Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Reading

Introduction

This morning, we are looking at a section in Luke’s Gospel that may seem somewhat strange and out of place.

Jesus poses a question to those around Him, and if you’re just doing a cursory reading of the passage, it may seem very strange.

But the question itself is a critical one, and in fact would have been a powerful one in the context of what was happening to Jesus at this time.

It’s also going to be a powerful question for us, at least in terms of its implications.

It’s another one of these questions that must lead us to consider what place Jesus has in our hearts and minds.

In other words, who do you see Jesus as?

How important and significant is Jesus, not only in your daily thoughts, but also as revealed by your daily actions.

Perhaps I could begin by asking this question: Which person today in your own life commands the most respect and honour for you.

In other words, who is the most highly respected and honoured person in your life, and how would you respond to them if you came into their presence?

Perhaps you don’t have someone - at least someone that you know and have met - that have that kind of power of respectability, but I’m quite certain that there are those who are highly esteemed in your mind that if you had to meet them, you’d be shaky at the knees.... unsure what to say… just because of the way in which you esteem them.

If there is something that I’d like you to consider from this study this morning, it’s that Jesus is far greater, and is worthy of far more honour and respect… If you are at a loss for words in front of “earthly greats” just by being in their presence, then so much more so by being in the presence of Christ… for the pure fact that He is so far exalted above any other, and He is worthy of our honour and worship.

Context

In setting the context (because the context is very important in seeing what is happening here) keep in mind that Jesus has just been confronted by various religious leaders in the temple courts.

It’s the time of the Passover, and the Jews are gathering in order to observe the Passover feast, as commanded by God.

They are gathering in Jerusalem in large numbers.

Keep in mind also that this will be the time where the final Passover Lamb will be slain - Jesus Christ will be put to death finally for the sins of all who would believe in Him.

As such, we can know and understand that the tensions are running high!!

As the tensions build between the religious leaders and Jesus (well, at least from the side of the religious leaders) there have been some attempts to catch Jesus out with questions.

The religious leaders have been trying to discredit him, and while they’re at it, they’ve been trying to find a way to have him put to death.

That’s part of the motivation behind their questions.

And so there’s this real hostility in the midst of the people gathered for this festival.

The last two sections of Luke’s Gospel have outlined for us questions that were posed to Jesus in order to catch Him out in something that He might say.

There was this effort to discredit Jesus, or to get Him to say something that would be detrimental to Him.

The first question was brought by the Pharisees.

They questioned him about the paying of taxes.

Their hope was to get him to answer either in support of the Roman government, which make him lose credibility with the Jewish people, or alternatively to answer in support of not paying taxes, which would have garnered further support with the people, but would have led to him being in big trouble with the Roman government.

And I suspect that they were hoping for that latter acocunt - that he would support the Jewish people, revolt against paying taxes.

Because this would help them to have him put to death, which was only within the power and authority of the Roman government to do.

The religious leaders didn’t actually have that authority.

The second question was brought by the Sadduccees.

They didn’t believe in the resurrection.

Theirs was more of a religious question, designed to discredit Jesus as a credible teacher / Rabbi.

They thought that their conundrum question, based in the Mosaic Law and marriage requirements, would stump Jesus, and so discredit him.

They were wrong.

In both instances!!!

Both Pharisees and Sadducees received answers from Jesus that silenced them.

They simply could not catch Him out, and in fact, they were made to look foolish on their part through His wisdom.

It’s in the context of these questions that were posed to Jesus that Jesus himself now brings a question to them.

And the question will relate to who Jesus is, to His supreme authority.

It is important to keep in mind another big question that had been asked to Jesus as He had entered into Jerusalem.

You recall that He had received this grand welcome as He made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey (a symbol of royal authority).

But the first encounter having done this was in the temple courts, where Jesus drove the traders out of the temple.

As he did that, and as He continued to preach and teach in the courts, He was asked the question: “By what authority are you doing these things?”

The question that Jesus will pose to these religious leaders goes to the heart of their own question.

His question is going to show to them that He is in fact the Son of God.

1.

A Puzzling Introduction

We find the initial question of Jesus in verse 41:

This question is rooted in a common and dearly held belief among the Jewish people.

You will recall that God had promised to put a king on the throne of David for ever.

This was a promise that was given to David Himself through a Covenant established between God and David. 2 Samuel 7:12 shows us the promise that God made.

The promise is given through Nathan the prophet, who was told by God to speak these words to David…

This Covenant promise given by God to David was one of the key promises in the Old Testament Scriptures that kept the people of Israel hope-filled.

They were waiting for and longing for the Messiah that would come down and be seated on the throne of David.

They knew that God’s promise was for this king to be a great deliverer for them.

In other words, this was a foundational truth of their theology and their worldview.

They had not doubt about it whatsoever, and they were simply waiting for this one that was to come.

In this sense, the question that Jesus poses here is quite strange.

He’s asking them how it is that they say the Christ (the Messiah) is the Son of David.

The obvious answer is, God’s said it!!!

I can just picture that as Jesus started out his question in this manner, the religious leaders must have had a quizzical look on their faces.

Why are you asking this question?

Jesus then follows the question up with a quote from David…

2. A Profound Declaration

In verse 42-43 we read…

Christ turns the attention of his listeners to the words of David Himself, this great King of Israel who was given the promise by God.

The quote that Jesus goes to is found in Psalm 110:1

Turn there in your Bibles

Now, the person writing the Psalm was David.

He was King at the time that he wrote this Psalm.

He was the supreme ruler of Israel, and there was no one that was higher than him.

As you look at Psalm 110:1, you’ll notice that there are two seperate uses of the word, “Lord.”

The first use will be all captials in your Bible.

This is done to show that the word in the original Hebrew is the word Yahweh, which is the covenant name for God.

The second word is just in normal letters, indicating that it is the word “Adonai.”

I appreciate the way that R.C. Sproul speaks to this distinction in the use of the word “Lord...”

A Walk with God: Luke (Luke 20:41–44)

In the Old Testament, Yahweh is the name of God, but his supreme title is ‘Adonai’ or ‘Sovereign One’.

And so in this extraordinary passage we find David describing a conversation between God and the one who is David’s Lord.

David is saying ‘God said to my Sovereign’, or ‘Yahweh said to my Adonai’—he is recognizing that there is one who has the name of God, Adonai, yet somehow must be distinguished from God, Yahweh.

What David is saying here is that his God - Yahweh - was speaking to his Lord - his Adonai.

But from the place of a king, this was striking.

We’ll see more of just how important that is in a moment.

But for now, I want us to note what God says to this Lord (Adonai) of David.

God says to him: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

I want to briefly point out from those words the weightiness of what God was conveying.

Firstly, God is saying to David’s Lord that he must sit at his right hand.

What did it mean to sit at the right hand of someone?

The person who sat at the right hand of a ruler or leader was given authority.

It implies the possession of the utmost confidence, power, and preeminence.

But we see further in these words that the authority of this king is derived from Yahweh who promises to extend his rule by putting all of his enemies under his feet.

d

Luke (Luke 20:42–44)

The figure “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool” is that of an enemy lying in the dust so that the conqueror’s feet can be placed on his neck.

Complete triumph over every foe is assured to David’s Lord.

And that assurance is given by Jehovah, the Covenant-keeping God.

That leads us to consider....

3. A Perplexing Riddle

This leads Jesus to present to His hearers his real question....