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And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared,

David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.—Mark 12:35–37

Introduction

I continually stand amazed when I see the symmetry of Scripture. What is said is glorious, but how it is said is glorious as well. What symmetry do we see here? In Mark 12, Jesus told a parable about Israel’s history of rejecting God’s prophets like servants sent from the Master of a vineyard. The climactic moment came when the Master sent his Son. But rather than respecting him, they sought to kill him and they disrespectfully discarded the body. The Master is going to come and destroy the vineyard. The religious leaders knew that Jesus told the parable not just about them but against them. And then they plotted to kill him—in fulfillment of the parable Jesus had just told.

Then, we get three questions—three attempts in the plot against Jesus. They all failed. But it was a glorious triumph of God turning evil for good, because we have such mind-splitting revelation—straight from the mind and mouth of God incarnate! Verse 34 closed with a climax: No one dared to challenge Jesus by asking him any more questions. 

Now we get three responses from Jesus that set the record straight against the religious leaders, particularly the scribes. First, he asks them a question about why the scribes say the Messiah is only David’s Son, which will highlight Jesus’ true identity as Lord (12:35–37). Then we have two vignettes: (1) the scribe as a symbol of false devotion to God (12:38–40), and (2) the poor widow as a symbol of true devotion to God (12:41–44). 

Today, we are going to unpack the first in this series of three. We hear (1) the challenge he raises in verse 35, (2) the citation of David in verse 36, (3) his counter question in verse 37, and (4) the crowd’s response at the end of verse 37.

Outline

1. Jesus’ Challenge (v. 35)
2. Jesus’ Citation (v. 36)
3. Jesus’ Counter-Question (v. 37a-b)
4. The Crowd’s Response (v. 37c) 

1. Jesus’ Challenge to the Scribes (v. 35)

And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

Jesus is now teaching in the temple and calls into question the scribes’ understanding of the Messiah. Do they really know who they are looking for? They have taken the position that the Messiah is David’s son. He calls this position into question by questioning their ability to read the Scriptures.

2. Jesus’ Citation of David’s Words (v. 36)

“David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared,

     ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
     “Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’”

Jesus quotes here from Psalm 110:1. This psalm is the most frequently quoted Old Testament text in the New Testament. The NT authors allude to it or quote it some 33 times. 

Jesus says that the superscription of this text matters.
“A Psalm of David” 

Who cares about a superscription? We have already seen that specific details in Scripture are important—like God saying, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” not “I was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” He does the same thing here. Jesus does not start with what is being said, but with who is saying it.

David himself is speaking, but he is not speaking on his own. He is speaking “in the Holy Spirit” (v. 36). This doctrine is called “concursus.” We say that Scripture has a human author and a divine author. How do they work together? They work together concurrently. The human author is carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20). The Spirit ensures that what the human author says is exactly what God wants him to say.

Why does it matter that this is David speaking? To find out we have to see what David says.

“The Lord said to my Lord …”

We now have some identification to do. Who is the first Lord, “The Lord?” It is Yahweh. But that begs a burning question. If Yahweh is “The Lord,” then who on earth is “my Lord?” Some could respond and say that the divine Lord is speaking to the Israel’s king—or the earthly lord—because it is a “coronation psalm.” But wait just a minute. David is the king. And he is already ruling. So it cannot be a reference to the current king of Israel—that is David. So David the king is calling another King, “my Lord.”

And what does God say to David’s Lord? “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”

This text became the most-quoted text to demonstrate the exaltation and enthronement of Jesus after his resurrection (Acts 2:33–35; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Hebrews 1:3, 13).

3. Jesus’ Counter-Question to the Crowd (v. 37a–b)

“David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?”

Do you see the question? How can the Messiah be David’s son, if he is David’s Lord? Now let us see what he is really posing. He is not denying that the Messiah is the son of David. The Old Testament made it very clear that the royal Messiah was to be born in David’s line (2 Samuel 7). Jesus has already been confessed as “the Son of David” by Bartimaeus (Mark 10:47–48). 

