Jesus And David Series

-Tuesday-

Jerusalem

Jesus and David

(Psalm 110:1) Matthew 22:41-46 (focal passage), Mark 12:35-37, Luke 20:41-44

Matthew 22:41-46

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,

42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.”

43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:

44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ’?

45 If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?”

46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.

This incident is the climax of the series of encounters that Jesus had with His enemies during one day (Tuesday) of that final week in Jerusalem.

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,

Paraphrase: While the Pharisees were assembled together, Jesus asked them a question.

All early Christians understood that Jesus was a descendant of David; but He did not derive his authority from his personal ancestry. The Messiah must be thought of, not as a national monarch but as the lord of all, exalted far above David.

The Pharisees had asked Jesus questions on many occasions, thinking they could expose Him as a fraud, but He always managed to defeat their evil attempts to discredit Him with the people. Now, He asks them a question while they were together discussing how to deal with Him. He could have taken one of them aside, but in order to shame them even more, he took them all on. God delights in baffling his enemies when they are the strongest. He gives them all the advantages they can wish for, and still He conquers them.

42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.”

Paraphrase: “What is your view of the Messiah? Whose son is He?” They answered, “He is The Son of David.”

From Mark 12:35, we know that Jesus was teaching in the temple when this took place. They had put questions to him, one after another, concerning the law; but now, he comes and puts a question to them. The question He posed was, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” By asking them who the Messiah is, He gave them another opportunity to acknowledge Him as that Anointed One from God that they were waiting for. The question is similar to that earlier one He asked of the disciples recorded in Matthew 16:15 (“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ ”), where they gave the correct answer. The Pharisees’ response, “The Son of David,” was an easy answer since they were trained experts in the Law. They were familiar with those scriptures that referred to the anticipated Messiah as the Son of David. If they had been asked, they could give the chapter and verse of those Old Testament scriptures, including 2 Samuel 7:12-13.

The answer, “The Son of David,” reflects their conviction that the Messiah would be no more than a man who would deliver Israel from their Roman masters and make the nation great again. It was the common teaching of the scribes who accepted the Davidic lineage of the Messiah. The basis for teaching this concept is found in Psalm 89:35-36, Isaiah 9:7 and Isaiah 11:1.

Most Pharisees did not believe that Jesus was the Christ; they were still waiting for the Messiah. Therefore, Jesus was not asking them, “What do you think of Me?” He was asking in a general way, what impression they had of the office and person of the Messiah, and whose Son would the Messiah be when He appeared. They answered correctly that the Messiah would be a descendant of David. They wanted a Messiah that would be a political leader, defeat their Roman masters, and make their nation great, again. That was partly why they did not accept Christ when He came as the Messiah.

Today, many are so busy trying to keep the law, that they forget Christ, as if their good deeds would save them without His merit and grace. It would be a good idea for each of us to ask ourselves, what do we think of Christ? Some do not think of him at all, but to them that believe he is precious!

43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘ Lord,’ saying:

44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ’?

Paraphrase: Then Jesus said, “How can the Messiah be ‘The Son of David,’ since David when he was influenced by the Holy Spirit called Him Lord.” God said to my Lord (Jesus), “Set by my right side until I have made your enemies your footstool”