O MAGNUM MYSTERIUM
Opening Prayer
Lord, we believe You are fully God and fully human.
Read MARK 12:35–40
Whose Son Is the Messiah?
35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 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.”’[a]
37 David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”
The large crowd listened to him with delight.
Warning Against the Teachers of the Law
38 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”
Footnotes:
a Mark 12:36 Psalm 110:1
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
“… to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen” (Jude 25).
Think Further
While Jesus is teaching in the temple courts, He presents to His listeners a conundrum: how can the Messiah be King David’s son, but also his Lord? How can the Messiah be beneath King David in ancestry, but above him in authority (35–37)?
There is a solution to this conundrum, of course, but not one that the teachers of the Law – or others – have yet to discern. The solution lies in Jesus, and it incorporates the mysteries and marvels of who He really is. Just days later, He will refuse to deny the claim that He is the Messiah, the Christ (Mark 14:61, 62). Later, He will testify of Himself, “I, Jesus … am the Root and the Offspring of David” (Rev 22:16).
How can Jesus claim to be both Lord and son – root and offspring – of David? The answer: His unique status as both God and man (Hendriksen, 1975, p500). As man, born of human flesh, Jesus is a direct descendant of David – the son of David (Matt 1:1–16). But as the Son of God, He is Creator of all, supreme over all, and Lord over
all (Col 1:15–17 ) – including King David!
This unique nature of Jesus enables Him to be a far greater Messiah than what the teachers of the Law were anticipating (Hendriksen, 1975, p499). For He did not come to be the warrior Messiah – a mere man purporting to save Israel from the grip of Rome. He came to be the wounded Messiah – the God-man who alone could die in our place and save all humanity from the grip of sin. By God’s Spirit we are not limited in our understanding of the Messiah, but we continue to grow in our knowledge of him.
Apply
Ask God to make known to you more of the mystery of Christ. Why not take time to write your own doxology – words in praise of Jesus (eg., Jude 24, 25)?
Closing prayer
Lord, we believe that You are the Messiah and the only Messiah the Father intends to give for Jew or Gentile.
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