Whose Son is the Messiah? - Matthew 22:41-45
Whose Son Is the Messiah?
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied. 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, 44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ 45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Reflection:
Since the Pharisees had been grilling Jesus with so many questions, Jesus decided to ask them a question. He asked them what they thought of the Messiah? It is always good for all of us to be able to answer this question. At the heart of our faith is how we view the Messiah, or the Christ? Who He is and where does He come from. Then Jesus asked them a question which would seem simple enough on the surface, "Whose son is he?" This every Jew would know that he came from the line of David, who was one of the sons of Jesse.
Now here is where it gets interesting. Jesus says, "Then who is it that David speaking by the Spirit calls Jesus "Lord"? The Lord said to my lord sit at my right hand until I have put your enemies under my feet." This is an obvious reference to Jesus at the right hand of God, the seat of power and equality. Jesus is now publicly announcing His true nature that He is both God and man. The seems like an apparent contradiction but does flow logically from the argument Jesus puts forth. Since the Pharisees can't negate either statement because of their view of the authority of Scripture, they have nothing to say. And they decide maybe it is better off not to ask this guy any more questions.
Subtly we want to say, "Way to go Jesus, you give it to those bullies." But besides flustering them, Jesus uses it as an opportunity to reveal His true identity as 100% God and 100% human. This is was makes Jesus different than any other religious leader, would be Messiah, and prophet. Jesus had to be fully human to enter into our world to show us God's love and purchase our forgiveness on the cross. And He needed to be fully God to do the works. He did and also live a sinless life. Any compromise of any of these aspects and the Christian faith has a hole in it? Why?
If He wasn't God he would have had to die for His own sins not ours. If he wasn't human he couldn't have been born of the line of David and thus fulfilled all the prophecies made about him in the Old Testament. You see this is the only way it works and if God had not orchestrated it, we could never invented it. And again as you are reading the bible it equips you to continue to be prepared to give an answer for the hope you have within you. The hope that Jesus son of David was and is the Messiah, and that by believing in Him you will have eternal life.
God thank you that you confound the wisdom of this earth and make it seem foolish as compared with the wisdom you came to give us through Your Son. Continue to help us rely on your wisdom not the wisdom of men so we can stay on the path that leads to life and life abundantly. Amen.
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied. 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, 44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ 45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Reflection:
Since the Pharisees had been grilling Jesus with so many questions, Jesus decided to ask them a question. He asked them what they thought of the Messiah? It is always good for all of us to be able to answer this question. At the heart of our faith is how we view the Messiah, or the Christ? Who He is and where does He come from. Then Jesus asked them a question which would seem simple enough on the surface, "Whose son is he?" This every Jew would know that he came from the line of David, who was one of the sons of Jesse.
Now here is where it gets interesting. Jesus says, "Then who is it that David speaking by the Spirit calls Jesus "Lord"? The Lord said to my lord sit at my right hand until I have put your enemies under my feet." This is an obvious reference to Jesus at the right hand of God, the seat of power and equality. Jesus is now publicly announcing His true nature that He is both God and man. The seems like an apparent contradiction but does flow logically from the argument Jesus puts forth. Since the Pharisees can't negate either statement because of their view of the authority of Scripture, they have nothing to say. And they decide maybe it is better off not to ask this guy any more questions.
Subtly we want to say, "Way to go Jesus, you give it to those bullies." But besides flustering them, Jesus uses it as an opportunity to reveal His true identity as 100% God and 100% human. This is was makes Jesus different than any other religious leader, would be Messiah, and prophet. Jesus had to be fully human to enter into our world to show us God's love and purchase our forgiveness on the cross. And He needed to be fully God to do the works. He did and also live a sinless life. Any compromise of any of these aspects and the Christian faith has a hole in it? Why?
If He wasn't God he would have had to die for His own sins not ours. If he wasn't human he couldn't have been born of the line of David and thus fulfilled all the prophecies made about him in the Old Testament. You see this is the only way it works and if God had not orchestrated it, we could never invented it. And again as you are reading the bible it equips you to continue to be prepared to give an answer for the hope you have within you. The hope that Jesus son of David was and is the Messiah, and that by believing in Him you will have eternal life.
God thank you that you confound the wisdom of this earth and make it seem foolish as compared with the wisdom you came to give us through Your Son. Continue to help us rely on your wisdom not the wisdom of men so we can stay on the path that leads to life and life abundantly. Amen.
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