An Identity Commentary on Mark - Perturbing the Devils (1:21-28)
In our previous presentation we read Mark’s succinct account of the forty days in the wilderness, using it as an opportunity to identify the Adversary who tried Christ; after looking at the evidence, we came to the conclusion that they were an incredulous and scornful descendant of Cain, perhaps an individual or group of those racial vipers among the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to enquire of John the Baptist.
This interpretation is supported by the fact that the Adversary challenged Christ to prove that He was the Son of Yahweh at a very early point in His ministry, and the only reasonable explanation for their insight is that they were present some days or weeks earlier at the Jordan, and heard or were made aware of the declaration “You are My beloved Son, in You I am satisfied!" Of course, being a viper, they would have naturally sought to challenge that testimony.
Being tried by a descendant of Cain in the wilderness mirrored the history of the children of Israel in a very direct and literal way, where they entered the wilderness after an immersion in the Red Sea, and were tempted by murmurers among the “mixed multitude”. Some of the vipers in their midst would have been the descendants of Shelah, the bastard son of Judah. While the people failed and hardened their hearts, Christ triumphed over the viper and made “propitiation for the failures of the people”.
Much how the viper in the wilderness was disturbed, we will now see the further perturbation of Yahweh’s enemies as we continue with Mark, while His children only become increasingly comforted and jubilant.