What is Jesus doing? He is not questioning the accuracy of the scribes’ understanding but the adequacy of it. In other words, the question is not whether the Messiah is the Son of David or not, but whether he is more or not.

4. The Crowd’s Response (v. 37c)

And the great throng heard him gladly.

The scribes just got Scripture shamed and the crowd loves it. The professional interpreters of the Bible—the experts of the Bible—don’t know how to read the Bible. Not just on some minor matter, but on the matter of their core and blessed hope: the Messiah. So it should come as no surprise if the scribes couldn’t identity the Messiah. Indeed—they can’t—even when he is standing right in front of them.

Main Point: Scripture paints a picture of the Messiah as both David’s son and David’s Lord. Jesus is that picture come to life—alive and in living color.

Jesus takes the brush of Scripture and paints this portrait of the Messiah that the scribes cannot refute. And the crowds love it. But neither the scribes NOR the crowd is saved. “Gladly hearing” does not get one in the Kingdom any more than acknowledging Jesus’ wisdom in the previous story. It is not enough to say Jesus is right—one must confess he is Lord.

We must come to grips with this reality. You can come to church and listen to preaching about the identity of Jesus and hear the truth gladly without ever surrendering to it fully. It does not matter that you can hear it and not get “up in arms about it.” That is no sign that you are in the Kingdom. It can stay out there as an interesting issue for debate and discussion, but never go in here as a matter of whole-hearted faith and surrender.

This is the issue that all eternity hinges upon—who is Jesus? It is never enough to simply say “I believe in Jesus.” The Bible has many questions for you. What do you believe about him? Is he truly man—is he only man? Wise teacher or more? Is he truly God—is he only God? Did he really come in the flesh? Why did he die? Do you believe he rose from the dead? If he truly is alive, where is he now and what is he doing? What will he do?

It is not enough to say, “I believe and the details do not matter.” There is nothing that every New Testament letter rebukes as that idea. The details matter—they make an eternal difference, and they define where you will spend eternity. 

So let me ask, do you understand the evidence of Scripture for the true humanity and deity of Jesus? We would several additional sermons to fill in all of the details in full, but let me give you a sense—a whirlwind sense—but a sense nonetheless of the cumulative case for these truths in Scripture. 

Seven lines of evidence in Scripture support the deity of Jesus: (1) divine names are ascribed to Jesus,[1] (2) divine attributes are ascribed to Jesus,[2] (3) he is said to hold and fill divine actions or offices,[3] (4) Scriptural quotations or allusions—statements about Yahweh in the OT are applied to Jesus in the NT,[4] (5) the names of the Father and the Son are linked together closely,[5] (6) divine worship is ascribed to Jesus,[6] (7) Jesus claimed to be God.[7]

Seven lines of evidence in Scripture also support the humanity of Jesus: (1) the names of Jesus,[8] (2) the claims of Scripture regarding the incarnation,[9] (3) the growth of Jesus,[10] (4) the true human actions of Jesus (he ate, drank, slept, prayed, cried, died), (5) the physical limitations of Jesus (he got hungry, he got thirsty, he got weary, he got sleepy, he was killable), (6) the temptations of Jesus,[11] (7) the words of Jesus himself.[12]

And even more amazing than each of these true natures is the fact that they were joined together perfectly—not mixed, not fused, not intermingled. So many movements of false teaching or heresy have popped up because people try to rationalize or minimize or mix, so that they deny that he is truly divine (Unitarians) or truly human. The Bible takes this great and holy mystery (we cannot fully explain it) and then fences the mystery (we can say what is true and what is not true without being able to remove the mystery and make it sound simple or easy).

The Bible says clearly and the church embraces strongly that Jesus is the eternal Son of God who left the courts of heaven’s glory and took on flesh. He was born of the Virgin Mary and was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Truly man and truly God. No subtraction of deity, but the addition of true humanity—two natures perfectly joined in one person. Does it embarrass you or thrill you? 

