More than a Son of David

While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself, speaking by 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.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd listened to him with delight.

Mark 12:35–37

The Teachers of the Law taught that the Messiah would be a son of David. And in fact, that was true. But the scribes had so over-emphasized this one truth that it had become like that overgrown hedge that is currently obscuring the view of your home. This over-emphasized truth was preventing the Jews from having a clear view of the Messiah. The Messiah was standing right in front of them and they didn’t recognize Him, because they didn’t rightly understand what the Messiah was supposed to be. 

They thought the Messiah was just supposed to be a son of David and nothing more. So, they expected the Messiah to do “David” things. They expected Him to go out to war like David did, to defeat their enemies like David did, to set up an earthly kingdom like David did. In other words, they expected the Messiah to fight the Romans, defeat them, and then establish an earthly kingdom in Jerusalem.

Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1 to show them that the Messiah is much more than just a son of David. King David called the Messiah his lord, so the Messiah must be superior to David. The Messiah would do something different than what David did. He wouldn’t establish an earthly kingdom like David; He'd establish a heavenly kingdom that would surpass David’s. In other words, Jesus didn’t come to fight and defeat Rome. He came to fight and defeat sin.

Many of us make the same mistake today. We invite Jesus into our lives expecting Him to be our earthly king. We expect Him to fight our earthly battles for us and make our everyday lives better. We want Him to make us rich and soothe our aching backs. We want Him to be an earthly king who is going to give us health and wealth right now! And that’s not what Jesus came to do.

Jesus never did that! Jesus healed the sick. But they all eventually got sick again and died. Jesus fed the hungry but He didn’t make any of them rich. Jesus called quite a few of His disciples away from successful businessed to become itinerant preachers. Jesus didn’t make any of His disciples rich. He made them poor! Jesus never preached a health and wealth gospel.

Jesus has always been much more concerned about our eternal circumstances than our current circumstances. He is much more concerned about our eternal prosperity than our earthly prosperity. Jesus came to save us from sin, not from the problems of every day life. He came to make us rich in Heaven, not rich on earth. He came to make sure we live forever in eternity, not to ease our every ache and pain now. Stop trying to turn Jesus into an earthly king! Look for Him to give you Heaven, not an easy life.