How Can These Things Be?

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: How Can These Things Be?
Keywords: “Messiah”
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Passage: Mark 12:35-37*

35. And Jesus answering [began] to say, as He taught in the temple, "How [is it that] the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

36. "David himself said in the Holy Spirit, 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT THINE ENEMIES BENEATH THY FEET."'

37. "David himself calls Him 'Lord'; and [so] in what sense is He his son?" And the great crowd enjoyed listening to Him.

Question

Can you answer the riddle Jesus poses here to the Scribes and Pharisees?

 

Practical help

The Pharisees and other Jewish leaders have attempted to trap Jesus many times with little word-game tests. Now Jesus takes the opportunity to turn the tables and ask them a question about the Messiah. The Messiah was the long-awaited redeemer of Israel who was to free them — they thought — from oppressive governments like the Romans. (Jesus actually came and freed them from something even better — sin and everlasting hell). They knew the Messiah was to come through the line of King David and a few even knew when to look for Him (see Luke 2:25 and 36).

The fact that Jesus was a son of David (obviously not his immediate son, but a male descendant) was well known to the people of that time. Note the comments of the blind men in Matthew 20:30 who called out to Him, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” They were declaring Jesus to be the Messiah. Also isn’t it interesting that a Gentile (non-Jewish) woman from Canaan had a similar statement as the blind men, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” (Matthew 15:22). Finally recall what the multitude shouted at His triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding a donkey (fulfilling a prophesy concerning the Messiah — Zechariah 9:9) "Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!" (Matthew 21:9)

The problem the Pharisees were having (which is common to all of us at some level) is expecting God to appear in the way we want Him to. If He doesn’t show up as we have scripted He should, then it doesn’t seem to count in our minds. Jesus is pointing out that they don’t really have a problem with the Jesus they are looking at, they have a problem understanding God’s Word concerning what is known about the Messiah. On the one hand, he was to be a descendant of David, on the other hand He would be David’s Lord. David could have only one Lord and that is God. Therefore, the conclusion must be that the Messiah would be a man who is also God.

How can this be? That question reminds me of another Pharisee, Nicodemus in John 3 when he declares after Jesus begins explaining the nature of the Holy Spirit, “How can these things be?” (John 3:9) Here was Jesus’ answer (John 3:11-16):

"Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and you do not receive our witness. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things? And no one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven, [even] the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
Pornography is beneath your destiny. The Son of David, the Son of Man, Jesus — if He is your Savior — has your future in the palm of His hand — not because you understand how it can be, but because of who He is.
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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."