Mark 12:37

David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly. DAVID THEREFORE HIMSELF CALLETH HIM LORD; AND WHENCE IS HE THEN HIS SON? There is but one solution of this difficulty. Messiah is at once inferior to David as his son according to the flesh, and superior to him as the Lord of a kingdom of which David is himself a subject, not the sovereign. The human and divine natures of Christ, and the spirituality of His kingdom-of which the highest earthly sovereigns are honoured if they be counted worthy to be its subjects-furnish the only key to this puzzle. AND THE COMMON PEOPLE, [ ho (G3588) polus (G4183) ochlos (G3793)] - or, 'the i...

35-40 When we attend to what the Scriptures declare, as to the person and offices of Christ, we shall be led to confess him as our Lord and God; to obey him as our exalted Redeemer. If the common people hear these things gladly, while the learned and distinguished oppose, the former are happy, and the latter to be pitied. And as sin, disguised with a show of piety, is double iniquity, so its doom will be doubly heavy....

Verse 37. _THE COMMON PEOPLE HEARD HIM GLADLY._] And were doubtless many of them brought to believe and receive the truth. By the comparatively poor the Gospel is still best received....

See the notes at Matthew 22:41. Mark 12:37 THE COMMON PEOPLE HEARD HIM GLADLY - The success of the Saviour in his preaching was chiefly among the common or the poorer class of people. The rich and the mighty were too proud to listen to his instructions. So it is still. The main success of the gospel is there, and there it pours down its chief blessings. This is not the fault of “the gospel.” It would bless the rich and the mighty as well as the poor, if they came with like humble hearts. God knows no distinctions of men in conferring his favors; and wherever there is a poor, contrite, and humble spirit - be it clothed in rags or in purple - be it on a throne or on a dunghill - there he confers the blessings of salvation....

EXPOSITION MARK 12:1 AND HE BEGAN TO SPEAK UNTO THEM IN PARABLES. This particular parable which follows was specially directed against the scribes and Pharisees; but it was uttered in the presence of a multitude of the people. "He _began _to speak … in parables." He had not used this form of instruction till now in Jerusalem. A MAN PLANTED A VINEYARD. The imagery of the parable would be familiar to them from Isaiah (Isaiah 5:1). But Palestine was eminently a land of "vineyards," as well as of "oil olives." The man who planted the vineyard is no other than God himself. "Thou hast brought a vine" out of Egypt; thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it." The imagery is specially appropriate. No property was considered to yield so rich a r

DAVID THEREFORE HIMSELF CALLETH HIM LORD,.... David, whose son you say the Messiah is, speaks of him as one superior to himself; as Lord, and as his Lord: WHENCE IS HE THEN HIS SON? from what passage of Scripture does it appear, that he is his son? and how can these two different characters of him, be made to agree in him? Our Lord meant by this, to observe to them, that the Messiah was God, as well as man; that he was not merely the son of David, as was commonly received, or a mere man, but that he had a superior nature, in which he was David's Lord, and even Lord of all. This is a Talmudic way of speaking, frequently used when a proof from Scripture, or reason, is demanded to support any opinion or article of faith; as, מניין האי סברא, "from whence is this opinion" z? what proof is there of it? And again it is said a, מניין לתחיית המתים, "from whence" is the proof of the resurrection...

Mark 12:12. _And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way._ Christ's enemies could not injure him then, partly because the people heard him gladly, and were ready to protect him, but still more because the appointed time for his suffering and death had not fully come. Mark 12:13. _And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his word. And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth:_ They meant «to catch him in his words,» if they could, so they baited their trap with flattery. Whenever a m

CHAPTER 12 _ 1. The Parable of the Vineyard. (Mark 12:1 .Matthew 21:33; Luke 20:9)_ 2. The Question concerning the Tribute Money. (Mark 12:13. Matthew 22:15; Luke 20:20) 3. The Sadducees Questioning concerning Resurrection. (Mark 12:18. Matthew 22:23;...

IS MESSIAH DAVID'S SON? Jesus now asks His hearers a question. The exact purpose and significance of the question are not easy to determine, but apparently Jesus held that the Messiah (who is Himself) does not depend on Davidic descent for His authority. He is more than the heir of David's glory. This implies either that Jesus did not claim to be of the house of David or else that He set little value on this connexion. The quotation is from Psalms 110:1, and the argument assumes that David wrote this psalm. This attribution was traditional, and was accepted by our Lord and His Apostles on the authority of the recognised guardians of the canon (Swete). Jesus starts from the scholarship current in His day. His use of that scholarship does not bind His followers to its acceptance to-day....

REJECTION AND RETRIBUTION (Mark 12:1-12)...