Mark
12:35-37
Later, as Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple area, he asked them this question: “Why do your religious teachers claim that the Messiah must be a descendant of King David? For David himself said—and the Holy Spirit was speaking through him when he said it—‘God said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.’ Since David called him his Lord, how can he be his son?” This sort of reasoning delighted the crowd and they listened to him with great interest.
Food for Thought!
Today's words of Jesus were spoken on the Tuesday of the Holy Week. Jesus is making his way to the cross to die. As he approaches the end, his enemies intensify their attack on his person. These people (the scribes, the Pharisees and the Sadducees) are busy looking for a way to discredit Jesus in the eyes of the people. Now they're discrediting Jesus by saying that he's just a son of David, thus negating his divinity. Jesus is just a man, they argue. Their effort is designed to trap Jesus and cause him to lose his influence with the people. Unfortunately, the more they try to discredit Jesus the more fame he gets from the people. The gospel says that Jesus delighted the crowd and they listened to him with great interest.
Did you know that the more you hate someone the more you turn him into your hero, thinking of him all the time? The more you try to discredit your enemy the more sympathisers you make for him. This is what Jesus' enemies are doing: the more they want to destroy Jesus the more people they make who admire him.
Jesus had countered every attack his enemies had used against him. He answered their question about paying tribute money to Caesar, 12:13-17. He answered their question about the resurrection and the nature of life in Heaven, 12:18-27. He answered their question about which commandment in the Law was the greatest of all, 12:28-34. Each time Jesus was asked questions that were designed to make him look foolish in the eyes of the people. Every question they asked was an attempt to prove his ignorance of the Word of God. They were trying everything in their power to unmask Jesus and prove that he was an imposter. But the opposite happened: Jesus is accepted even more by the people.
Most people in our world are like the scribes and the Pharisees. They will believe the Bible stories about Jesus. They love the image of that baby in his manger. They enjoy reading about him feeding multitudes, healing the sick, preaching sermons, raising the dead and walking on water. They even like the story of the cross and the resurrection.
But, most people in our culture cannot grasp the truth that Jesus Christ is more than a baby in a manger, or a man who got Himself crucified on a cross. They cannot seem to grasp the truth that He is God in human flesh! They cannot get their minds around the truth that He is the only way to God; that He is the only hope of salvation. Manh people will go so far, but they often will not go far enough! Don't be one of them. Believe in Jesus!
Later, as Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple area, he asked them this question: “Why do your religious teachers claim that the Messiah must be a descendant of King David? For David himself said—and the Holy Spirit was speaking through him when he said it—‘God said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.’ Since David called him his Lord, how can he be his son?” This sort of reasoning delighted the crowd and they listened to him with great interest.
Food for Thought!
Today's words of Jesus were spoken on the Tuesday of the Holy Week. Jesus is making his way to the cross to die. As he approaches the end, his enemies intensify their attack on his person. These people (the scribes, the Pharisees and the Sadducees) are busy looking for a way to discredit Jesus in the eyes of the people. Now they're discrediting Jesus by saying that he's just a son of David, thus negating his divinity. Jesus is just a man, they argue. Their effort is designed to trap Jesus and cause him to lose his influence with the people. Unfortunately, the more they try to discredit Jesus the more fame he gets from the people. The gospel says that Jesus delighted the crowd and they listened to him with great interest.
Did you know that the more you hate someone the more you turn him into your hero, thinking of him all the time? The more you try to discredit your enemy the more sympathisers you make for him. This is what Jesus' enemies are doing: the more they want to destroy Jesus the more people they make who admire him.
Jesus had countered every attack his enemies had used against him. He answered their question about paying tribute money to Caesar, 12:13-17. He answered their question about the resurrection and the nature of life in Heaven, 12:18-27. He answered their question about which commandment in the Law was the greatest of all, 12:28-34. Each time Jesus was asked questions that were designed to make him look foolish in the eyes of the people. Every question they asked was an attempt to prove his ignorance of the Word of God. They were trying everything in their power to unmask Jesus and prove that he was an imposter. But the opposite happened: Jesus is accepted even more by the people.
Most people in our world are like the scribes and the Pharisees. They will believe the Bible stories about Jesus. They love the image of that baby in his manger. They enjoy reading about him feeding multitudes, healing the sick, preaching sermons, raising the dead and walking on water. They even like the story of the cross and the resurrection.
But, most people in our culture cannot grasp the truth that Jesus Christ is more than a baby in a manger, or a man who got Himself crucified on a cross. They cannot seem to grasp the truth that He is God in human flesh! They cannot get their minds around the truth that He is the only way to God; that He is the only hope of salvation. Manh people will go so far, but they often will not go far enough! Don't be one of them. Believe in Jesus!
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