Mk 12:35-37

[Cpb88]

“As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said, 'How do the scribes claim that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself, inspired by the holy Spirit, said: ‘The Lord said to my lord, “Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet.”’ David Himself calls him ‘lord’; so how is he his son?” [The] great crowd heard this with delight."

How is it that the Messiah can be both David’s son and lord? Why does Jesus mention this? And why is the crowd delighted?

 

[Cpb88]

1. The answers lie in the genealogies of Christ, in both the Gospels of Luke, and Matthew.
   Matthew charts the Humanity of Christ from the David; Luke the Divinity of Christ back to God. So, considering Jesus has both a human nature and a divine nature, biologically he is the Son of David, and by divinity he is the Son of the Father, and therefore God, himself.
2. To show he is fulfilling the prophecies that the Messiah would come from the house of David, and to show he is also the living God.
3. After centuries of oppression; first by the Egyptians, then the Babylonians, and now the Romans, the 1st Century Jews were delighted because they recognized the Messiah had arrived, and suspected he would deliver them and restore the great Kingdom they once so enjoyed.

Hope this helps.

Peace and all good!

 

[Cpb88]

It seems that Jesus is actually agreeing with the Scribes here. The inference could be that the only way that the only one greater than David is the Messiah. Perhaps the crowd was delighted because they suspected Jesus was referring to himself.