Reconciling …

Mark 12:35-37

³⁵ While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? ³⁶ David himself, speaking by 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.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd listened to him with delight.

Like other rabbis in the first century, Jesus teaches by asking a question that simultaneously exposes the limitations of his hearers’ understanding and allows them to move towards a better understanding as they wrestle with how to answer. How can Messiah be David’s descendant and hence heir to royal authority (which he is), and David’s Lord (which he also is)? In their patriarchal society, a father always has higher status than his son. This is a contradiction! How can Messiah be both? Messiah Jesus is bursting out of their limited preconceptions and expectations.

I’m glad we have the New Testament scriptures. We know that Jesus was, at the same time, fully human (born into David’s family tree) and fully God (David’s Lord). We know that the creator of the universe had stepped into his creation as one of his creatures (John 1:1-18). We know that the infinite God was walking in a place in our world. We know that “I am” (Yahweh), who is unbound by time, lived at a point in our history.

We know that he both experienced all the uncertainties we do and knows the end from the beginning. We know the author of life is about to face death for us. We know that almighty God is about to be humiliated, beaten, and killed in the most dehumanising way possible. How can Messiah Jesus be all these things and more? How can he reconcile such contradictions? Yet somehow, he is and does.

My mind can only begin to glimpse how wonderful he is. I can only marvel at how complex he is, yet he makes himself known to me. I can only stand in awe of how infinite, yet personal he is. I can only rejoice that infinite God loves tiny me.

Jesus, I worship you today. You are immeasurably more than I can know or imagine. And yet you love me. I love you so much!

Written by David Cornell