Key Passage
Jesus was teaching in the temple area. Jesus asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? With the help of the Holy Spirit, David himself says: ‘The Lord (God) said to my Lord (Christ): Sit by me at my right side, and I will put your enemies under your control.’ David himself calls the Christ ‘Lord.’ So how can the Christ be David’s son?” Many people listened to Jesus and were very pleased.
— Mark 12:35-37 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
The religious scholars of the day liked to play little games with each other to test the Bible knowledge of one another. This ancient version of “stump the Rabbi” was sometimes done with a good spirit. Other times, like those shown in the preceding verses, the questions were offered from a bitter spirit with no intention at getting to the truth. Jesus’ opponents were trying to belittle him and make him look dumb, silly, ignorant, and blasphemous. Not only were they incapable of stumping Jesus with their questions, they were left embarrassed by Jesus’ answers. So Jesus turns the tables around on them and asks a question that lies at the heart of the issue—is Jesus really the Messiah, the descendant of David, and Lord? He asks the question in a fashion to fit their usual method of trying to stump the Rabbi. While they could not catch Jesus with a mistake or a bad answer to their questions, Jesus completely stumped them with his. The clear implication in the process was this: Jesus is master of the Scriptures because he is not only a great teacher, but also because he is the Messiah, Son of David, and Lord.
Prayer
Father in heaven, I find Jesus’ use of the Rabbi’s own methods fascinating. I love the way Jesus successfully answered every one of their questions, and then he turns things around and asks them a question they cannot answer. I believe that Jesus teaches, demonstrates, and embodies your truth. Help me as I seek to live that truth. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures
The people there were amazed at Jesus’ teaching. Jesus did not teach like their teachers of the law. Jesus taught like a person that had authority (power).
— Mark 1:22
The people were amazed. They asked each other, “What is happening here? This man is teaching something new. And he teaches with authority (power)! He even gives commands to evil spirits, and the spirits obey him.”
— Mark 1:27
Jesus said all these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in the city of Capernaum. The followers of Jesus heard this. Many of the followers said, “This teaching is hard {to accept}. Who can accept this teaching?” Jesus knew that his followers were complaining about this. So Jesus said, “Is this teaching a problem for you? Then will it also be a problem for you to see the Son of Man going back to the place where he came from? It is not the body that gives a person life. It is the spirit that gives life.
The things I told you are spirit. And so these things give life. But some of you don’t believe.” (Jesus knew the people that did not believe. Jesus knew this from the beginning. And Jesus knew the person that would turn against him.) Jesus said, “That is why I said, ‘If the Father does not let a person come to me, then that person cannot come.'” After Jesus said these things, many of his followers left him. They stopped following Jesus. Jesus asked the twelve apostles, “Do you want to leave too?” Simon Peter answered Jesus, “Lord, where would we go? You have the things that give life forever. We believe in you. We know that you are the Holy One from God.”
— John 6:59-69
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