Jesus’ Final Week in Jerusalem
Mark 11:1–16:20
Teaching (11:1–13:37)
King (11:1-11)
Sunday: Triumphal Entry (11:1-11).
Lawgiver (11:12–12:44)
Monday (11:12-19).
Tuesday (11:20–14:11).
Lesson from Fig Tree (11:20-26).
Jesus’ Authority Questioned (11:27-33).
Parable of Wicked Vinedressers (12:1-12).
On Taxes (12:13-17).
On Resurrection (12:18-27).
The Greatest Commandment (12:28-34).
An Unanswerable Question (12:35-37).Jesus’ turn!
After Jesus had adeptly answered all the questions that were put to Him, it was His turn to ask a question.
He was asking this question as a means of getting the people and the leaders to think about what this meant—He was teaching them.
It shows that Jesus thought this was an important question, something worthy of thought and great consideration.
He does not answer the question here, but it is something the reader can easily fill in.
The scribes say.
Recall, we had just seen Jesus answer a question of a scribe, and now He reminds the people of this teaching of the scribes.
The Christ or Christos is the Greek translation of the word Messiah, or Mashiach. In English, it is simply Anointed One.
As we have talked about in our lessons on Hebrews, the Christ was believed to be the Son of David as was prophesied in 2 Sam. 7:12-16.
Ostensibly that passage is about Solomon, but Solomon didn’t really fulfill it.
As a result the prevailing thought was that there was a future fulfillment of that prophecy, that a future Messiah would come and He would be a descendant of David.
It was such a clear designation for the Messiah that blind Bartimaeus called out to Jesus, calling Him the Son of David.
Matthew records that the crowds were chanting, “Hosanna to the Son of David” (Matt. 21:9, 15), as Jesus approached the temple on the colt’s back.
While Jesus was referring to Himself as the Son of David, He did not say so explicitly, likely so that He wouldn’t raise the ire of the leaders.
David himself said.
One remarkable point that we can take from this is that David may have written this, but it was authored by the Holy Spirit.
This is true of all of Scriptures (1 Tim. 3:16).
Psalm 110:1 is quoted and alluded to many times in Scriptures, and in the worship hour we will read the whole thing (7 verses) because of its reference to Melchizedek and Hebrews 7.
David, having written this from his perspective, said that the Lord (YHWH) said to David’s Lord (Adonai) to sit at His right hand.
David’s Lord was to be seated at the right hand of God the Father, a position of supreme prominence and authority.
His enemies would be defeated and brought into subjection—that last enemy is death which will be destroyed on the last day (1 Cor. 15:24-26).
Jesus rightly interprets this verse and asks a question that seems to have no answer.
A king’s son is going to be subservient to him; there’s no way that a king would call anyone of his descendants “lord.”
“Lord” is, of course, a title given to one of authority, and in this case that authority comes with victory.
So, as Jesus asks, how is the Son of David also meant to be David’s Lord?
Reaction and answers.
The question no doubt bewildered the scribes and other elites who heard it, but the common people heard Him gladly.
As Matthew recorded, many of the people believed Jesus to be that Son of David, and now it appeared He was applying the victory in Psalm 110:1 to Himself.
They had the conception that the Messiah would be a conquering hero, liberating the Jews from Roman occupation and reestablishing the Davidic kingdom.
Since He was a Son of David, He would have the right to bear that crown.
However, Jeremiah prophesied that this would not happen (Jer. 22:28-30; Matt. 1:12; Luke 3:27).
Coniah is King Jeconiah/Jehoiachin, and Jeremiah prophesied that none of his descendants would prosper, or sit on David’s throne, ruling in Judah.
In Jesus’ genealogies, there is a connection between the lineages of Mary and Joseph at Zerubbabel and Shealtiel showing that descendants of both Mary and Joseph would be affected by this prophecy, including Jesus.
So Jesus cannot sit on a literal throne on earth, nor can He rule from Jerusalem—He reigns today from heaven!
This means He would not be a conquering hero in the conventional sense, but a suffering servant (Isa. 53).
The people may have forgotten this prophecy in Jeremiah or didn’t connect it to the Messiah.
It certainly is difficult to fit all the apparently disparate prophecies about the Christ into one narrative, so much so that some groups like the Essenes thought there would be two Messiahs (priest and king).
But Jesus managed to fit them all together: suffering servant, Lord, Son of David, priest, king.
In the Incarnation, the Lord comes down to be born a descendant of David—this is how the Messiah can be called a Son of David and still be the Lord!
Warning About the Scribes (12:38-40).
Beware the scribes.
This is a very shortened version of what Jesus goes into in far greater detail in Matt. 23 against both the scribes and the Pharisees.
It lies in sharp contrast to the event that quickly follows concerning the widow giving out of her poverty.
It is interesting to me that Jesus had answered a question by a scribe who was apparently sincere, not being far from the kingdom, and a moment later He condemns the hypocrisy of the scribes.
Jesus appears not to be condemning all scribes, but the scribes who do these things, just as there was at least one Pharisee who believed, Nicodemus (John 3:1-2; 19:39-40).
This hypocrisy was likely a common trait among the scribes, though clearly not every scribe was guilty of it.
The hypocrisy that was apparently rampant among the scribes was a false piety.
They appeared to many to be righteous and holy people, but they had a dark underbelly to them.
They used the veneer of religion to prop themselves up with great pomposity.
They wanted it to be obvious who they were from their clothes, their greetings, where they sat, and what what they prayed.
Beware of any religious leaders whose clothes are special, who insist on titles, who desire to sit in the best seats at church or at a meal, or who make long, flowery, public prayers.
Not all of these things are outright sinful—long prayers for instance. As we discussed in our sermon about prayer recently, Jesus prayed long prayers.
Clothing.
There are many denominations where the clergy will wear special clothing that sets them apart from everyone else.
It is often rather drab clothing, all black with a white collar.
Is it possible even with drab clothing to be hypocritical, desiring to be recognized by your drab yet distinct clothing? Oh yes. No doubt many who wear the collar are sincere in their humility, but is it a temptation? Most definitely. So why even tempt yourself with it?
And there are some denominations who do not have distinctly clerical attire, but whose clergy still wear garish and opulent clothing.
I do think preachers need to look respectable, but there is respectable and there is showing off.
