Mk 12:35-37
35As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said, “How do the scribes claim that the Messiah is the son of David? 36David himself, inspired by the holy Spirit, said:
‘The Lord said to my lord,
“Sit at my right hand
until I place your enemies
under your feet.” ’
37David himself calls him ‘lord’; so how is he his son?” [The] great crowd heard this with delight.
THE SON OF DAVID: The Davidic sonship of the Messiah was an integral element of the scribal belief and of people’s expectation. This is grounded in the Torah (2 Sm 7:13-16) and in the old prophetic literature (Is 9:2-7; Jer 23:5f; Ez 34:23f). People expected that someday the Messiah would restore the kingdom of David, and pilgrims to the Temple would chant, “Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come” (Mk 11:10).
Jesus’ challenge to the scribes is not meant to deny the prophecy of Scripture but is proposed to provoke thoughtful reflection upon the character of the Messiah. What is the relationship of the Davidic sonship to the Messiah’s transcendent majesty? If David referred to the Messiah as his “Lord,” he himself would witness to the supreme dignity of the Messiah, who would be far greater than himself.
The point made here is that David, through the promise announced in Ps 110:1, distinguished between his earthly political sovereignty and the higher level of sovereignty assigned to the Messiah. The Messiah is not only “son of David”; he is also his “Lord.” His mission is not to restore the Davidic kingdom or the sovereignty of Israel. His mission is to establish a wholly different kingdom. His battle is not against Rome or any earthly power but against the demonic powers of the spiritual world. Victory would demand configuration with the Suffering Servant of the Lord, fully trusting in the vindication promised in Ps 110:1.