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Matthew 22:41-46 (Whose son is the Christ?)

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called Jesus in Jerusalem, and we are looking at the final week of Jesus’ life in Jerusalem before he went to the cross.

Over the past few weeks, we have been looking at a series of trick questions that the religious leaders brought to Jesus. Jesus answered them all, and in the process, he clarified a number of relationships for us: the relationship between God and government, the relationship between marriage and the resurrection, and the relationship between love for God and love for neighbor.

In today’s passage the tables are turned. This time Jesus asks the Pharisees a question. And in his exchange with them, he clarifies one further relationship for us: the relationship between the Messiah and God. (Read Matthew 22:41-46 and pray.)

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Do you like puzzles? Brain teasers? Word games? Apparently Jesus did, because in today’s passage he unloads a whopper of one on the Pharisees.

As we’ve seen, the Pharisees and the Sadducees have been taking turns hammering Jesus with questions. And so, it only seems fair that he gets to ask them one in return. And it’s not a hypothetical question either. Remember the Sadducees and their crazy question about the seven brothers and one bride? That one was hypothetical, and they asked it in bad faith.

But this is a real, live question drawn out of the Old Testament Scriptures and immediately applicable. Why? Because Jesus has been presenting himself as the Messiah, the people have been proclaiming him as the Messiah, and he has been accepting their praise.

Here Jesus focuses on the central issue. The real issue is not about taxes or marriage or the resurrection but about the identity of the Messiah. Who is the Messiah? Is Jesus the Messiah? Is he the son of David and the Son of God?

Jesus already won rounds one, two and three with the religious leaders. Now in this final round he goes for the knockout punch. The structure of the passage is simple enough: 1) Jesus questions the Pharisees. 2) Jesus challenges the Pharisees. 3) Jesus silences the Pharisees.

I. Jesus questions the Pharisees (41-42)

So, let’s begin with Jesus’ question. Look at verses 41-42:

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied. (Matthew 22:41-42)

Notice the Pharisees are all gathered together. This continues the theme of opposition against Jesus. It is also reminiscent of Psalm 2 where we read: “The rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.” (Psalm 2:2) The word for “gathered together” in Psalm 2 is the same word used here in Matthew 22. The two passages share a number of thematic parallels as we shall see.

   A. Jesus’ question: “Whose son is the Messiah?”
      – Note: the word “son” can also mean “descendant.”

The Pharisees are gathered together, and Jesus asks them the question: “Whose son is the Christ?” The word “Christ” is just another word for Messiah, so Jesus is asking them, “Whose son is the Messiah?”

The word translated “son” in this verse has a wider meaning than our English word son and can also mean descendant. So, Jesus is not necessarily asking about the actual father of the Messiah, but rather the line of descent for the Messiah.

It’s an easy question. It’s supposed to be an easy question. Everyone knew the answer to that question, but Jesus makes it personal to them. He asks them, “What do you think about the Christ? What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

   B. The Pharisees’ answer: “The son of David.”
      – 2 Samuel 7:12-13

The Pharisees answer: “The son of David,” that is, the Messiah will be descended from the line of David.

This goes back to God’s promise to David in the Old Testament that the Messiah would come from his line. The famous passage is found in 2 Samuel 7: “When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-13)

Once again, everyone knew this in those days. This was common knowledge, so this is all straight-forward, Bible 101 stuff. Easy question, easy answer.

II. Jesus challenges the Pharisees (43-45)

But then Jesus steps it up a notch when he challenges the Pharisees with a new thought. Look at verses 43-45:

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?” (Matthew 22:43-45)

Jesus first asked them an easy question, but now he challenges them to think a little deeper. Jesus is quoting from Psalm 110 here, and there are several startling thoughts Jesus strings together from this passage.

   A. David calls the Messiah ‘Lord’
      – Psalm 110:1; Psalm 2:8-9

First, he establishes that David calls the Messiah Lord: “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? (Matthew 22:43) Jesus then quotes from Psalm 110 where David says precisely this: “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” (Psalm 110:1)

This is a key chapter and verse for both the Old Testament and the New Testament. In fact, Psalm 110 is the most frequently quoted Old Testament chapter in the New Testament. And Psalm 110:1 is the most frequently quoted Old Testament verse in the New Testament.

