Jesus declares that the Messiah is David’s Lord as well as his descendant, revealing the divine nature of the Christ.
Mark 12:35-37Mark 12:35-37 commentary opens with, And Jesus began to say, as He taught in the temple, How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? (v. 35). Here Jesus is in the temple complex in Jerusalem, the historic city that became the center of Israel’s worship after King Solomon constructed the first temple centuries earlier. Now, in this moment around AD 30, Jesus addresses the teaching of the scribes, who were the recognized scholars and interpreters of the Hebrew Scriptures. By raising the question of how the Messiah (the Christ) could be merely a physical descendant of David, He invites His listeners to grasp a deeper reality of God’s promise.
This question challenges a common understanding of the Messiah as only a political liberator from the line of David, who had reigned as the second king of Israel around 1010 to 970 BC. David was revered for his faith and leadership, but Jesus implies that the Messiah is far more than a simple Davidic heir. The scribes rightly taught that the Messiah would come from David’s lineage in fulfillment of God’s covenant with David (2 Samuel 72 Samuel 7 commentary). In this verse, Jesus is guiding them toward recognizing that the Messiah must also be divine.
By starting this dialogue, Jesus sets the stage for a revelation of His own identity. He exposes that merely teaching the Messiah as a descendant of David without recognizing the Messiah’s lordship is an incomplete perspective. This verse launches a probing discussion that prompts the people—and by extension, us—to see beyond a strictly human lineage and consider the greater spiritual authority of the Messiah.
Continuing Jesus says, David himself said in the Holy Spirit, The Lord [Yahweh] said to my Lord [Adon], Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet. (v. 36) Here Jesus quotes Psalm 110Psalm 110 commentary, commentary a well-known song penned by David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit around 1000 BC. In this psalm, David sets forth divine dialogue between two figures. The one speaking is Yahweh, the God of Israel and He is speaking to David's "Lord" which is the Messiah. This highlights that the Messiah holds a position far above David's and receives the honor of sitting at God’s right hand.
The phrase about God placing enemies beneath the Messiah’s feet points to the ultimate victory and authority the Messiah would hold when He returns. While David, as a king, received national triumphs, he prophetically speaks of someone far greater than himself. The reference to sitting at God’s right hand depicts a status of supreme power and majesty, echoing themes that appear throughout other parts of Scripture where Jesus is portrayed as reigning with divine authority (Hebrews 1Hebrews 1 commentary).
Jesus invokes this psalm to illustrate that even David—revered as Israel’s ideal king—recognized that the Messiah surpasses all earthly rulers. When David spoke “in the Holy Spirit,” it lent prophetic weight to his words, confirming that they carry divine truth. This timeless principle reveals the Messiah’s exalted role in God’s eternal purposes.
Finally Jesus says, David himself calls Him Lord; so in what sense is He his son? And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him. (v. 37) In concluding His point, Jesus focuses on the apparent paradox: David—the ancestor—addresses the Messiah as his “Lord,” implying submission to someone greater. That question exposes the truth that the Messiah, though descended from David by physical lineage, must also transcend David in authority and nature.
The sincere crowd in the temple finds joy in hearing this teaching, likely because it magnifies the majesty of God’s plan and clarifies the Messiah’s elevated status. Some of them might have begun to discern that Jesus was not just another rabbi or prophet, but truly the one David anticipated. Through this question, Jesus demonstrates that the Messiah’s identity is not confined to human expectation but rooted in divine design that spans centuries and covenants.
This pivotal moment invites us to see Jesus as far more than the next king in a historic line. He is the eternal King whose naming by David as “Lord” testifies to a transcendent position that only God can occupy. Jesus’ teaching mirrors the heartbeat of the gospel: the coming of One who is both fully man and fully divine, fulfilling all of Scripture’s promises of salvation.
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Mark 12:35-37 meaning
Mark 12:35-37Mark 12:35-37 commentary opens with, And Jesus began to say, as He taught in the temple, How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? (v. 35). Here Jesus is in the temple complex in Jerusalem, the historic city that became the center of Israel’s worship after King Solomon constructed the first temple centuries earlier. Now, in this moment around AD 30, Jesus addresses the teaching of the scribes, who were the recognized scholars and interpreters of the Hebrew Scriptures. By raising the question of how the Messiah (the Christ) could be merely a physical descendant of David, He invites His listeners to grasp a deeper reality of God’s promise.
This question challenges a common understanding of the Messiah as only a political liberator from the line of David, who had reigned as the second king of Israel around 1010 to 970 BC. David was revered for his faith and leadership, but Jesus implies that the Messiah is far more than a simple Davidic heir. The scribes rightly taught that the Messiah would come from David’s lineage in fulfillment of God’s covenant with David (2 Samuel 72 Samuel 7 commentary). In this verse, Jesus is guiding them toward recognizing that the Messiah must also be divine.
By starting this dialogue, Jesus sets the stage for a revelation of His own identity. He exposes that merely teaching the Messiah as a descendant of David without recognizing the Messiah’s lordship is an incomplete perspective. This verse launches a probing discussion that prompts the people—and by extension, us—to see beyond a strictly human lineage and consider the greater spiritual authority of the Messiah.
Continuing Jesus says, David himself said in the Holy Spirit, The Lord [Yahweh] said to my Lord [Adon], Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet. (v. 36) Here Jesus quotes Psalm 110Psalm 110 commentary, commentary a well-known song penned by David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit around 1000 BC. In this psalm, David sets forth divine dialogue between two figures. The one speaking is Yahweh, the God of Israel and He is speaking to David's "Lord" which is the Messiah. This highlights that the Messiah holds a position far above David's and receives the honor of sitting at God’s right hand.
The phrase about God placing enemies beneath the Messiah’s feet points to the ultimate victory and authority the Messiah would hold when He returns. While David, as a king, received national triumphs, he prophetically speaks of someone far greater than himself. The reference to sitting at God’s right hand depicts a status of supreme power and majesty, echoing themes that appear throughout other parts of Scripture where Jesus is portrayed as reigning with divine authority (Hebrews 1Hebrews 1 commentary).
Jesus invokes this psalm to illustrate that even David—revered as Israel’s ideal king—recognized that the Messiah surpasses all earthly rulers. When David spoke “in the Holy Spirit,” it lent prophetic weight to his words, confirming that they carry divine truth. This timeless principle reveals the Messiah’s exalted role in God’s eternal purposes.
Finally Jesus says, David himself calls Him Lord; so in what sense is He his son? And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him. (v. 37) In concluding His point, Jesus focuses on the apparent paradox: David—the ancestor—addresses the Messiah as his “Lord,” implying submission to someone greater. That question exposes the truth that the Messiah, though descended from David by physical lineage, must also transcend David in authority and nature.
The sincere crowd in the temple finds joy in hearing this teaching, likely because it magnifies the majesty of God’s plan and clarifies the Messiah’s elevated status. Some of them might have begun to discern that Jesus was not just another rabbi or prophet, but truly the one David anticipated. Through this question, Jesus demonstrates that the Messiah’s identity is not confined to human expectation but rooted in divine design that spans centuries and covenants.
This pivotal moment invites us to see Jesus as far more than the next king in a historic line. He is the eternal King whose naming by David as “Lord” testifies to a transcendent position that only God can occupy. Jesus’ teaching mirrors the heartbeat of the gospel: the coming of One who is both fully man and fully divine, fulfilling all of Scripture’s promises of salvation.