Quite the Paradox (Nothing is as it Seems) - or - (You’re looking for the wrong King)

Introduction:

In the text that we have for tonight, I believe that we will see a common theme between the 3 short paragraphs that we will read.

And I think the same theme is true of the 3 sections that were covered last week as well.

That theme is that nothing is as it seems.

Nothing is as it seems.

Render to Caesar

In verses 13-17, Jesus is asked to whom are they to pay taxes.

And Jesus’s response is in verse 17: Mark 12:17 “17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.”

That which has Caesars image on it - give it to him…

But that which has God’s image on it - give that to him…

What has God’s image on it?

We do.

Therefore we are to give ourselves to God.

Is this what the Pharisees and the Herodians were expecting?

Not at all.

Nothing is as it seems.

The Resurrection

Again in verses 18-27, more people come to ask Jesus a question… this time it’s the Sadducees.

A woman continued to marry into a family after each of her husbands died…

In the resurrection (remember, they didn’t believe in a resurrection), whose wife will she be?

Why would these Sadducees ask this question?

It certainly wasn’t because they wanted a real answer

It was because they were trying to catch him in his response to have a reason to put him to death.

“If we can get him to say something against the Law of Moses, we can turn these people against him.”

But did Jesus answer the way they thought he would?

Not at all.

Mark 12:24–27 ESV

24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

Jesus is very plain in his answer here.

There is no parable, there is no imagery.

He simply says, You are quite wrong.

But even in his response, he is saying, “nothing is as it seems”

“It may look like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are dead.

But God is not a god of the dead, but of the living.”

The resurrection is real.

Nothing is as it seems.

Which commandment is the most important?

And then Mark records that a scribe comes up to Jesus, having overheard the way he responded to the Sadducees, and asks him a very important question.

Which commandment is the most important?

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Deuteronomy 6:4–5 ESV

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

and then Leviticus 19:18

Leviticus 19:18 ESV

18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Then the scribe affirms his answer and says, Mark 12:33

Mark 12:33 ESV

33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Mark 12:34 ESV

34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

This scribe got it.

This scribe saw things the right way…

But for the other scribes, the other pharisees, sadducees, and Herodians that continually tried to catch Jesus in his words to have a reason to murder him, they didn’t get it.

For them, nothing was as it seemed.

They were blinded to the reality of who Jesus was, and blinded to what the Scriptures that they knew by heart were actually teaching.

Connection:

So in verse 35, Jesus flips the tables and asks all those around him a question. Look at verse 35…

Whose Son is the Christ?

Mark 12:35–37 ESV

35 And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’ 37 David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.

Jesus here is quoting Psalm 110:1 “1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.””

Jesus is getting at the beliefs of the scribes, the pharisees and the sadducees.

So the question he’s asking is, “How did you arrive at idea that the coming Messiah is to be a Son of David?”

It’s that question with a twist…

Mark 12:37 “37 David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?”…

How is it that David calls his descendant greater than him?

So let’s look at the statement from Psalm 110:1

Psalm 110:1 ESV

1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

The Lord says to my Lord

You have 2 instances of the word “Lord”

The first is in all caps - that is the designation for YHWH - the covenant name of God

The all sovereign one -

the name above all other names -

the God above all other gods

The second instance of Lord is Capital “L”, lowercase “o-r-d”

This is the word Adonai in Hebrew and Kurios in Greek

This means master, or someone who is in a position of authority

Usually in the OT you have these 2 instances of Lord being used of one person.

Psalm 8:1 “1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.”

Psalm 8:9 “9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”

Genesis 15:2 “2 But Abram said, “O Lord (Adonai) God (YHWH), what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?””

But in Psalm 110:1 David is using it to describe a conversation between 2 people

So the Lord (YHWH - God - the all powerful, sovereign creator of the universe and covenant God) That Lord said to my Lord (Adonai - my master - the one who has authority over me)

And then what did God say to this descendant of David who has authority over him?

Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.

“Sit at my right hand”

What does the Bible mean when it says “Sit at my right hand?”

Deuteronomy 33:2 “2 He said, “The Lord came from Sinai and dawned from Seir upon us; he shone forth from Mount Paran; he came from the ten thousands of holy ones, with flaming fire at his right hand.”

1 Chronicles 6:39 “39 and his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, namely, Asaph the son of Berechiah, son of Shimea,”

Psalm 16:11 “11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

To be at the right hand of someone is to be in a place of high regard - a place of power - a place of authority

We’ve kind of brought that phrase into English when we talk about someone’s “right hand man”

That’s someone you trust to get a job done

Someone you set honor upon

So God says to the coming Messiah - “Sit at my right hand”

Sit in the position of power, the position of authority, the seat of honor

for how long?

