Is Jesus a son of David? (Mark 12:35-37)

[Stephan Choe]

July 22, 2025

Verse 37: “David himself calls him his master. Then where did he come from? And all the people loved to hear him"

Who is Jesus? Is he a man like us? Or is he the Son of God? This question is still a burning question of the people as it was at that time.
That is why we want to address this question today.
May God give us a clear answer to this question.

Jesus at the door

https://www.godisreal.today/pictures-of-jesus/

A scribe saw that Jesus had answered all the questions of the Pharisees and the Sadducees wisely and correctly and wanted to get to know Jesus for the right reason. For it is already stated in the Book of Proverbs that God will make the upright succeed (Proverbs 2:7).
This is how this section of the Bible begins: "And Jesus began and spoke as he taught in the temple: Why do the scribes say that Christ is the Son of David?“(35).

Jesus was now in Jerusalem in his earthly last week. He wanted to prepare for his death and resurrection. He wanted to help people understand who Jesus is. So he asked the people, "Why do the scribes say that Christ is David's son?" For the scribes thought that Jesus was a descendant of David, and not a son of God. They believed that Jesus was only a man who was born as a descendant of David 700 years later than David.

In Judaism, Jesus is not regarded as the Son of God. It is believed that he lived and died without being resurrected. In Islam, Jesus is revered as a teacher and prophet, but not as the Son of God. 

Many people today call Jesus a great moral teacher, a good man who was worthy of being imitated. They say that Jesus did something wonderful, and yet he was only a human being. It is difficult for them to believe in Jesus as the Son of God. To believe in God who has become human. For it is inconceivable for them that God could become a man named Jesus. That's against human reason.

That is why we need to accept the testimony of the Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit. However, Muslims do not believe in the Holy Spirit. But we have heard testimonies on the Internet from people in the Islamic world who have come to believe in Jesus Christ without human help through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Now let us listen to Jesus' words in the temple in his earthly last week.
Jesus asked the people around him a question: "How can the scribes say that the Christ is David's Son?" (Mark 12:35).
In other words, He asked: "How can the scribes say that the coming Messiah is a descendant of David?“
In the first verses of the first chapter of the Gospel of John, the person of Jesus is written as follows: "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and God the word. The same was in the beginning with God and all things are made by the same thing that is made."
This verse says that Jesus is the God who was already in the beginning. This God became a man named Jesus. This is why the Apostle John said: "And the word became man and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, a glory as the only-begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth."

If we believe in Jesus als the fleshly-born God, we can accept Jesus als God's Son. And we can understand Jesus' word in verses 28-37, for Jesus said:
"Why do the scribes say that Christ is David's son?
David himself said through the Holy Spirit:
>>The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand until I live your enemies under your feet.<< (Psalm 110:1).
Psalm 110 was written by King David. The first word "the Lord" means God and the second word "my Lord" means Christ.
So David calls Christ like God his Lord.
And Jesus asked the people, "Why do people call Christ >>a descendant of David?<<“

Is Jesus David's son? Yeah, that's right. For both Joseph and Mary were of the family of David, and Jesus was often called "the Son of David" by men. Desperate people often shouted after him: "Jesus, son of David, have mercy!" But He was more than David. He's bigger than King David.

We must recognize that Jesus is not only the Son of David in the bodily sense, but also the Son of God in the Spirit of God, because he was born through the Holy Spirit through Mary. Because David already recognized this by the Holy Spirit at that time, he called his expected descendant "Lord".

What earthly father calls his son "my Lord"? That's unnatural. But David did, because he knew that Christ was the Creator God and His Lord. He knew this through the Holy Spirit.
David calls Christ his Lord and emphasizes that the Messiah is the Creator and therefore his and our Lord. Christ is not only David's Lord, but also the Lord of all of us.

He is Lord, He is God!
But these healing people felt that Jesus was not only like Solomon a son of David, but also the Son of God, the Creator of the universe. That's why he does miracles and signs.
When Jesus revealed this truth to man through an Old Testament scripture (Psalm 110:1), a light appeared to the listeners, as Mark tells us:
"And the great multitude listened to him with joy" (Mark 12:37).

This is how we feel when God's Word is read or preached about Jesus. When the words of the Bible speak of Jesus, I listen with joy! This also happens in all municipalities and churches. If pastors do not speak so much of the opposite, but preach according to the Bible Jesus Christ, their listeners will listen with joy. There will be great gratitude and people will be happy to come back. For their souls are filled with the word of God. Then, as the young Emmaus told each other about their encounter with Jesus, "Didn't our heart burn in us as he spoke to us on the way, and when he opened the scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:32).
May God help us to open our eyes and to recognize Jesus as the Son of God and Christ according to the Bible. May God help us to burn our hearts because of the presence of Christ. Give us sermons that open the Scriptures to us, then we also have burning hearts in our church. If we recognize Jesus as the Son of God and Savior and accept Him as our hearts, we are saved. Then we are God's children, and we have eternal life and the kingdom of God. That's the good news!
Let us accept Jesus as the Son of God and Christ! There is salvation and the kingdom of God!