David’s Lord, David’s Son – Matthew 22:34-46

It is easy to fail to pay attention to some detail in Scripture that is entirely critical and determinative of meaning. When reading Psalm 110:1, for example, it is critical to note that David is writing this and in Hebrew says, “Yahweh said to my Lord.” David is identifying Yahweh as speaking to David’s Lord. But isn’t Yahweh David’s Lord? Yes, but Yahweh is also addressing another Lord of David’s, the Messiah.

Jesus did not miss this detail in his reading of this passage from the Old Testament, and used this detail to show how the Pharisees had failed to understand a critical aspect of Messiah’s character.

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’?

If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. (Matthew 22:34-46 ESV)

The Pharisees may have been excited to see their opponents, the Sadducees, silenced, but why they thought that boded well for them to succeed at tripping Jesus up is a mystery.  They must have been desperate.  It is unclear why they thought that this question about the Law would have been an issue, and Jesus’ answer is one they had come up with themselves (Luke 10:26-28).  We are not obligated simply to keep God’s laws, we are obligated to love Him fully and love others fully and so keep His laws from that motive of love.

Jesus decides to ask the Pharisees a question and it does trip them up.  They knew and expected the Messiah to be David’s son and claim David’s throne.  But the son is never greater than the father, so Jesus’ question, from Psalm 110:1, where David calls the Messiah his Lord, throws them. 

We understand that as both God and human Jesus is able to be both David’s offspring (in regards to his human nature) and David’s Lord (in regard to his divine nature).  It was hard for anyone to embrace this fact, much less the Pharisees who wanted to see Jesus destroyed.  This understanding is still the hallmark of true Christianity.  All who deny the full deity and humanity of Jesus preach a false Christ.

Why is that truth so important? If Jesus is not fully human, then he cannot be our substitute on the cross and the new head of our “race” (as Adam was). And if He is not divine, his sacrifice cannot avail for the entire human race, everyone who believes.

For further study: https://askthepastors.wordpress.com/2013/11/26/is-jesus-god-or-the-son-of-god/