24.179 | Christ Is The Son Of David | Mark 12:35-37 | God’s Word for Today with Pastor Nazario Sinon

God’s Word For Today

Text: Mark 12:35-37 ESV

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

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.”’

37 David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.

- Mark 12:35-37 ESV

CHRIST IS THE SON OF DAVID

Jesus asked the scribes for what reason the scribes in the past say that the Messiah is the son of David. These scribes directly started to refer the Messiah as the son of David 500 years before Jesus was born. Jesus quoted unto them Psa 110:1 wherein David called the Messiah Lord. Then, how is He his son? Jesus doesn't contradict this scribal teaching but explains more fully what it means. He shows how two seemingly contradictory statements can both be true.

It was a common belief in Judaism that the ancestors should outrank all his descendants. One example is the priesthood of Melchizedek . He is pre-eminent over the priesthood of the Levites because Abraham, the great-grandfather to Levi, gave tithes to Melchizedek (Heb 7:1–10). Similarly, the Messiah, who would be the descendant of King David, would be subordinate to David (1 Chr 17:11–14; Jer 23:5–6). Thus, their tradition would state that while the Messiah would be lesser than David.

However, contrary to cultural assumptions of the time, David acknowledges that his "son" outranks him despite being his descendant. Yes, Jesus is the physical descendant (Luke 3:23–31) and legal descendant (Mat 1:6–16) of David. And, He will rule Israel in a similar manner someday. Yet, He is not solely defined by this subordinate relationship to David. It is because Jesus is also a priest in the order of Milchezedek. Therefore, he has a claim to priestly authority over Aaron's descendants (see Hebrews 7) Thereby, Jesus receives the authority to reign as king from God, not from David.

Just as the spiritual priesthood of Melchizedek supersedes that of Abraham's descendants, David understands that God's spiritual kingdom has supremacy over Israel. This has been what Jesus trying to teach the disciples for the last three years. He has not come to rescue Israel from foreign threats like Rome during His first coming. He came first to fight the spiritual battle for the souls of humanity.

He came to be the Savior of the world from sins.[Mat 1:21]. He came in order to reconcile the world to God. Is He your Savior and Lord?

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