In a few short verses, we are told that John preached a message of repentance, that Jesus came to be baptized, and that Jesus spent forty days being tempted in the wilderness. The narrative quickly moves on to describe Jesus' miraculous healings.

John the Baptist is introduced as a figure preparing the world for the arrival of the Messiah. John's baptism teaches people about their need for repentance. When Jesus arrives, and is baptized, it signals the coming of God's fulfillment and the need of people to recognize their Savior. Mark briefly notes Jesus' baptism, desert temptation, and the calling of the first four disciples. After this, Jesus begins teaching in the synagogue and performs miraculous healings which spread His fame around the region.

The first chapter of the Gospel of Mark sets the tone for the rest of the story. Mark's writing is concise, action-packed, and short on details. Within a few verses, Mark establishes the transition from the wilderness ministry of John the Baptist to the healing and preaching of Jesus Christ. This first chapter includes the calling of Jesus' earliest disciples, His early miracles, and His early teaching. This establishes the pattern shown throughout the Gospel of Mark, where Jesus mingles His teaching with miraculous signs.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.