The Lion and the Cross

Mark 12.35-37

Introduction 

“Thus endys the talkyng of the munke And Robyn Hode i-wysse; God, that is euer a crowned kyng, bryng vs all to his blisse.” This is the oldest known existing ballad of Robin Hood. It is from a manuscript written in the year of our Lord 1450. Surely you’re familiar with the story of Robin Hood. We grew up on the Disney version with the fox in the green hat.

Robin Hood was originally depicted in English folklore as an outlaw against the evil Prince John. John was ruling in the stead of his brother Richard the Lionheart, who was away fighting in the crusades. In King Richard’s absence Prince John used the sheriff of Nottingham to usurp the King’s authority. John overtaxed the people and horded the money, living lavishly with his friends. Robin Hood and his merry men would steal what the rich had wrongfully pilfered to give the money back to the poor.

It can often feel like we live in a world run by Prince John. Look no further than the Robin Hood Wall Street scandal to see that sin abounds. People abuse other people. Governments are corrupt. Pandemics are painful and politicized simultaneously. And it can be easy for us to forget that Jesus is in control of all things.

Christians have always excelled at remembering Jesus’ past and Jesus’ future. Every year at Advent and Christmas we remember the incarnation of the Son of God. Every year during Lent, Holy Week, and Easter we remember the death and resurrection of Christ. Christians can also become obsessed with Jesus’ future. Some get infatuated with the “end times.” Even those with a biblical eschatology, rightfully, speak of the return of Christ often. But what is Jesus doing now? That’s what this passage is all about. What is Jesus doing for the millennia between his advents? Let’s see what Jesus taught about himself and his reign from Mark 12.35-37 and how we can find hope in a Prince John world.

2 Subpoints About The Bible

Before we get to the main point there are two subpoints we can draw from this text about sacred Scripture. The first concerns the inspiration of the Bible. Did you notice that Jesus in verse 36 says, David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared. Jesus affirms that David is not the only author this Psalm. David was inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is true of the whole Bible. 

2nd Timothy 3.16 says, All Scripture is breathed out by God. The Greek word is θεόπνευστος, which literally means, “God Spirited.” The Holy Spirit superintended all Scripture. The Spirit used 40 different men over 1,500 years to write the Bible and the Spirit has used the church for 2,000 years to preserve the Bible. The Scripture is inspired and inerrant. It is the story of God’s redemption of his people and his world. Lord, help us to forever stand in the Reformation tradition of sola Scriptura, Scripture alone!

The second sub point is that Jesus interprets the Old Testament with a Christ-centered hermeneutic. He does this Every time he interprets the Bible. If you want a crash course in Jesus’ hermeneutics of the Old Testament read Luke 24. Jesus does not think the Old Testament is about promises to Israel. Jesus knows the Old Testament is about Christ. I’ll paraphrase CH Spurgeon who said, “If there’s no Christ in your sermon, go home and write another sermon.”

The Main Point About Jesus Christ

For several weeks we’ve been studying what happened on the Tuesday of Holy Week. Jesus is teaching in the temple answering questions from members of the Sanhedrin. After he wiped the floor with the Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, and scribes, Mark tells us no one dared to ask him any more questions (vs. 34). Now Jesus is going on the offensive.

Jesus asks, how can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? Second Temple Jews were anticipating Messiah from the royal line of David. Friday and Saturday’s Bible readings were 9 chapters of names in Chronicles. Do you ever wonder why that’s important? This is why. God made promises to Adam, Abraham, and David. These chronologies are proof of God’s faithfulness. Israel believed the Christ, the anointed one would come to defeat the enemies of Israel and sit on David’s throne in Jerusalem. They were awaiting the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. But Jesus is going to challenge their presuppositions about the Messiah.

He does so by quoting Psalm 110. We read it earlier in our call to worship. Psalm 110 is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament, referenced 33 times. Jesus first reminds them of the poet king who authored the Psalm; David himself declared, “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.’” His point is emphasized by three words – LORD, Lord, and my.

The Hebrew text reads, נְאֻ֤ם יְהוָ֨ה׀ לַֽאדֹנִ֗י. The first LORD is the Hebrew word YHWH, the covenant name of God. You may have noticed that in Psalm 110 the first LORD is in all caps. The ESV editors are cluing us in that the word is YHWH. The second Lord is the word adonai; it means lord, master, sovereign ruler. Often times in the Old Testament adonai is used of God, but not always. YHWH is exclusively used of God.

