On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’” The priests answered and said, “No.” Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean.
–Haggai 2:10-14 (ESV)
Jesus the LORD
The divinity of Jesus is a hotly debated topic. The Muslim, the Jew, the atheist, all will argue against the God-Man. Christianity hinges upon the fact: that Christ Jesus is God. The Christian must hold to this truth; Christian, learn, know, and fight for this truth. Many will argue that the synoptics never argue for the divinity of Christ, that this only came about decades later. But reading through the synoptic Gospels and carefully cross-referencing the Old Testament Scriptures reveal Christ as the LORD.
The Gospel of Mark, considered the earliest written synoptic, reveals Jesus as God in an interesting way.1 The prerogatives of God in the Old Testament are given to Jesus in the New. Some of these are quite obvious at a casual glance for those familiar with the Old Testament, while others are quite subtle.2 A specific emphasis, or theme, of Mark is shown right at chapter 1. Two men, one with an unclean spirit (v. 23-27), the other an unclean leper (40-42). Just as God cleanses and purifies the unclean Gentile Naaman from leprosy, so too does the God-Man Jesus.3 Jesus makes unclean, clean.
A Miraculous Trifecta
Mark chapter 5 has three stories that many a believer and unbeliever are familiar with. Jesus casting out Legion, Jesus healing the woman with the blood disease, and Jesus raising a girl from the dead. All miracles showing the power and authority of the Son of Man. Yet, the overlooked fact of all three parties is the Law definitionally declares all three unclean.4
“Whoever in the open field touches someone who was killed with a sword or who died naturally, or touches a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.” -Numbers 19:16 (ESV)
“If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean.”- Leviticus 15:25 (ESV)
“Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days.”- Numbers 19:11 (ESV)
The Gerasene, the woman, and the girl, all unable to approach the Holy God, and were separated from Him. As the Prophet Haggai revealed, the people are all in sin, wicked, unclean, and unable to be clean. Yet Jesus, being rich in mercy and love, purified all three, raising them from death to life. Who is the one to make clean, to purify, to wash away the blemishes? The LORD purifies. As the Psalmist David declared,
“Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!”- Psalm 51:1-2 (ESV)
Christian, know these truths. The purifying hand of the LORD is revealed in the image of the invisible God, Jesus. In your witness with the world, to your family, teach these things. The Prophets, Isaiah, Malachi, Daniel, Jeremiah, and others declare that the LORD is the one who makes unclean clean. Search the Scriptures, find the wondrous display of God purifying His people to the praise of His glorious grace. We, the universal Church, are clean because of the Word spoken to us, that the God-Man’s blood atones and purifies His people.5
- Scholars such as Craig A. Evans, Craig Blomberg, Bart Ehrman, Daniel B. Wallace, and others hold to this position. However, this is a debated topic throughout the course of Church History. Here is a good starting point to dive into the Synoptic Gospel dates. Please note: I am Reformed, and am in no way advocating for Catholicism. https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/whos-on-first-matthew-mark-or-luke
I also stumbled across this article (03/13/2025). Excellent read for anyone interested in arguments for the early dating of the Gospels prior to 70 AD. https://www.evidenceunseen.com/theology/scripture/historicity-of-the-nt/evidence-for-an-early-dating-of-the-four-gospels/ ↩︎ - Examples: Mark 2:1-12; 2:28; 4:35-41; etc. Jesus has authority to forgive sins (cf. Psalm 32), is Lord over the sabbath (cf. Exodus 196:23-29; 31:14-16), and calms the winds and waves (cf. Genesis 8:1-3; Jonah 1:11-16). ↩︎
- 2 Kings 5 ↩︎
- For a greater context, read Numbers 19:11-22; Leviticus 15:19-30; Leviticus 5:1-6 ↩︎
- John 15:3; Titus 2:14 ↩︎