“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool” - or - (from Mark 12) “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”

So what is this Messiah doing?

This Messiah is ruling and reigning

He is making his enemies bow before his throne

He is destroying his enemies one at a time

This sounds like a great Messiah - one that everyone can get behind - unless you’re an enemy of the King

Question:

So Jesus asks the question in verse 37: Mark 12:37 “37 David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.”

David himself calls his descendant “Lord.” So how is this Messiah his son?

You have to remember that a Father was always greater than the son in a Hebrew structure.

So Jesus asks a question that they actually have to wrestle through

And then who does he say David is talking about?

HE DOESN’T

Just like many of the other questions that had been asked that day, Jesus doesn’t directly answer it

But if you’re paying attention - you see it…

Remember in 12:1-12, you have Jesus giving a parable about a vineyard, owned by a Father, who sent his Son to manage the fruit… and what did they do? They killed him.

Then in 12:13-17, He’s asked about who has authority? They ask about paying taxes, but they’re really asking about authority

Give to God what belongs to God

Then in 12:18-27 when Jesus is asked about the resurrection, how does Jesus respond?

Mark 12:27 “27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.””

If YHWH is the God of the dead, what authority does he have over us today

Jesus says he is the God of the living - therefore he has all authority

Therefore when you get to verse 35, it is Jesus asking a question of authority.

Who has it?

YWHW, God has it (We saw that in the paying taxes to Caesar section)

And YHWH (God) gives it to the Messiah (Adonai-Lord)

In his book “Scandalous,” DA Carson uses a phrase often to embed in the reader’s mind a particular point.

The context of this particular passage is Carson is quoting one of those who hurled insults at Jesus while he was on the cross - Matthew 27:39–40 “39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.””

Remember Jesus talks about the destruction of the temple - and this exact quote was brought up at his trial…

Now they mock him saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it, save yourself…”

Then Carson uses this line… “But the apostles know, and the readers of the Gospels know, and God knows, that Jesus’ demonstration of power is displayed precisely in the weakness of the cross.”

I love that line… “But the apostles know, and the readers of the Gospels know, and God knows…”

His point is that as you read the Gospels, you have more information that the people did who actually were there in the moment.

And so when we get to Mark 12:36–37 “36 David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’ 37 David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.”

We can answer that question…

Because the Apostles knew, the readers of the Gospel know, and God knows…

That Messiah is God himself, He is the second person of the Trinity - The Son of God, the one who takes on human flesh -

Philippians 2:5–11 “5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

This is the Messiah that David was talking about

Now, Did David understand all that he was inspired to write? I don’t think so

But the Apostles know, the Gospel readers know, and God knows, and we know…

Questions or comments up to this point:

When did this happen?

Question:

So the next question for us as we’re looking at this passage, is when was this fulfilled, or when will this be fulfilled?

So when does Christ take his seat at the Father’s right hand, and when are the enemies of Christ being put under the feet of Jesus?

The way you view end times will somewhat affect your answer…

I believe the most consistent way to answer this is to go to Matthew 28:16-20

Matthew 28:16–20 ESV

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

What does this passage tell us about when all authority and power was given to Jesus - at his ascension…

Jesus has all authority and power in heaven AND ON EARTH here, today, right now, at 7:…

1 Corinthians 15:20–26 ESV

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Christ is currently putting all his enemies under his feet

And I’ve heard it said this way… “Christ destroys his enemies in 2 ways. First in the traditional sense. But second, Christ conquers his enemies by making his enemies his friends.” You and I were enemies of God, but by the grace and mercy of God, he conquered and destroyed these hearts of stone and gave us new hearts…

Christ is conquering his enemies today.

What does it mean for us that Christ is sitting (session) at the right hand of the Father?

- or - What does the ascension mean for us?

We’re given a mission… we are heralds of God’s good news…

Matthew 28:18–20 “18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

Acts 1:8 “8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

We’re to teach people to obey all that the King has commanded…

But we’re not left alone to do all of this… Because of Christ’s ascension and session, we’re given power…

Acts 1:8 “8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

John 16:7 “7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”

It also means that we have an advocate in heaven…

Hebrews 9:12 “12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”

Hebrews 9:23–24 “23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.”

Hebrews 10:12–14 “12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

Conclusion

We serve the living Messiah, Jesus Christ

He sits at the right hand of the Father and rules and reigns over all

He gives us mission, purpose, and power to complete all that he has commanded

He is our advocate in Heaven.