THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION

Matthew 22:34-46

Monday, 7 March 2022

“What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.” (Matthew 22:42)

In Matthew chapter 22, the religious leaders questioned Jesus about Paying the Taxes (Vs.15-22), Resurrection (Vs.23-33) and the Greatest Commandment (Vs.34-40). Here in verses 41-42 the religious leaders could not properly answer Jesus’ question. “What do you think about Messiah? Whose son is he?”

It was wrongly believed among the Scribes that the promised Redeemer would be one of David’s sons and successors, with a human nature. Since Christ would be descendant of David, the conviction of “Messiah in the human nature” was so deeply rooted in their minds. Satan therefore overturned this belief- he stripped Him of His Divinity, as if He had been only one of the ordinary descendants of Adam. Thus, the hope of future and eternal life, spiritual righteousness wouldn’t have relevance. And ever since Christ was manifested to the world, Heretics have attempted to overturn sometimes his humanity, and sometimes his Divinity,- which would either mean he might not have full power to save us, or we might not have an access to Him.

We have seen again and again that Jesus refused to allow his followers to proclaim him as the Messiah as their idea of Messiahship needed a radical change. The Messiah was mostly viewed on the nationalistic, political, military terms of power and glory.

He asked the Pharisees whose son they understood the Messiah to be: they answered, as he knew they would, "David's son." Jesus then quotes the Messianic text Psalm 110:1: "The Lord says to my Lord; Sit at my right hand." In it the first Lord is God; the second Lord is the Messiah. That is to say, David calls the Messiah “Lord”. But, if the Messiah is David's son, how could David call his own son Lord?

Jesus is proving that it is not adequate to call the Messiah Son of David. He is not David's son; he is David's Lord- greater than David. When Jesus healed the blind men, they called him Son of David (Matt. 20:30). When he entered Jerusalem the crowds hailed him as Son of David (Matt. 21:9). Jesus is here saying, "It is not enough to call the Messiah, ‘Son of David’, nor enough to think of him as a Prince of David's line and an earthly conqueror. You must go beyond that, for the Messiah is “David's Lord." What did Jesus mean? Jesus makes his greatest claim that He is not the earthly conqueror who would repeat the military victories of David, but the Son of God who would demonstrate the divine and sacrificial love of God upon his Cross.

The most important question we will ever answer is “what we believe about Christ.” Other theological questions are irrelevant until we believe that Jesus is who He said He is, as explained in verse 44.

A Pre-Existent Person: David spoke at a time long before the Messiah was born. Also, God the Father spoke to the Messiah as if He existed even then! "The LORD said to my Lord”

A divine Person: God speaking; "Sit at My right hand . . ." To sit at the right hand of a mighty ruler was to sit in the position of greatest possible honor and exaltation, and to share in that king's glory.

God's appointed Judge: God says to David's Son, "…… till I make Your enemies Your footstool."

When Jesus spoke these words, they had the uncomfortable feeling that they had heard the voice of God, and for a moment, in this man Jesus, they glimpsed God's very face. After that no one dared to ask him any more questions. Do we worship Him in awe and wonder knowing that the One who loves us and saves us, is a Pre-existent person, a Divine Person, the God’s appointed Judge and the True Son of God?

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am (Son of Man)?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the

Christ, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:15-16