Psalm 110 is what we call a Messianic psalm. It is a psalm that is specifically about the Messiah. And Jesus draws a startling point from this psalm. Everyone knows that the Messiah will be the son of David. And yet, David also calls him Lord. He not only calls him Lord, he calls him “my Lord.” And then, he is not only David’s Lord, but he will sit at the right hand of God. In other words, he will not only sit on David’s throne, but he will sit on God’s throne, at God’s right hand, the place of highest honor.

We mentioned Psalm 2 earlier, which is another Messianic psalm. Remember, Psalm 2 begins with the rulers gathering together against the Lord and his Anointed One. Well, the “Anointed One” is another word for the Messiah. We saw earlier how the rulers gathering together against the Lord in Psalm 2 is mirrored by the Pharisees gathering together against Jesus in Matthew.

The Lord says to the Messiah in Psalm 2:8-9: “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” (Psalm 2:8-9) Once again, this is similar to Psalm 110 where the Lord says to the Messiah: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” (Psalm 110:1)

So far Jesus has just been quoting Scripture. These are all verses that the Pharisees would have been familiar with. And unlike the Sadducees who only accepted the Pentateuch as God’s word, the Pharisees accepted the whole Old Testament. Jesus says David wrote these words in Psalm 110. He says that David wrote these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. David wrote these words about the Messiah. And so, the Messiah is not just David’s son but David’s Lord!

   B. If David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be David’s son?
      – Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5; Psalm 90:1-2

So, Jesus has just quoted a familiar Scripture to them, but now he challenges them with the implications of that Scripture. If David calls the Messiah ‘Lord,’ then how can the Messiah be David’s son? Usually, the father is greater than the son. But if David calls the Messiah ‘Lord,’ he is bound to honor and obey him as Lord. So how can he also be David’s son?

There are two different words for Lord in Psalm 110. The first word is God’s covenant name, “Yahweh.” The second word is “Adonai,” which means Lord or Master. But both words can be used of God in the Old Testament, and indeed Jesus uses the same word for Lord twice in Matthew 22, stressing that David was identifying the Messiah with the Lord God of Israel.

There’s only one problem with that. There is only one God! There is only one Lord! Deuteronomy 6:4 says: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4) God says in Isaiah 45:5: “I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.” (Isaiah 45:5) Psalm 90 tells us that the Lord is the everlasting God: “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:1-2)

There is only one God, there is only one Lord, and he has always existed throughout all generations. So, if David calls the Messiah Lord, then how can he also be David’s son?

   C. Only one answer: the Messiah must be both the son of David and the Son of God
      – 2 Samuel 7:14 (cf. verses 12-13); Psalm 2:7 (cf. verses 8-9)

That is the challenge Jesus springs on the Pharisees, and there is only one answer: the Messiah must be both the son of David and the Son of God. He must have a human origin as the son or descendant of David. And he must have a divine origin as the Son of God. Here Jesus is presenting the Pharisees with the doctrine of the incarnation.

We’ve already seen from the Scriptures that the Messiah will be the son of David. Is there any scriptural precedent that the Messiah would also be the Son of God? The answer is yes. We actually find this in both of the supporting passages we’ve already looked at concerning the Messiah.

Remember 2 Samuel 7, the famous passage where God promised David that the Messiah would be one of his descendants? We looked at verses 12-13 earlier where God told David, “I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-13) But in the very next verse God tells David this: “I will be his father, and he will be my son.” (2 Samuel 7:14) It’s right there in 2 Samuel 7, the initial prophecy that the Messiah would come from the line of David. God says concerning the Messiah, “I will be his father, and he will be my son.” (2 Samuel 7:14)

And then remember Psalm 2 which speaks of the rulers gathering together against the Lord and his Messiah and the Messiah defeating all his enemies and ruling over the nations? Well, we skipped over a verse there, too. Because in verse 7 the Messiah says this: “I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’” (Psalm 2:7)

And so yes, there is biblical precedent for the idea that the Messiah will not only be the son of David but also the Son of God.

