Matthew 22:15-46
“Whose Son is Messiah?”
“While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, ‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?’” – Matthew 22:42
Whose Son is Messiah? That is the million-dollar question. It was then andremains now; it will be the most asked question until He Returns when every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus, the Christ,is Lord [ref. Php 2:10-11].
In John’s first Epistle, John applied three tests to discern a true minister of God’s Word. A moral test [i.e., does he live according to God’s word?]; a social test [i.e., does he love with God’s unconditional love?], and a doctrinal test [i.e., who does he say that Jesus is?]. In our passage, we will focus on this last test as Jesus applied it to Israel’s elite; the Herodians, the Sadducees, and the Scribes and Pharisees.
After answering their questions in vv.15-40, Jesus posed questions to them. “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They answered, “The Son of David.” Jesus then followed with another. “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying: ‘The Lord [Jehovah] said to my Lord [Adonai], “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’?
“If David,” Jesus asked,“then calls Him ‘Lord’ [Adonai] how is He his Son?” And after that, Matthew recorded, no one said a word [ref. v.46].
Now, to understand this we need to dig a little deeper into what Jesus was asking. Because His question not only baffled the “experts in the Law,” but in so doing He underscored a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith; that Messiah, the Christ, is God. That was a foreign thought in that day, and for many today. But Psalm 110, specifically v.1, clearly highlights that by none other than King David.
“Every Orthodox Jewish scholar interpreted Psalm 110:1 to refer to the Messiah.” [Wiersbe] However, Jesus asked, “If Messiah is David’s Son, then how could Messiah be David’s Lord?”
There is only one answer: As God, Messiah is David’s Lord; as man Messiah is David’s son.
And then takingthatlogic one step further, if Jesus is Messiah, then Jesus is God and Man, which is not only a core, but the core doctrine of the Christian faith. And the radical thing is that this is supported by Israel’s own scriptures, Psalm 110, a psalm of David, which makes this an interesting Scripture for Israel to ponder.
A final note, questions are fine if you are seeking answers. The Bible teaches that those who seek the Lord will find Him. But beware of using questions as a cloak to attack Jesus and those who believe in Jesus. In the end, for those, judgment awaits.
This will be spelled out in full detail next week in our study of Matt 23 as Jesus delivers a final rebuke upon Israel’s religious leaders.
