It's quite striking how Jesus goes on teaching right up to the moment of His arrest and trial. This was crucial teaching for the trainee apostles - 'last words' always embed themselves in the memory.  Having faced questioning from His accusers, Jesus then puts the crowd on the spot.  He forced them to rethink their doctrine of who the Messiah (the Christ) would be; but knew the disciples would need this tutorial as they taught the Early Church. They thought that the Messiah would be their victorious leader but also a son of David … and therefore one who would be their son to serve them. This view was not wrong (Isaiah 9:6), but it was incomplete.

So Jesus crystallised the question: if Psalm 110:1 called the Christ David's Lord - how can He be David's son?  We have the benefit of knowing that Jesus was the son of David by His human genealogy, but also the Lord of all - by appointment.  It was important that the disciples understood this before the darkness of Calvary.  It was not easy to understand: if the Messiah was David's son (presuming He came after him), how could He also be his Lord and Master (presuming that the Messiah was before David).  

John the Baptist had already resolved this conundrum by saying that although Jesus came after Him, He was before him.  The before means both in order of precedence and order of time – because the Son of God was before everything and the Creator of all (Colossians 1:15-17).  We know that the disciples did get the message because Peter's Pentecost message included these words "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36).  Without Jesus being Lord, there is no Master over death or Saviour for eternal life.

The central theme of Mark's Gospel, which remains the crucial question for today, is: "Who is Jesus?".  If He is not Lord by God's appointment, it would be blasphemous idolatry for us to make Him Lord.  But if He is, then He has the right to our obedience and worship!  Much Christian 'soft-talk' misses the central point.  Conversations about religion, church, priesthood or the perversities that sell newspapers - all that is often wasted time.  Ask the key question, "What do you think of Jesus, who is He?"  That will lead the conversation to the heart of the gospel - and to salvation for those who will hear!