Approaching Easter - Clouds

Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?"

But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
   -- Mark 14:60-62


This was a direct answer from Jesus to the question if he is the Christ, or the Messiah.

He answers "Yes, I am."

At other times in the Gospel of Mark Jesus avoided inquiries about His origin and His identity (Mark 7:5-6, Mark 11:29).

This time He answers directly and fully.


By saying, "I am," Jesus claims to be the Messiah, the promised one, and that He is God Himself.

The "I am" (the sacred Tetragrammaton -- the four consonants of the ancient Hebrew name for God, usually translated Jehovah or Yahweh -- was the Name of God considered to be too sacred to be spoken aloud, and so the Hebrews uttered the titles Adonai or Elohim in its place in the texts) directly connected Jesus to the God who spoke to Moses:

     Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to  them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' then what shall I tell them?"

     God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
       -- Exodus 3:13-14


But that is not all. 

Not only does Jesus apply the "I AM"  Name for God to Himself, He also amplifies His claim by identifying Himself as the Son of Man and also the one who will sit at the right hand of God.

There are two scriptural references here in Jesus' answer.

"Son of Man" comes from Daniel 7:13-14:

     In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven....He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations, and men of every language worshiped him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. 

"At his right hand" comes from Psalm 110:1: 

     The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."


In both of these pictures of the Messiah, He comes as a judge. 

Everyone hearing this exchange -- all the ruling council of the Sanhedrin -- knows who the Son of Man is.

In Daniel 7 the Son of Man comes from the throne of God to earth in clouds of heaven to judge the world.

The clouds of heaven are not the same as clouds of earth, which are water vapor. The clouds of heaven are the shekinah glory of God.

So Jesus is saying he will come to earth in the very glory of God and judge the entire world.

It's an astonishing statement. It's a claim to deity.

He could have said many other things to describe Himself and His mission, but he chose specifically to  say He is the final judge.

It forced the audience (and forces us) to see the paradox.

He, Jesus Christ, the supreme, eternal judge of the
entire world is standing there at that moment of history being judged by the world.

Everything is upside down. He should be the ruler and we should be in the dock, in chains, facing judgment and punishment.

With these words, Christ incites the leaders.

The high priest "tore his clothes."

"Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked.

"You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?"

They all condemned him as worthy of death. Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said "Prophesy!"

And the guards took him and beat him (Mark 14: 63-65).


What do you think? Was Jesus a crank, or delusional, or the supreme con artist?

Or was (is)  Jesus Christ exactly who he claimed (claims) to be?