Behold The Christ
Seeing Jesus Clearly in the Gospel of Mark
Introduction
One of the most important questions a Christian can ever ask is not simply what we believe, but who we believe Jesus to be. That question sits at the heart of discipleship. It is the question Jesus Himself presses upon His disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” Every person must eventually answer it.
This week’s reflection flows out of a recent episode of the Pleasing God Podcast and invites you behind the pastoral burden that led to the writing of Behold the Christ: Seeing Jesus Clearly in the Gospel of Mark. The aim is not promotion, but formation, because clarity about Christ produces stability in the Christian life.
Main Reflection
Behold the Christ did not begin as a writing project. It grew out of the ordinary, faithful work of preaching through the Gospel of Mark week after week, verse by verse, over the course of nearly two years. Sixty-eight sermons later, one question remained central throughout the entire journey: Do we truly see Jesus clearly?
Mark’s Gospel is uniquely suited to press that question upon us. It is fast-paced, direct, and often unsettling. From its opening line, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,” Mark confronts the reader with a claim that must be reckoned with. Jesus is not presented as we might prefer Him to be, but as He truly is.
One of the most striking moments in Mark’s Gospel is the healing of the blind man in chapter 8. Unlike other miracles, this healing happens in stages. At first, the man can see only partially. His vision is blurred. Only after a second touch does he see clearly.
That miracle is not accidental. It mirrors the disciples' condition and often our own. We may truly believe, yet still see Jesus dimly. Growth in discipleship is often a movement from partial sight to clear sight. Confusion in Christian living frequently flows from confusion about Christ Himself.
This conviction shaped both the preaching and the writing: clarity about Christ produces stability in the Christian life.
Key Scripture
“And Jesus asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’”
— Mark 8:29
Why “Behold”?
The title Behold the Christ is intentionally rooted and deliberate. “Behold” is a biblical summons. It calls us to stop, to look, to ponder, and to set our gaze intentionally.
In a fast-paced, overstimulated world marked by constant scrolling and information overload, perhaps what we need most is not something new but a renewed ability to behold. Scripture repeatedly calls God’s people to slow down and consider carefully. Sanctification does not begin with new techniques, but with a clearer vision of Christ.
As Hebrews reminds us, growth comes not through novelty, but by “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.”
Seeing the Christ Mark Presents
Mark does not give us a sentimental portrait of Jesus. He presents a suffering servant, a confrontational teacher, the sovereign Son of Man, a despised and rejected Messiah, and ultimately, a crucified King.
To behold Christ rightly is to allow Scripture, not preference or tradition, to define who He is. As we do, the Gospel exposes pride, reorients our understanding of greatness, and calls us to costly faithfulness. Again and again, Mark shows us that true greatness comes through humility, service, and suffering.
Practical Takeaway
This week, consider slowing your pace with Scripture.
Open the Gospel of Mark and read a short passage carefully. Ask not first what you should do, but who Jesus is revealed to be in Scripture. Let clarity about Christ shape your obedience, your worship, and your endurance.
The Christian life is not sustained by blurred vision. It is strengthened by beholding Christ clearly.
Behind the Mic
This Weekly flows directly from the final Pleasing God Podcast episode of 2025. That episode shared the pastoral burden behind Behold the Christ, a book shaped by preaching, written for the church, and intended to serve ordinary Christians through the ordinary means of grace.
As we look ahead to 2026, the podcast will return under the broader umbrella of Pleasing God Ministries, alongside Pleasing God Weekly and Pleasing God Press. More will be shared in the weeks ahead.
Resource of the Week
Behold the Christ: Seeing Jesus Clearly in the Gospel of Mark
A sermon-shaped exposition of Mark’s Gospel, written for the local church, best read with the Bible open alongside it.
Available via Amazon and at
pleasinggodministries.org
Looking Ahead
This marks the final Weekly of 2025. As we enter the Christmas and New Year season, my prayer is simple: that, whether through this book or through careful reading of Scripture itself, you would behold Christ more clearly and follow Him more faithfully.
“This is the will of God, your sanctification.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
Grace and peace,
Jonathan