   D. Only one person: Only Jesus is both the son of David and the Son of God
      – Matthew 26:64; Romans 1:3-4

How about historical precedent? Do we have any historical precedent as to who that person may be? There is only one person in history who fulfills the qualifications of Messiah as both the son of David and the Son of God, and that person is Jesus. Jesus was born into this world through the line of David as prophesied in Scripture. Therefore, he is truly the son of David. But he is also the eternal Son of God who took on flesh and became man. Therefore, he is truly Lord.

Here in Matthew 22 Jesus challenges the Pharisees about the Messiah’s identity. But later on, Jesus will affirm that he himself is the Messiah, that he is the Son of God who fulfills the words of Psalm 110. We read in Matthew 26: “The high priest said to him, ‘I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ 64 ‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’” (Matthew 26:63-64) Here Jesus affirms that he is the Christ, he affirms that he is the Son of God, and he affirms that he is the fulfillment of the Messiah in Psalm 110 who sits at the right hand of God.

The book of Romans in the New Testament also confirms that Jesus is both the son of David and Son of God. We read in Romans 1:3-4: “… who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 1:3-4)

David calls the Messiah Lord, so how can he be his son? There is only one answer. The Messiah must be both the son of David and son of God. And there is only one person. Only Jesus is both the son of David as evidenced by his genealogy, and the Son of God as evidenced by his resurrection from the dead.. Jesus is the Messiah who was prophesied in Psalm 110.

III. Jesus silences the Pharisees (46)

Jesus questions the Pharisees. Jesus challenges the Pharisees. And then finally, Jesus silences the Pharisees. Look at verse 46 with me now:

No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions. (Matthew 22:46)

   A. No one could say a word in reply

Now, the Pharisees are smart people. You don’t get to be a Pharisee without years of training and instruction in the Scriptures. They also apparently loved to talk! They certainly had no trouble approaching Jesus with all their questions. And Jesus answered every single one!

They eagerly answered the first question Jesus asked them, you know, the easy one: “Whose son is the Messiah?” “The son of David,” they replied. But they were either unable or unwilling to answer the challenge question Jesus asked them. “If David calls the Messiah ‘Lord,’ how can he be David’s son?”

So, which do you think it was? Were they unable to answer the question? Or were they unwilling? It could be either one. It could be they were unable to grasp the concept of God’s Son becoming man. Or it could be they were unwilling to accept that Jesus could be God’s Son.

   B. No one dared to ask Jesus any more questions

Either way, Jesus silenced the Pharisees with his challenge question, and no one dared ask him anymore questions. Jesus had already won rounds one, two and three. Now he wins round four with his knockout question about the Messiah.

The conflict is far from over, though. Jesus is about to unleash on them his strongest words ever in Matthew 23. We will look at this stunning chapter next week as Jesus pronounces seven woes on the teachers of the law and Pharisees, exposing their hypocrisy and condemning them to hell. This, of course, will set up the final conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders which will end with Jesus going to the cross to suffer and die for our sins.

Jesus silenced the Pharisees, but the Pharisees could not silence Jesus. They tried to silence him with their questions, but they failed miserably. Next, they will try to silence him by putting him to death on the cross. That usually works. But they will fail miserably at that also when Jesus rises from the dead on the third day. Jesus silenced the Pharisees, but no one could silence Jesus, not even in death.

CONCLUSION: Jesus began our passage today by asking the Pharisees a question: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” God asks you and me the same question today. “What do you think about Jesus? Whose son is he?”

We know he was the son of David. That is historical fact. We have his genealogy, and no one ever questioned it. The bigger question is, “Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God?” That’s the game changer, because if Jesus is the Son of God, everything else changes.

If Jesus is the eternal Son of God who became a man so he could die on the cross for your sins, then you need to make a decision today. Will you trust him as Savior so that your sins can be forgiven? Will you glorify him as God and give him your worship and praise? Will you obey him as Lord and submit to his authority?

Who is Jesus? He is the son of David and the Son of God. He is the Messiah and Savior of the world. Who is Jesus and how will you respond to him? That is the question before you today. It’s the most important question you will answer in your life.

© Ray Fowler

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