If that why this?
How do you change a person’s mind about something? Introduce that person to an idea challenges any preconceived notions. If someone thinks all apples are red, show a different colored apple, like the “Golden Delicious” or “Granny Smith” variety. Such a paradoxical crisis can bring a person to reassess an idea, such as “all apples are red.” Jesus similarly challenged the Pharisees on their preconceived ideas about the “Son of David.” The Lord does this by pointing out something incongruent with the Pharisaic understanding of the “Son of David.”
After a few answering a foray of questions from religious leaders on various theological issues—prophetic authority (21:23-46), tributes to Caesar (22:15-22), the resurrection (22:23-33), and the greatest commandment (22:34-40)—Jesus turns the tables and directs questions to the Pharisees. The Lord asks: “What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” (22:42a).
“The son of David,” the Pharisees replied (22:42b). The subtext, of course, is they were light years away from affirming the very title to Jesus. Earlier in the Passion Week, they became indignant that the crowds were shouting out “Hosanna to the Son of David” (21:15) and it is unlikely their objection to Jesus being the “Son of David” had changed.
Jesus then raises a question challenging the Pharisaic belief. The line of reasoning is as follows: If that is the case, why do the Scriptures say this? The Lord draws upon the ancient Scriptures to demonstrate the flaw in the theological presupposition. He says, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet?’ If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” (21:43-44; cf. Psa. 110).
Whatever the Pharisees understood about the Son of David excluded the person, message, and ministry of Jesus. Moreover, whatever they understood was lacking with respect to what God in the Scriptures had revealed about the coming Messiah. Rather than continuing in their own preconceived notions, Jesus challenges them to think outside the box.
David is Israel’s quintessential king; yet, the great Old Testament monarch would bestow the title “Lord” to another person, whom Yahweh would say “Sit at My right hand.” the “right hand” being a place of honor and authority. The same Lord enthroned at Yahweh’s right hand would be a priest-king according to the order of Melchizedek (Psa. 110:4). David received a glimpse down the corridor of time of a coming messianic king who would be of such a stature that the Old Testament monarch would call that person “Lord.” As a way of explaining the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter cites the same passage, Psalm 110:1, to communicate that Jesus had risen from the dead, that He is exalted above all things, and that they were all witnessing the realization of the messianic promises of the age to come (Acts 2). Jesus’ answer was profound to the extent of drawing from the Pharisees a respectful silence (21:46).
The association of Jesus with the “Son of David” title is a theme Matthew touches upon throughout his Gospel. The New Testament writer opens with a genealogy demonstrating both explicitly and implicitly the Son of David applies to Jesus (Matt. 1:17). Using Jewish geamatria the name Hebrew name דוד [David] calculates to be 14 (ד = 4and ו = 6; hence ד+ו+ד = 14). Hence, Matthew highlights 14 generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen generations from the Babylonian exile to the birth of Messiah (Matt. 1:17). First century Jewish minds would have quickly picked up on this subtle point Matthew encrypts into the passing of a genealogy. Matthew even has angels affirming that Mary’s husband, Joseph, was the “Son of David (Matt. 1:20).
Even crowds of people would also shout out: “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord” (Matt. 21:9). Paul also understood the resurrected and exalted Jesus Christ to be a descendant of David (Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8).
It is all too simple to make the messiah of my own choosing. We might want the “sugar daddy” messiah—the genie of the lamp so to speak—all to get the stuff we want, as if one could satisfy the appetite of avariciousness. We might want a great political messiah who can lead a glorious revolution to overthrow a corrupt regime, reboot the system, and establish a new utopia. We might want a spiritual messiah to give affirmations and to attain cosmic bliss. Yet the Son of David, and all He stands for, goes beyond all that. Matthew teaches us that blind men called upon Jesus the Son of David for salvation and they were healed (Matt. 9:27-31; Mat. 20:29-34). A Gentile woman who Matthew describes with a name that had become associated with abominable pagan sinfulness—a “Canaanite”—even she could recognized Jesus as the Son of David, and call upon Him for salvation (Matt. 15:22-28). The one thing we need more than anything else is to be redeemed from our sin. Yes, the world is filled with problems, but lest we come to grips with sin, the problems remain. God’s Messiah comes to save people from their sin. When Christ comes back, the problem of sin will be fully and finally dealt with. We must come to Christ to deal with the sin problem, and then we can begin to have the spiritual foundations to put in order a world disarrayed by sin.
