Mark 12:35 Meaning and Explanation
“And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Teaching in the temple, Jesus poses his own question: how can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?
What Does Mark 12:35 Mean?
The challengers have fallen silent, and now Jesus asks the question. Teaching openly in the temple courts, he takes up the scribes' standard title for the Messiah -- son of David -- and presses whether, by itself, it says enough.
Jesus does not deny the title; the Gospels affirm his descent from David (Mark 10:47-48). He presses beyond it. If the Christ were merely David's descendant, one great king repeating another, he could restore a throne but not redeem a world. The question invites the temple crowd -- and every reader since -- to let the Messiah be greater than the categories we keep for him.
Mark 12:35 in the Original Language
christos (Χριστός), 'Christ' -- Anointed One; the Greek rendering of Messiah.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 12:35
What does Mark 12:35 mean?
Teaching in the temple, Jesus poses his own question: how can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?