Messiah? Madman? Teacher? “Who do you say that I am?” That’s the question Jesus asked his disciples and the question he still asks us today in a secular and skeptical age. 

The Jesus Question is an invitation to join Jesus’s first disciples in the Gospel of Mark as they struggle to answer this question for themselves. This Gospel was Jesus’ first biography. It was written to reveal the reality of Jesus’ person by enabling its readers to encounter him through the eyes of those who met him while he was on earth. Biblical scholar Gareth Cockerill shows us how the author of Mark has carefully arranged his material to achieve this purpose. Cockerill guides us on a journey of discovery as we join the people of Jesus’ first biography in pursuit of an answer to The Jesus Question: “Who do you say that I am?” 

This book is designed to lead serious inquirers into a life of discipleship and to strengthen those who already believe. The author is convinced that Mark confronts us with the Jesus Question in order that we might become Jesus’ disciples who give him wholehearted loyalty as the divine/human Son of God. The Jesus Question begins by describing the vital importance of this question throughout history, in contemporary culture, and for each individual. After exposing its readers to Jesus by enabling them to join Jesus’s first followers, it concludes by making a strong case for the trustworthiness of Jesus’ first biography. 

The Jesus Question is for the honest inquirer about Jesus and for Christians who want to confirm and strengthen their faith. Though based on solid scholarship, it avoids technical terms so that anyone will benefit from reading it. It’s ideal as a helpful resource for serious inquirers and also study groups wishing to confirm and grow in their faith. Its effective approach to Jesus’s question makes it especially relevant as a supplement for courses on apologetics as well as for courses on the Gospel of Mark or on the life of Christ. Though this book has been written for the general reader, scholars will be well advised to examine Cockerill’s fresh approach to the structure of the Gospel of Mark.

Not only will this book help shape readers’ approach to Mark’s Gospel, but it will influence the way they read the other Gospels as well. Indeed, in this book, Gareth Cockerill has designed a model for how to read any of the Gospels with the goal of knowing Jesus better and enabling readers to answer for themselves Jesus’s question, “Who do you say that I am?”

Key Words: Jesus, identity, Gospel of Mark, disciples, Christ, Messiah, Son of Man, Son of God, Jesus’ biography

I am very grateful for the commendations of this book that follow below (Gareth Cockerill):

“Part commentary, part theological study, this very accessible work proceeds passage-by-passage through the Gospel of Mark to address the question of Jesus’s identity. Writing to help believers and unbelievers alike, The Jesus Ques- tion shows repeatedly how Mark portrays Jesus as the Son of God to whom we owe our ultimate allegiance. Fully abreast of current scholarship, it wears its learning lightly and can be a great companion to the Gospel.”

—Craig L. Blomberg, distinguished professor emeritus of New Testament, Denver Seminary

“The Jesus question is an important one. Cockerill’s book The Jesus Question traces the first biography we have on Jesus, the Gospel of Mark. His treatment takes us through this crucial Gospel with skill and clarity, showing how Mark answers this question in a way that makes the answer life challenging and life changing.”

—Darrell L. Bock, executive director for Cultural engagement, Hendricks Center Senior research professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

“The Jesus Question by Gareth Cockerill is a compelling invitation to answer the most critical question Jesus ever asked: ‘Who do you say that i am?’ Tak- ing a deep dive into the Gospel of Mark, Cockerill expounds on the earliest biography of Jesus with both beauty and faithfulness to the text. He master- fully allows Mark’s narrative to layer evidence piece by piece, developing aninformed answer. This book is essential reading for anyone pursuing the truth about the identity of Jesus.”

—Amber J. Cook, assistant professor of Global and Pastoral Ministries, School of Theology and Ministry indiana Wesleyan University

“Cockerill’s work is a warm, compelling, and carefully argued apologetic fo- cusing all attention on Mark’s persistent identification of Jesus as the ‘Son of God,’ showing how all elements in Jesus’s first biography point to the strongly divine sense of this title that sets Jesus above and apart from all other agents of God—driving all readers, both ancient and contemporary, to answer this urgent question: Who is Jesus? Strongly recommended for pastors, teachers, and serious laypersons.”

—Joe Dongell, professor of biblical studies, asbury Theological Seminary

“‘The question of Jesus’s identity continues to haunt the modern world,’ says Gary Cockerill. The impact of Jesus over the last two thousand years has been greater than any other person at any point in human history. This book will tell you how and why. Get ready for an illuminating journey through the Gospel of Mark and a rich encounter with Jesus!”

—Michael Moriarty, director and campus minister, interVarsity Christian Fellowship

“For those interested in Jesus—students, teachers, and others—this is the place to begin. This book guides the reader through the Gospel of Mark, the very first biography of Jesus—the person who claimed so much, is reported to have performed such extraordinary feats, and continues to have a profound impact on many millions of people. This book is written not only out of a lifetime of academic teaching and study on Jesus and this biography. The writer also has a personal and vested interest in helping the reader encounter the Jesus whomhe has met through the Gospel of Mark. read on to find your answer to the question Jesus himself asks, ‘Who do you say that i am?’ read to the end to see how others have answered this question.”

—Graham H. Twelftree, professor of New Testament and early Christianity, London School of Theology