Mark 12:35-37 10. THE OF THE CHRIST Mark 12:35-37 (Matthew 22:41-46; Luke 20:41-44) 35 And Jesus answered and said, as he taught in the temple, --He continues teaching in the temple. The attempts of his enemies to ensnare him did not unnerve him in the least. He kept cool and levelheaded through it all. As soon as his victory was won, he immediately proceeded with his regular teaching. How say the scribes that the Christ is the son of David?--Up to this time Jesus had been acting on the defensive; but now he turns to the offensive and convicts the scribes and Pharisees with ignorance and false notions of the Messiah, which opens the way for his warning and denunciations against them in verses 38-40. Matthew (Matthew 22:41-42) says "now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question saying, What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David." Their reply was correct. 36 David himself said in the Holy Spirit,--David was under the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Luke (Luke 20:42) says: "David himself saith in the book of Psalms," which, in connection with the accounts here and in Matthew, is proof of the inspiration of that book and that Jesus so recognized it. The Psalm from which Jesus quotes is Psalms 110:1. The Lord said unto my Lord,--The Messiah, as the Jews understood the words to refer, and as our Savior applied them. Thus David spoke of the Messiah as his Lord, his superior and sovereign. Sit thou on my right hand,--On the throne beside me, not merely as a position of honor, but as a partner of my sovereignty and power. (Psalms 110:2-3; Mark 10:37.) Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.--A stool for thy feet. This implies their utter defeat and their most abject subjugation. The foot was often put on the neck of the vanquished. (Joshua 10:24-25; Psalms 47:3.) 37 David himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he his son?--If David acknowledged him as his superior and sovereign, from what source--by what means is he his son, and hence his inferior? The question could only be answered by acknowledging both the divinity and humanity of Christ. It is thus answered in Romans 1:3-4. But the Jews, especially the scribes and Pharisees, in their worldly views of the Messiah, had lost sight of his divinity, and only held to his humanity as a royal descendant of David. If they had understood the true character of the Christ, they could have answered by saying, "As man, he is David's son; hut as God, David's Lord." He was divine as well as human and had an existence at the time of David, and was his Lord and Master. And the common people heard him gladly.--As a rule all except the elders, chief priests, lawyers and scribes heard the teaching of Jesus gladly. The success of our Lord in his teaching was chiefly among tile common or the poorer class of people. The rich and the great were too proud to listen to his instructions and humble themselves to his claims. So it is now. The chief success of the gospel is there, and there it pours down its chief blessings. This is not the fact of the gospel. It would bless the rich and the great as well as the poor, if they came with like humble hearts. God makes no distinction of men in conferring his favors; and wherever there is a poor, contrite, and humble spirit--be it clothed in rags or in purple--be it on a throne or a dunghill--there he confers the blessings of salvation.