But that third word is what makes Jesus’ question most interesting. The pronoun, “my.” David, writes, “YHWH says to my Lord…” David himself calls him Lord. David was considered the greatest king in the history of Israel, presiding over her golden age. But David calls the Christ, “my Lord.” If the Christ were merely a human king in the line of David he would not be David’s Lord. Jesus is hinting that the Christ is so much more than they think.

Mark already revealed this in 1.1: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He has consistently pointed us to Jesus’ authority over the natural order, disease, and the demonic. Jesus is indeed the son of David but he is much more than that, he is the Son of God. Jesus Christ is the eternal 2nd person of the Holy Trinity. He is the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1.14). Jesus is deity and humanity. He is truly God and truly man.

If this were not true, the gospel would not be good news. Because of sin humans are at war with God. But God promised to make it right and does so himself. If Jesus were merely human he wouldn’t be able to save us. But the Son of God was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He obtained righteousness with his sinless life. He paid the penalty for our sin with his substitutionary death. He was buried and on the third day he resurrected defeating sin and death and inaugurating God’s eschatological kingdom.

After his resurrection Jesus Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father Almighty. Since that day he sits on David’s throne at the right hand of God ruling the church and the world. Theologians have long referred to this as the session of Christ. From the Latin sessio, which means, “the act of sitting.” The Father said to the Son, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.” The early church rightly understood this as a reference to the ascension and session of Christ.

The right hand of God is the place of ultimate authority. The setting of Jesus’ teaching even instructs in this point. Verse 35 says that Jesus was teaching in the temple. The temple was the place where Heaven and earth met. It is where God dwelt among his people. The king’s palace was set to the right of the temple because the king was under God’s authority yet in authority over the people. The man, Jesus of Nazareth is now seated at God’s right hand. Jesus is the final prophet, priest, and king of God’s people. He is the final temple. 

Why is this important? Why does the ascension and session of Christ Jesus matter to you in 2021? First, it matters because it is a nonnegotiable facet of orthodox Christianity. To deny the hypostatic union, the true deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, is heresy. To deny the ascension and session of Christ is heresy. To deny any of these truths is to deny Christ. Believe the gospel. There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus (1st Tim 2.5). Repent and believe the good news and you will be saved.

Second, this is important because the man Christ Jesus is currently ruling at the right hand of God. This is what Jesus has been doing for the last 2,000 years. That fact is more real than the presidencies of Joe Biden or Donald Trump. Jesus is utterly sovereign. There is nothing that has ever happened that is outside of the total control of Jesus Christ. He is providentially guiding all things for God’s glory and our good. We don’t always understand that, but we must trust it. If this isn’t true then there’s no use praying for Renee Ross or any other request we bring to the throne of grace. But if it is true then there’s nothing more important we can do than pray.

Thirdly, the session of Christ is important because Psalm 110 says that Jesus sits at the right hand of God until the Father puts all of his enemies under his feet. Jesus put Satan under his feet with his resurrection. Revelation 20 says that Satan is currently bound from deceiving the nations. That is why the gospel has moved forward for 2,000 years. Romans 16.20 says, the God of peace will soon crush Satan under our feet. The Word and the sacraments are the means by which God is setting enemies under the feet of Christ. He did it for you and I. May God use us to bring sinners into his kingdom.

And fourth, this is important because Jesus is the anointed king of God who will return to judge the living and the dead. This isn’t merely religious jargon. This is the reality of the last day. Every single human being who has ever lived will stand before King Jesus in judgment. Do you live like that is true? Do you treat your marriage like you will stand before Jesus on the last day? Do you view your money as if you will stand before Jesus on the last day? Do you post on social media like you will stand before Jesus on the last day? Do you love the church as if you will stand before Jesus on the last day?

Conclusion

When King Richard the Lionheart returns to his kingdom he does so dressed as a monk. He returns inconspicuously so he can really see what has been happening. While in a tavern he overhears Robin Hood and his merry men discussing their hatred for Prince John. As he follows them into Sherwood Forrest Robin attempts to take his money. Richard asks why he is doing so and Robin tells him because of his allegiance to the king. Richard then pulls off his monk garment to display the lion and the cross on his chest. Robin falls to his knees and says, “my king.” Robin Hood was then knighted for his faithfulness to the king.

We may live in a Prince John world but the rightful King is seated on his throne. The king of the lion and the cross is seated at the right hand of God. He will return to raise the dead, judge the world, and make all things new. “God, that is ever a crowned king, bring us all to his bliss.”