Mark 12:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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."’

NIV: David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: " ‘The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet." ’

NASB: David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘THE Lord SAID TO MY Lord, 'SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES UNDER YOUR FEET.'?’

CSB: David himself says by the Holy Spirit: The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.’

NLT: For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’

KJV: For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

NKJV: For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’

In addition to being a shepherd, mighty warrior, king, and a man after God's own heart, David was also a poet. He wrote at least seventy-three of the psalms. They include psalms of lament, thanksgiving, and imprecation or request that someone be judged. It's not clear if David knew that many of his psalms are also prophecies, but Psalm 110 certainly is.

Psalm 110 begins with this verse that Jesus quotes. The first "Lord" in Jesus' quote is printed as "LORD" in the psalm, which translates to Yahweh, or God. The second title, "my Lord" is the Hebrew Adonai, used for an earthly authority, or as a reverent title for God. The psalm goes on to say that God will expand "the Lord's" kingdom. The Lord will rule despite being surrounded by enemies, and His people will follow Him willingly. The Lord will also be a priest in the order of Melchizedek which outranks the priests from the tribe of Levi (Hebrews 7:1–10).

All this to mean, the figure who will fulfill this prophecy is called "my Lord" by David, despite being David's descendant. While Jesus is the physical descendant (Luke 3:23–31) and legal descendant (Matthew 1:6–16) of David and will rule Israel in a similar manner, He is not solely defined by this subordinate relationship to David. Contrary to cultural assumptions of the time, David's "son" outranks David.

He does so because He is not only David's son. Much as Jesus is a priest of the order of Melchizedek, and therefore has a claim to priestly authority over Aaron's descendants (Hebrews 7), Jesus receives the authority to reign as king from God, not David.

Mark 12:35–37 occurs after Jesus' detractors have surrendered their challenges, but Jesus continues teaching. Here, He explains the Messiah must be much more than merely David's son. Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:48) and the crowd at the triumphal entry (Mark 11:10) have already identified Jesus as the Son of David. In the parable of the tenants (Mark 12:1–12), Jesus suggests that He is the Son of the one who has authority. During one of the trials before the crucifixion, Jesus will formally acknowledge that He is ''the Christ, the Son of the Blessed'' (Mark 14:61–62). Jesus' explanation about the Messiah is also found in Matthew 22:41–46 and Luke 20:41–44.

This chapter contains lessons taught by Jesus in various circumstances. He explains the eventual destruction of traditional Judaism, the relationship between secular and sacred obligations, the nature of the resurrection, and the most important of God's commandments. Jesus also expounds on Messianic statements in the Old Testament. Jesus also condemns the glory-seeking shallowness of the scribes, and extolls the virtues of sincere, faith-based giving.

Days before, Jesus has entered Jerusalem, hailed as a hero by the people (Mark 11:1–11). While teaching in the temple courtyard, Jesus shows superior understanding of Scripture over the chief priests, scribes, and elders (Mark 12:27–33), the Pharisees and Herodians (Mark 12:13), the Sadducees (Mark 12:18), and the scribes again (Mark 12:35, 38). Sadly, even in the instance where a scribe does understand Scripture, that is no guarantee he will follow it to its logical conclusion: Jesus (Mark 12:28–34). In contrast, a humble widow exemplifies the faithfulness and piety the leaders lack (Mark 12:41–44). Jesus leaves the temple for the last time to teach the disciples on the Mount of Olives (Mark 13). In Mark 14, He prepares for the crucifixion.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.