What does Mark 12:35 Mean?

Study Notes

son of
i.e. David's Son only. Cf. Romans 1:3 ; Romans 1:4

Verse Meaning

Jesus responded to the situation before Him. He wanted to know the sense in which the teachers of the law believed that Messiah was David"s son. The Old Testament clearly taught that Messiah would be a descendant of David ( 2 Samuel 7:8-16; et al.). The leaders believed this, but their understanding of Messiah"s relationship to David was only that of another victorious Jewish king from David"s dynasty. [source][source]

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Context Summary

To the young ruler our Lord named one command as great-the love of one's neighbor. Now, in answer to this scribe, he turned with unerring choice, first to Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and then to Leviticus 19:18, for the two pillars on which the collective and individual life of man must rest. The reverent answer of the scribe proves that he was no ordinary questioner; and our Lord acknowledged this when He told him that a few steps more would bring him into the kingdom of God. Our Lord was David's son by human descent, but as Son of God, proceeding from the Father, He is exalted far above David and all mankind.

In terrible words, Mark 12:38-40, Christ denounced the moral and religious leaders of the time. They made a pretense and a gain of their religion. How great the contrast between them and this poor widow, who cast into God's treasury all that she had to provide for her day's living! Our Lord is quick to notice acts like these, which give evidence of the true heart. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 12

¹  Jesus tells the parable of the tenants
¹³  He avoids the snare of the Pharisees and Herodians about paying tribute to Caesar;
¹⁸  convicts the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection;
²⁸  resolves the scribe, who questioned of the first commandment;
³⁵  refutes the opinion that the scribes held of the Christ;
³⁸  bidding the people to beware of their ambition and hypocrisy;
⁴¹  and commends the poor widow for her two mites, above all