He lived a perfect life, perfectly loving the Father with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength and obeying all of the will of God, despite being tempted in every way like we are and yet without ever sinning. He obeyed perfectly and he died as our Substitute, paying the price for all the ways and all the times we have failed to obey God as we ought. His life was a sacrifice that purchased our acceptance and accomplished reconciliation with God—restoring the broken relationship with God so that we are no longer children of wrath, but children of God. He rose from the dead and ascended on high, reigning triumphant over all of his enemies. He is right now interceding for us before the throne and God is putting all of his enemies under the feet of his Son and at the right time when the Father pleases Jesus will return, and every knee will bow and every tongue confess in heaven and earth and under the earth that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

This world in which we live will test whether or not we really believe these truths by testing our commitment to them. So many people are raised in church and just accept this as a point of doctrine instead of a point of identity. Christians are defined by whether they celebrate this truth as core or talk about it as an “issue” or a “discussion.” We cannot play fast & loose with this truth. It deserves all or nothing. I read a fantastic quote from St. Augustine this week that perfectly encapsulates this truth: “Christ is not valued at all, unless he is valued above all.”

Paul even said that the gospel can be summed up in these two twin truths as something to remember and never forget.

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal.—2 Timothy 2:8–9

I love this verse. Jesus Messiah: He is the Son of God come in the flesh in the line of David, now alive—risen and reigning triumphant over the grave and all his enemies. And as he lives, history is heading toward the time when all of his enemies will be under his feet. That process is happening now.

I want to ask you directly. Are there some here that can hear this gladly without submitting to it and celebrating it with whole-hearted surrender? Don’t play fast & loose with this truth. Will you receive it? Will this be the time when you stop holding it at arm’s length and let it go heart deep? Today is the day of salvation. Now is the acceptable time. If you hear his voice, do not harden your heart. Don’t put it off as something to think about sometime. Sadly, that line of thinking often leads to rejection by refusal to land the plane and commit.

I want to speak to you if you are a newer Christian. Is this a core truth? Do you hold it as one truth among other truths? Do not make the mistake of settling for loose theological thinking. Don’t buy the lie that says, “I am a practical person. I do not have time for doctrinal fine points. I just want to live the Christian life and avoid thinking.” Do not separate doctrine and life, head and heart, light and heat. The way to great experiences is through deep discovery of doctrine.

Conclusion

I want to speak to you if you have been a Christian for some time now. I wonder if these truths still sing in your heart with loud shouts of joy. I wonder if these truths still shine with radiant colors? I wonder if these truths still taste sweeter than honey or better than the most mouth-watering thing on your menu?

If I were to get out a spiritual stethoscope to check your spiritual pulse or heartbeat, what would I find? Do you savor even saying his Name? Jesus. Is that the Name above every name? You hear a name and affection comes rushing forth. Sometimes it is a name that brings disdain and leaves a sour taste. Other times someone can say a name—your mom’s name or your spouse’s name or your child’s name—and suddenly sweetness and affection come. Does your heart explode at the mention of his Name and his actions and attributes? Are you as thrilled about the Name of Jesus as biblical authors were? I love how they pile up adjectives and descriptions for Jesus. Not just Jesus, but our Lord Jesus Christ. Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, Worthy to receive all power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.

Don’t think that these things become common the older you get. In fact, these truths should grow deeper. We become fiercer in our faith because we have been young and old and have seen many fads come and go and false hopes disappoint. But these truths never fail—this is all that is solid and sure to stand upon, and we must not be moved away from the hope of this gospel.

Does your mind and soul feel stretched and expanded and challenged by these mysteries?

Do you not feel that it is a great privilege to be allowed to look into such wondrous mysteries and glorious truths? God has given us His word that we might do so, not that we might skip over it lightly, but that we might delve into it and try to grasp what has happened…And so we stand before Him. We stand before this mystery of godliness, God in the flesh! The strangest, the most amazing thing that has ever happened—indeed, I do not hesitate to say, the supreme act of God. It is so supreme that I expect it to be unusual in every respect, and I find the Scriptures tell me that it was. … And let us realize and remember that it all happened so that we might be saved, that our sins might be forgiven. The Son of God became man that the children of men might become children of God.^[13]

The Bible says that boasting is excluded when you understand who Jesus is and what he has done. The cross takes sinful boasting by the shirt collar, forcefully shoves it out the door, and then locks the door so it cannot return.

