In the heart of Jerusalem’s temple courts, where debates were many, Jesus delivered a question that silenced skeptics and invited deep reflection. Mark 12:35–37, though brief, is a theological cornerstone, unveiling the Messiah’s true identity and affirming the divine authority of Scripture. This passage, often overlooked due to its brevity, demands our careful attention, for it shapes our understanding of who Jesus is and how we engage with God’s Word.

The text reads:

“And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, ‘How can the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? 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.” David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?’ And the great throng heard him gladly.” (Mark 12:35–37, ESV)

The Setting: A Shift from Defense to Offense

Mark 12 unfolds as a series of confrontations. Jesus has faced three challenges: a political trap from the Pharisees and Herodians about paying taxes (Mark 12:13–17), a theological riddle from the Sadducees about resurrection (Mark 12:18–27), and a scribe’s question about the greatest commandment (Mark 12:28–34). Each time, the intent was to corner Jesus, leaving Him “dumbfounded and without a rational answer.” Yet, Jesus, the master apologist, not only defended the truth but illuminated Scripture, leaving His questioners in awe.

Now, in verses 35–37, Jesus takes the offensive. Teaching in the temple, He poses the fourth question in this chapter, turning the tables on the scribes. This isn’t mere intellectual sparring—it’s a deliberate invitation to probe the Scriptures and reconsider the Messiah’s identity. The “great throng” listens gladly, captivated by His authority and insight.

The Question: Unraveling the Messiah’s Identity

Jesus asks, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?” This question isn’t a denial of the Messiah’s Davidic lineage. The Old Testament, particularly 2 Samuel 7:12–16, promises that the Messiah would be David’s heir, a king to restore Israel’s glory. The scribes rightly affirmed this, expecting a descendant of David to revive the nation’s golden age, when David’s reign brought prosperity and expanded borders. Blind Bartimaeus’ cry, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:46–47), confirms that this title was widely recognized, and Jesus accepted it.

But Jesus’ question probes deeper: Is the Messiah merely the Son of David? Quoting Psalm 110:1, He introduces a conundrum: “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.’” In the Hebrew, “The LORD” (small capitals in the ESV) is יהוה (YHWH), God’s personal name, while “my Lord” is אדֹנִי (adoni), a term for a lord or master. David, speaking by the Holy Spirit, calls the Messiah “my Lord.” Jesus presses the scribes: “David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?”

This rhetorical question challenges the scribes’ limited view. They envisioned a human king, a political liberator to restore Israel’s earthly splendor. Yet, Psalm 110:1 reveals the Messiah as far greater—David’s Lord, exalted to God’s right hand. Jesus isn’t just a descendant of David; He is the divine Son of God, both fully human and fully divine. This paradox, that the Messiah is both David’s son and Lord, points to the mystery of the incarnation, a truth the scribes failed to grasp.

The Authority of Scripture: Inspired by the Holy Spirit

Before exploring the Messiah’s identity further, Jesus underscores the divine origin of His quotation. He introduces Psalm 110:1 by saying, “David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared.” This statement reveals Jesus’ high view of Scripture. David, the poet, shepherd, and king, wasn’t merely a literary genius crafting inspired poetry. His words were “breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16), delivered under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). As the late R.C. Sproul noted, Jesus saw David’s psalms not as products of human artistry but as divine revelation.

The doctrine of inspiration, as Jesus affirms, doesn’t mean God used David like a typewriter or a tool, mechanically dictating words. Unlike the Muslim view of the Quran’s dictation to Muhammad, biblical inspiration involves the Holy Spirit working through human authors’ personalities, contexts, and skills. David’s poetry, shaped by his experiences, became God’s authoritative Word—without error and binding for God’s people.

This truth carries significant implications. Scripture isn’t just inspirational like a great song or novel; it’s God’s voice, more certain than life itself. As believers, we stand under its authority, not over it. Like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), we’re called to search the Scriptures diligently, “addicted” to their truth, as the early church was to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). In a world seduced by images and idols, God reveals Himself through His written Word, which must shape our vision of Him. As Martin Luther declared, “Never mind the scribes, what saith the Scripture?”

Psalm 110: A Messianic Vision

Psalm 110, the most frequently referenced Old Testament passage in the New Testament (cited or alluded to over 33 times), is a royal and messianic psalm. Its superscription attributes it to David, and its themes echo Psalm 2, another messianic text. Both psalms depict the Messiah’s victory over rebellious nations, the shattering of enemies, and the sharing of God’s cosmic kingship. In Psalm 110:1, the declaration “The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand” is staggering: God invites the Messiah to share His throne, a position of ultimate honor and authority.

The phrase “sit at my right hand” signifies the Messiah’s “session”—His enthronement after His earthly work, as confessed in the Apostles’ Creed: “He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God.” This is echoed in Ephesians 1:20–23, where Paul describes Christ seated “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” The Messiah’s enemies—sin, death, and all opposition—will be made His “footstool,” a vivid image of total subjugation.

Jesus’ use of Psalm 110:1 reveals that He is not merely a human Messiah but the divine Lord. The scribes’ expectation of a temporal king misses the mark. Jesus fulfills the Shema’s declaration of one God (Deuteronomy 6:4) while hinting at the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God forever. His reign is not future but present, having begun with His ascension.