~ WGN
After a few answering a foray of questions from religious leaders on various theological issues—prophetic authority (21:23-46), tributes to Caesar (22:15-22), the resurrection (22:23-33), and the greatest commandment (22:34-40)—Jesus turns the tables and directs questions to the Pharisees. The Lord asks: “What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” (22:42a).
“The son of David,” the Pharisees replied (22:42b). The subtext, of course, is they were light years away from affirming the very title to Jesus. Earlier in the Passion Week, they became indignant that the crowds were shouting out “Hosanna to the Son of David” (21:15) and it is unlikely their objection to Jesus being the “Son of David” had changed.
Jesus then raises a question challenging the Pharisaic belief. The line of reasoning is as follows: If that is the case, why do the Scriptures say this? The Lord draws upon the ancient Scriptures to demonstrate the flaw in the theological presupposition. He says, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet?’ If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” (21:43-44; cf. Psa. 110).
Whatever the Pharisees understood about the Son of David excluded the person, message, and ministry of Jesus. Moreover, whatever they understood was lacking with respect to what God in the Scriptures had revealed about the coming Messiah. Rather than continuing in their own preconceived notions, Jesus challenges them to think outside the box.
David is Israel’s quintessential king; yet, the great Old Testament monarch would bestow the title “Lord” to another person, whom Yahweh would say “Sit at My right hand.” the “right hand” being a place of honor and authority. The same Lord enthroned at Yahweh’s right hand would be a priest-king according to the order of Melchizedek (Psa. 110:4). David received a glimpse down the corridor of time of a coming messianic king who would be of such a stature that the Old Testament monarch would call that person “Lord.” As a way of explaining the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter cites the same passage, Psalm 110:1, to communicate that Jesus had risen from the dead, that He is exalted above all things, and that they were all witnessing the realization of the messianic promises of the age to come (Acts 2). Jesus’ answer was profound to the extent of drawing from the Pharisees a respectful silence (21:46).
The association of Jesus with the “Son of David” title is a theme Matthew touches upon throughout his Gospel. The New Testament writer opens with a genealogy demonstrating both explicitly and implicitly the Son of David applies to Jesus (Matt. 1:17). Using Jewish geamatria the name Hebrew name דוד [David] calculates to be 14 (ד = 4and ו = 6; hence ד+ו+ד = 14). Hence, Matthew highlights 14 generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen generations from the Babylonian exile to the birth of Messiah (Matt. 1:17). First century Jewish minds would have quickly picked up on this subtle point Matthew encrypts into the passing of a genealogy. Matthew even has angels affirming that Mary’s husband, Joseph, was the “Son of David (Matt. 1:20).
Even crowds of people would also shout out: “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord” (Matt. 21:9). Paul also understood the resurrected and exalted Jesus Christ to be a descendant of David (Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8).
It is all too simple to make the messiah of my own choosing. We might want the “sugar daddy” messiah—the genie of the lamp so to speak—all to get the stuff we want, as if one could satisfy the appetite of avariciousness. We might want a great political messiah who can lead a glorious revolution to overthrow a corrupt regime, reboot the system, and establish a new utopia. We might want a spiritual messiah to give affirmations and to attain cosmic bliss. Yet the Son of David, and all He stands for, goes beyond all that. Matthew teaches us that blind men called upon Jesus the Son of David for salvation and they were healed (Matt. 9:27-31; Mat. 20:29-34). A Gentile woman who Matthew describes with a name that had become associated with abominable pagan sinfulness—a “Canaanite”—even she could recognized Jesus as the Son of David, and call upon Him for salvation (Matt. 15:22-28). The one thing we need more than anything else is to be redeemed from our sin. Yes, the world is filled with problems, but lest we come to grips with sin, the problems remain. God’s Messiah comes to save people from their sin. When Christ comes back, the problem of sin will be fully and finally dealt with. We must come to Christ to deal with the sin problem, and then we can begin to have the spiritual foundations to put in order a world disarrayed by sin.
~ WGN
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