The incarnation and the atonement are so intertwined in Mark’s Gospel. The Son of Man came. What does that mean? Where did he come from? He came from the realms of glory! The Son of God comes as Son of Man. He comes to be a ransom—paying the price to set us free from our slavery to sin and condemnation because of our sin.

But Mark is not alone in making this point. Let’s listen to Paul unpack this same truth. The incarnation is at the heart of the atonement.

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.—1 Timothy 2:5–5

A mediator must be able to represent the two parties in conflict. Jesus can do so perfectly, because he is truly God and truly man. He also gave himself to bring about reconciliation through the ransom (payment) by his blood. The blood will never lose its power—and we should never cease our praise!

________

^[1] Here, I am thinking of the many titles and names for Jesus: Son of God, only begotten Son, first and last, Alpha and Omega, beginning and end, the Holy One, the Lord, the Lord of glory, and God blessed forever.

[2] These attributes include omnipotence (Hebrews 1:3), omniscience (John 2:24–25), omnipresence (Mathew 28:20), and eternality (John 1:1).

[3] Jesus is the One who created the world, forgives sins, raises the dead, sustains all things, subdues all things, will bring judgment upon all, and gives eternal life to whom he chooses.

[4] See for example Isaiah 45:23 applied to Jesus in Philippians 2:10–11

[5] Matthew 28:19 (baptized in the name of the Father and the Son), Romans 1:7, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 Thessalonians 3:11

[6] Revelation 5:1–14

[7] “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). The Jews understood this claim because they picked up rocks to stone him for “making himself God” (John 10:33). “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58), etc.

[8] For example, Jesus refers to himself as “Son of Man” in the Gospels and Paul refers to him as “the man” Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).

[9] John 1:14 gives proof of this point. The author of Hebrews emphasizes the totality of his humanity: “in all things he was made like his brothers” (Hebrews 2:17).

[10] Jesus grew (Luke 2:40). He increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). Hebrews 5:8 also speaks of learning obedience through suffering.

[11] We are told that God cannot be tempted by evil. Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

[12] Jesus said, “to my God and your God” (John 20:17). He identified with us and called us “his brothers.”

^[13] Lloyd-Jones, Great Doctrines, pp. 264-65.

Sermon Discussion Questions

Outline

1. Jesus’ Challenge (Mark 12:35)
2. Jesus’ Citation (Mark 12:36)
3. Jesus’ Counter-Question (Mark 12:37a–b)
4. The Crowds’ Response (Mark 12:37c)

Main Point: Scripture paints a picture of the Messiah as both David’s son and David’s Lord. Jesus is that picture come to life—live and in living color.

Discussion Questions

• What is the precise challenge that Jesus brings against the scribes?
• What Psalm does Jesus cite to make his point?
• Why does it matter that David is the author of the Psalm? In other words, what point is Jesus making, and why does his point hinge in part upon David being the author of the Psalm?
• Why is Jesus’ rebuke of the scribes so powerful? Why would this rebuke be devastating for the scribes in particular?
• What are some of the lines of evidence for the deity of Jesus?
• What are some of the lines of evidence for the humanity of Jesus?

Application Questions

• How is your heart responding to the truths in Scripture about Jesus? Do you feel boredom, do you have a sour taste, or is Jesus the sweetest name? What would it take to savor Jesus more this week?
• Are the truths of Jesus’ humanity and deity precious to you? How will our culture test your commitment to them?
• What would it look like for you to take the next steps of obedience in this passage? What landed on you that you need to share with others this week? Who do you need to share it with?

Prayer Focus
Pray for a grace to stand in fresh awe of who Jesus is and what he has done!