Two Steps Behind

Prince Edward was Queen Elizabeth II’s husband. Yet, he always walked two steps behind her because she was his queen. Similarly, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, the mother of Elizabeth II, bowed to QE II because she was her queen.

Only those with a monarchy understand these protocols. Those in democratic, socialist, and communist countries do not understand these intricacies.

YHWH God and the king of Israel, David’s son, had a special father-and-son relationship (Ps 2:7; 2 Sam 7:12–14). In one sense, they were equal – to insult the king was to offend God (Ps 2:1–6). On the other, they were different – one the divine Lord (YHWH, with all capitals), and the other a human Lord (Adonai, with only the first word capitalized). This distinction is clear in the Hebrew version of Psalm 110:

“YHWH [Lord] said to the Adonai [Lord]: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” (Ps 110:1)

This distinction between YHWH Lord and Adonai Lord gets blurred twice. First, the Hebrews didn’t want to pronounce YHWH because of reverence. Whenever they saw YHWH written (kativ) in the text, they said (qere) “Adonai.” This concept of kativ-qere happens even now: conservative Hebrews do not pronounce YHWH; instead, they substitute Adonai for him.

Second, the Greek translators used kurios (κύριος) for both YHWH and Adonai. In the Greek OT, Psalm 110:1 reads: “The kurios said to my kurios,” blurring the distinction between YHWH and Adonai.

After Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, and a scribe questioned Jesus, he had a question for them.

“Why do the scribes say: Christ [the king] is David’s son when David, in Holy Spirit, says: YHWH said to my Adonai [Lord]: sit at my right hand?” (Mark 12:35–36)

In other words,

“Why does David call a king Lord [Adonai] when he is his son?” (12:37)

Why did Prince Edward walk behind QE II, or did the Queen Mother bow to QE II? Queen Elizabeth was their queen! Similarly, even David had to bow to Christ [the king], his biological descendant, as Adonai Lord since he was David’s king.

Jesus wanted the religious leaders and disciples to understand that an anointed king, Christ, wasn’t merely David’s descendant, as the scribes taught – “Christ is David’s son” (12:35). He was David’s and every Hebrews’ Adonai Lord, equal to YHWH God (Ps 2:1–6). The scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, priests, high priests, apostles, and everyone were to pay homage to him: “Kiss the Son” (Ps 2:12) instead of trying to trip him in his words or betray, crucify, or kill him.

Hearing Jesus say this, “A large crowd gladly accepted this truth” (12:37). They understood that YHWH’s ruler, the Adonai Lord, had come and was in their midst. The religious leaders, however, were silent.

Christians, for centuries, have struggled to understand who Jesus was and is. Simply put, he was (and is) God’s anointed king, Adonai, and Lord – to whom every living being must surrender and pay homage. He was and is more than a mere human. He was and is different from YHWH. He created everything, held everything together, and brought resurrection to the people who died because Adam brought death into this world. He was David’s son and yet David’s Adonai Lord. The religious leaders of Jesus’s time couldn’t understand this mystery, and we struggle to understand him even to this day. Yet, balancing all these unreconcilable ideas will help us from believing and teaching unbiblical teachings about Jesus.