WHO IS JESUS? Son of Man and
Son of God!
Mark 12:35-37
Introduction: The
controversies in this context in Mark have delighted the crowd, and surely frustrated
the opponents of Jesus. Jesus knew where this story was going, where it must
go, but He continued to teach, inviting those with ears to hear to consider His
words. As readers of the Gospel, Mark has held before us the answer to a key
question since the first verse: Who is Jesus?
That is the first, fundamental question we need to consider. Who is this One,
who loved us so much that He laid down His life for us? Why should an
itinerate rabbi from the first century be the central figure in all of human
history? Knowing and believing the
truth about Jesus is the most important question facing every human.” This
passage will ask us again: Who is
Jesus? What say you?
One of the tendencies today is to minimize the importance, or even deny
the possibility, of absolute truth. Consequently, churches and ministries are
sometimes more attuned to culture or to the style of worship, than they are to
the substance of Biblical teaching. The danger is, that without a commitment to
truth, without an insistence on sound doctrine, people can quickly drift
into error. In his letter to one young pastor that Paul had mentored, the
apostle said that an elder, “…must hold
firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give
instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it…”
(Titus 1:9). Truth matters, and attention to doctrine is part of the calling
that God has given to teachers and pastors in the church, and ultimately, to every
follower of Jesus. Specifically, when it comes to Christology, the doctrine of
Christ, we’ll see that this is precisely where many cults go wrong. Someone
will come knocking at your door, maybe this week, with a distorted answer to
the question, “Who is Jesus?” And that distortion is nothing new.
The Jews of the first century were challenged to recognize the One who
came in fulfillment of the messianic hope. But even saying that Jesus is the
Messiah still leaves us with another fundamental question, a question that
Jesus raises here: Is this Messiah merely
David’s son? Or something more? And does
it really matter?
Many people like to affirm that Jesus was a great moral teacher, He
showed us about loving one another and was an example of how we should live.
Yet they don’t deal with Jesus’ own claims about his identity: “Before Abraham was, I AM!” This passage
deals with the question of His nature(s). He is man, and so, as the last Adam,
He lived a perfect life, and became our substitute, making a way for us to be
reconciled to God. But He is more than a man. He is the God-Man.
The BIG Idea: In the Lord Jesus Christ, humanity
and deity are perfectly united in one person. First, let’s consider His…
I. Humanity:
The Messiah, Jesus, is the fully human Son of Man, descended from Adam, and
David, according to the Scriptures (35).
35 And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say
that the Christ is the son of David?”
Remember the context: Jesus had responded to a series of
questions from the religious leaders of Israel. One-by-one different groups
came to Him and posed their questions. For most of them, they were not looking
for answers, but rather they hoped to catch Jesus in his words, seeking to
discredit Him or to have a basis for accusing Him. Finally, in v.34 we read
that none of them dared ask another question. The wisdom of this man was
astounding, to the delight of the crowds and to the frustration of the leaders.
They were out of ammunition it seemed, and for the moment were silenced. So,
Jesus has a question for them, seeking to stretch their understanding of the
nature of the Messiah. First, He asks a question, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?” On a
first reading of this passage, we might think that Jesus is denying that the
Messiah would be descended from David. He is saying He is not merely
David’s son. The Davidic sonship of the messiah was well established in
Scripture. We read the promise first made
to David in 2 Sam 7:12-16…
12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will
raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will
establish his kingdom. 13 He
shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom
forever. 14 I will be to
him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will
discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not
depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom
shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established
forever.'"
That
describes an ideal son, and an eternal throne. That promise is assumed through-out
the subsequent Scriptures. For example, Psalm 89:3-4 says,
3 You have said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have
sworn to David my servant: 4
'I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all
generations…'"
The
prophets, likewise, picked up on the theme of a Davidic ruler and a future
kingdom, as in Isaiah 9:6-7,
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government
shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his
government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over
his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with
righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of
hosts will do this.
In the face
of coming exile, the weeping prophet offers hope of restoration and a future
kingdom in Jeremiah 23:5-6,
5 "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will
raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal
wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved,
and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be
called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.'
And so, “Son of David” became almost synonymous with “messiah” and was at
the heart of the hope of Israel. That is clear as Matthew began his gospel. The
apostle began with a genealogy, establishing the connection between Jesus,
David, and Abraham. Let me quote a couple of verses from the genealogy in Mt 1:1-17,
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of
Abraham… 5 and Salmon the
father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the
father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David
was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah… 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph
the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from
Abraham to David
were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and
from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.
David is clearly a key individual in the
line of the Messiah. In fact, as Paul begins his letter to the Romans, setting forth the gospel he preached, he
says in Rom 1:1-4,
Paul, a servant of Christ
Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand
through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David
according to the flesh 4 and
was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of
holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord…
So, Jesus is not, could not be,
denying the Davidic Sonship of the Messiah. It was part of the cry of the
multitude that Jesus had accepted a few days earlier at the triumphal entry
(cf. Mark 11:10; Matthew 21:15). Yes, He is David’s son, but Jesus asks,
how can the Messiah merely be David’s son? He does not deny His human
lineage. Because He is man we also know, as the writer to the Hebrews said,
…we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the
Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to
sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted
as we are, yet without sin… (Heb 4:14-15).
