WHO IS JESUS? Son of Man and Son of God!
Mark 12:35-37
Introduction: Our church here in Boothbay began
in 1809, just over 200 years ago. Charles Swindoll commented on some noteworthy
events that occurred that same year… as well a couple that occurred in another
year a little over 2000 years ago…
…Take the year 1809. The international
scene was tumultuous. Napoleon was sweeping through Austria; blood was flowing
freely. Nobody then cared about babies. But the world was overlooking some
terribly significant births.
For example, William Gladstone was born that year. He was destined to
become one of England's finest statesman. That same year, Alfred Tennyson was
born to an obscure minister and his wife. The child would one day greatly
affect the literary world in a marked manner. On the American continent, Oliver
Wendell Holmes was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. And not far away in
Boston, Edgar Allan Poe began his eventful, albeit tragic, life. It was also in
that same year that a physician named Darwin and his wife named their child
Charles Robert. And that same year produced the cries of a newborn infant in a
rugged log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. The baby's name? Abraham Lincoln.
If there
had been news broadcasts at that time, I'm certain these words would have been
heard: "The destiny of the world is being shaped on an Austrian
battlefield today." But history was actually being shaped in the cradles
of England and America. Similarly, everyone thought taxation was the big
news--when Jesus was born. But a young Jewish woman cradled the biggest news of
all: the birth of the Savior.
A seemingly unnoticed birth to a humble couple, witnessed
first by some animals in a stable, signaled the coming of the One to whom all
history pointed. Who is Jesus? That
is the question. 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: Who is Jesus? What say you?
One of the
tendencies these days 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 apparently
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. Specifically, when it
comes to Christology, the doctrine of Christ, we’ll see that is precisely where
many cults and sects 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 seeing 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
if my belief doesn’t fully reflect what the Bible teaches? 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.
The Maine* Idea: The Word of God teaches that Jesus
is both man (David’s son) and God (the Son of God). 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” as being at the heart of the hope of Israel. When the
gospel of Matthew was written, 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 a key individual in
the line of the Messiah. In fact, as Paul begins his magnum opus setting forth the gospel he preached, he says in Romans
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). And so, Jesus does not deny His
humanity, but He invites us to 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? “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. Importantly, 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 when we sing, 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 out 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 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 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, Jesus Christ (cf. Phil 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 about the two natures of Christ, and
either to emphasize only his deity, or, more commonly, 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 right theology. 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, on the other hand, 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 and 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?” 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 (David’s son) and God
(the Son of God). There is mystery in
that statement. How can one person have two natures? There is mystery in the
Trinity as well, 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. 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 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.
What would God have me
to do in response to this passage? Jesus is the central
figure of history. Nothing is more important that 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. He did that 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. They still 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 love Him? AMEN.
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