The Conundrum and Its Resolution

The conundrum—how can the Messiah be both David’s son and Lord?—points to the heart of Christian theology. Jesus is the Son of David, born in Bethlehem, a descendant of David’s line (Matthew 1:1). Yet, He is also the Son of God, preexistent and divine, worthy of David’s worship. The scribes’ failure to see this reflects their earthbound hopes, but Jesus invites them—and us—to lift our thoughts higher.

The New Testament writers recognized Psalm 110’s significance, applying it to Jesus’ exaltation (e.g., Acts 2:34–35, Hebrews 1:13). It affirms His victory over all enemies, His intercession for believers, and His eternal kingship. For us, it’s a call to trust in the reigning King and live in light of His authority.

Applications: Living Under Christ’s Reign

This short but powerful text offers four immediate applications to shape our faith and practice:

1. We should be encouraged that the kingdom of darkness will be destroyed.
   “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” Christ’s purpose after His ascension was to destroy the kingdom of evil. And it’s been very evident reading through Mark that Jesus has enemies here in this world, and He still does. But what is the Scripture saying, but that in due time, they shall be His footstool. He will gain upon the opposition, and His enemies will be so far from overturning His throne. His enemies will be a step or a footstool to get into His kingdom. We should be encouraged today, church, that the kingdom of darkness will be destroyed. Perhaps you’re struggling with discouragement, disappointment, bitterness about the way your life is going. Perhaps you’re discouraged about the evil, the injustice that we see so present in our world. We’re tempted to ask, like the psalmist has asked over and over again, why the wicked seem to flourish. My friends, consider where Jesus is now. He is at the right hand of God the Father. See Him there, His enemies His footstool. And He will subdue, and He will conquer and bring as many as He pleases in subjection to His kingdom. In fact, Psalm 110, one of my favorite verses there is, “Thy people will be willing on the day of your power.” That’s the only reason why you and I are in this place today, is because God, the King, made us willing in the day of His power. Be encouraged that the kingdom of darkness will be destroyed.
2. This text should lead us to overcome the fear of death.
   What is one of God’s enemies? God said, “until your enemies are under your feet,” what does the Scripture truly say? One of God’s enemies is death. It is called the enemy of God. First Corinthians 15:26, in fact, it’s the last enemy to be destroyed is death, because Jesus sits at the right hand of God, death is swallowed up in victory. Death has become a footstool to the children of God. And a footstool is not only something to be trampled upon, a footstool helps one to rise, so death, for the child of God, advances God’s people. It raises them higher because of Christ’s victory, death, even death becomes a reconciled friend, and you think of it, our weaknesses, our defeats, our trials, everything tied to death’s shadow will be turned into a footstool, raising us towards God’s glory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through Jesus Christ, our Lord. We should learn to overcome the fear of death. For the saint, it will usher him or her into eternal joy, that we think of Paul, who said, “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” Death, once a foe, becomes a friend because of Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father, and you start to see how that inspired, that gave courage to the saints of old. Because if one could overcome the fear of death, what more is to be done? It was Jesus who said, “Fear not him that can kill the body, but fear God.” The worst the world can do to us is take away this nature of ours. But once they have done that, what more can they do? It’s the early church father Tertullian who said, “That is not to be feared, that frees us from all that is to be feared.” What is feared in this world—sickness, death, disgrace, and defeat, every flaw, every failure, every fiery trial—all of those echoes of death to the saint, to the child of God, become a footstool that we may step higher into God’s glorious presence, footstools that we may be lifted higher and closer to the heart of the Lord. What does Revelation 14:13 say? “Blessed are they that die in the Lord.”
3. We should be encouraged today and continually remind ourselves that we have a friend in heaven.
   Jesus, our constant advocate, sits at the right hand of God, and He ensures that nothing separates us from His love. We are represented in heaven. Christ represents us there as an attorney would represent his client. What does First John 2:1 say? “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.” Then, as Jonathan advocated for David in Saul’s court, Jesus, our merciful and faithful high priest, sits in heaven’s court. He counters Satan’s accusations. He reconciles us with God. He shields us from deserved wrath. He ensures our peace with the Father. In His session, He is the seat of the reign of God, and it grounds His intercession for us, as both Romans 8:34 and Acts 5:31 tell us, “Christ, who is at the right hand of God, intercedes for us.” We believers, we have a friend in heaven.
4. This text should remind us that we should lift our thoughts higher in considering Jesus the Savior.
   When it comes to thinking about Jesus, our thoughts are not high enough—His glory, His Excellency, His splendor. And often it’s because our thoughts are not high enough that the issues of this world dazzle our eyes and fixate us. But when we see Jesus in His glory, we can meditate upon what Jesus is saying in these short few verses, we see Him in His dignity, we see Him in His power. We see Him in His majesty. We see all the heavenly hosts and creatures at His command. O, what more could we be but be encouraged in the Lord today to be defended in this world, that all enemies will be under His feet. All power and authority has been given to Him. This is our Savior. Lift up your thoughts higher when it comes to Jesus, our Lord.

Conclusion

Mark 12:35–37 challenges us to see Jesus as more than the Son of David—He is the Son of God, enthroned at the Father’s right hand, reigning now with all authority. Through His question, Jesus affirms the divine inspiration of Scripture and invites us to stand under its truth. Psalm 110 reveals a Messiah who shares God’s throne, defeats all enemies, and intercedes for His people. Let us cherish God’s Word, trust in Christ’s victory, and live boldly as citizens of His kingdom.

This sermon was preached at Lebanon Valley Presbyterian Church (PCA). For more information, visit www.lebanonvalleypca.com

This transcript has been edited for readability