But He came not only so that we would be assured that He understands and
empathizes with our life in a fallen world, but also to undo the fall, to make
it possible for fallen humans to be reconciled to holy God. As Paul wrote in I
Cor 15:21-22,
21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the
dead. 22 For as in Adam all
die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
Where Adam failed, and brought death
and the curse on humanity, Jesus was faithful, making possible reconciliation
and life for all who believe. Divine Justice required a substitute, and so, “The Word was made flesh, and lived for
awhile among us…” (John 1:14). *The Word of God teaches that Jesus is both
man (David’s son) and God (the Son of God). The Big idea here is that in Jesus humanity
and deity are perfectly united in one Person. We’ve seen his humanity, let’s consider
His…
II. Deity: The
Messiah, Jesus, is also the eternal Son of God, as David himself under-stood
(36-37a; cf. Ps 2:7). There is something of a debate among New Testament
scholars as to whether “Son of Man”
or “Son of God” is the dominant title
for Jesus in Mark. Clearly the former is more prevalent, appearing 14 times in
the gospel, whereas “Son of God”
appears only 4 times (discounting 3:11!). However, it is interesting that “Son of God” appears at key points in the
story: the opening verse, the baptism of Jesus (1:11), the Mount of
Transfiguration (9:7), and on the Cross (15:39). Which is Mark emphasizing? It
seems to me, “both” is the correct answer. He is presenting a balanced
Christology. He wants his readers, and us, to recognize both the humanity of
Christ (and his descent from Adam and from David) and the deity of Christ (and
His eternal relationship with the Father). He is the God-Man. Jesus points to
Psalm 110:1 to show the future glory of the victorious and reining Messiah. There,
David recognizes He is superior to himself, He is the ultimate Sovereign, and he
calls Him “Lord.” A father would not address his son with such reverence in the
culture of the ancient Near East! Unless he knew something more about this Son…
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.
At Christmas we hear some good theology in the music, such as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Remember the lines, “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate deity… Pleased with
men as man to dwell, Jesus our Immanuel!” God incarnate! John began His
gospel by saying “…the Word was God…”
(1:1). The apostles understood his role as creator, Paul wrote that “…by him all things were created, in heaven
and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or
authorities- all things were created through him and for him” (Col 1:16). They saw Him do
works that no mere man could do. Only after seeing the resurrected Christ did
Thomas confess, “My Lord and my God!”
(John 20:28). Later Paul would write, “…confess
with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God has
raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved…” (Rom 10:9). In the
context of Romans there is no doubt that he is referring to the deity of
Christ. The Big Idea: The Bible teaches He is both man and God…
III. In perfect union: The two natures, Divine and Human, are perfectly united in the one
person, the Lord Jesus Christ. By now you might feel like Nicodemus in John
3, “How can these things be?” Look for a
moment at Philippians 2:5-8...
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form
of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking
the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in
human form, 8 he humbled
himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross… (Phil 2:5-8).
The tendency through the ages has been for cults and sects (and
sometimes the church!) to drift away from the biblical teaching of the two
natures of Christ, and either to emphasize only his deity, or, only his
humanity, denying that He was fully God. At the Council of Chalcedon in A.D.
451 the church responded to some heresies that were developing concerning
the person of Christ. Some groups had tended to emphasize His deity, but denied
His full humanity. Others affirmed His humanity, but denied His deity. The
Council referred to the hypostatic union, that is, the perfect union of
two natures, divine and human, in the one person, Jesus Christ. That definition still stands as an
accurate summary of the biblical teaching of the person of Christ. Still,
we easily can drift off course in maintaining that balance. On the one hand, we
may see the carpenter’s son, with dusty feet walking through the highways and
byways of Galilee and Judea, at times tired, hungry or thirsty, just like us,
and we forget He is God incarnate! Or, we may see His majesty, His exaltation
to the Father’s right hand, His omniscience, His omnipotence, His authority to
forgive sins, to rebuke demons, or to calm the sea, and we forget that He took
on a human nature, that He was tempted in all points like as we are, and so our
high priest really can sympathize with us in our weakness! Fully God, and fully Man. And so, He could be
our perfect, sufficient, Savior.
What is God saying to me
in this passage? Back in Mark 8:29 Jesus asked His disciples “…but who do you say that I am?” As
readers of the Gospel, that is really the question that is put before us in
this text: Who is Jesus? What do you say? The Bible teaches that He
is both man and God perfectly united in one person. There is mystery in that statement. How
can one person have two natures? There is mystery in the Trinity too, how
can one God exist eternally as three persons? God is God, we are creatures, we
won’t understand everything about Him fully! But we can know what He has
revealed (Dt 29:29). How important is it that we get this doctrine right?
How can we believe in Him without knowing who He is? If we settle for our own
ideas about Jesus we are creating an idol. We need to hear what He has said, what
has been revealed to us in the Scriptures, and take Him at His word. One Jesus,
God and Man.
What would God have me to do in response to this passage?
Jesus is the central figure of history. Nothing is more important than
knowing the truth about who He is, and responding rightly to what He did for us
in His death and resurrection. Our text last week taught us about the first and
greatest commandment: to love God with our all our heart, soul, mind, and
strength. To know Him is to love Him. Think of it, God became a man to
do for us what we could not do for ourselves! Greater
love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends… This is
how God showed His love… for us. The
disciples were seeing, and slowly learning, through the three years that they
walked with Him. Still, near the end of that time Philip has this exchange with
Jesus in John 14…
8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for
us." 9Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long,
and you still do not know me, Philip? Who-ever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
They heard the wisdom and authority
of His teaching. They saw Him do miracles that attested to His deity. Still, they
struggled to understand. Jesus said, “My
sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me.” Have you
recognized the Shepherd’s voice? Who
is Jesus? What say you? A good teacher? An example? Yes, and so much more. The
God-Man. Have you trusted Him? Do you know Him? Will you follow Him?
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