The Forgotten Psalm

Week 1 — "Whose Son Is He?"

Series Introduction:

This message begins a thirteen-week journey through a single psalm—Psalm 110. It's the most quoted Old Testament text in the New Testament, yet for many Christians today, it's virtually unknown. Forgotten. But it was not forgotten by Jesus. It was not forgotten by the apostles. And it cannot be forgotten by the Church today.

This series is titled The Forgotten Psalm: Recovering the Reigning Christ of Psalm 110 because we’re not just studying a text—we’re recovering a vision. A vision of Christ not merely as Savior and sacrifice, but as enthroned King, ruling now from the right hand of the Father.

The early Church preached from this psalm. They used it to explain the resurrection, the ascension, the mission of the Church, and the destiny of history itself. And for too long, we’ve reduced Christ to the cross and left Him off the throne in our preaching, our worship, and our worldview.

This series also lays the foundation for an upcoming book I’m releasing that walks through Psalm 110 line-by-line, showing how this one psalm is not just referenced throughout the New Testament but forms the very spine of its theology. Psalm 110 is God’s favorite psalm, quoted or alluded to more than any other Old Testament text by Jesus and the apostles. It shaped their preaching, grounded their hope, and defined their understanding of the risen Christ. The book and the sermons will go hand in hand, reinforcing the same goal: to reawaken the Church to the present reign of Jesus Christ.

So today we begin—not with the psalm itself—but with how Jesus used it to reveal who He really is. In this series, we will start with how the New Testament authors—especially Jesus and the apostles—used Psalm 110 to proclaim His identity, authority, and mission. Then we’ll work our way backward to the source. Like following a stream to its headwaters, we’ll trace the theological power of Psalm 110 from its apostolic proclamation all the way back to David’s prophetic pen. And what we’ll find is that this isn’t just a messianic footnote—it’s a foundation stone for understanding Christ.

Series: The Forgotten Psalm: Recovering the Reigning Christ of Psalm 110 Date: Sunday, October 12, 2025 Text: Matthew 22:41–46 (LSB) Big Idea: The Messiah is David’s Lord—divine, eternal, exalted.

Reading — Matthew 22:41–46 (LSB)

Context & Background

By the time we reach Matthew 22, Jesus has entered Jerusalem for the final time. The cross is only days away. He has cleansed the Temple, cursed the fig tree, and taught in parables that directly confront the religious leaders. The tension is at a boiling point.

This chapter is a theological battlefield. The Pharisees and Sadducees, normally divided, have united to try to trap Him. They ask loaded questions about taxes, the resurrection, and the Law. They’re not curious—they’re calculating. But one by one, Jesus dismantles their schemes.

And now, with all eyes on Him, Jesus asks His question. It’s not a distraction. It’s not a clever comeback. It is a divine scalpel cutting to the heart of Israel’s error. What they thought they knew about the Messiah is about to be shattered. He is not merely a national deliverer or a political hero. He is the exalted Son of God.

This is not just a debate. It is a revelation.

"Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: ‘What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?’ They said to Him, ‘The son of David.’ He said to them, ‘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’”? Therefore, if David calls Him “Lord,” how is He his son?’ And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question."

Exposition

1. The Setting: A Trapped Messiah Turns the Tables (v.41)

This is Jesus' final public confrontation before the cross. The tension in Jerusalem is rising. His authority has been challenged all week. The Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, and scribes have all taken turns trying to trap Him in theological or political controversy—yet every attempt has failed.

Now, Jesus turns the tables. He doesn’t ask a question to get information. He asks a question to expose their misunderstanding of the Messiah.

“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?”

Their answer is what every Jew believed: “The son of David.” That’s true—but not complete. They expected a human king in David’s line who would conquer Rome, restore Israel’s glory, and bring national revival. It’s not far off from what many Christians are still waiting on today—a Messiah who comes later, fixes the world politically, and takes up a future throne. Wrong expectations, wrong timing. Not much has changed.

But Jesus presses deeper. The Messiah is not just David’s son—He is David’s Lord. This question pulls back the veil to show that the Christ is not just a descendant in a bloodline—He is the eternal Son of God.

He’s telling them: You’re standing in front of David’s Lord right now—and you don’t recognize Him.

2. The Quote: Psalm 110:1 in Jesus' Mouth (v.44)

Jesus quotes directly from Psalm 110—the most quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament:

“The Lord said to my Lord: 'Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet.'”

Jesus is using Scripture to explain Scripture. And He makes sure they understand—David wrote this "in the Spirit" (see Mark 12:36). This is not human speculation—it is divine revelation.

David calls this coming One "my Lord." So Jesus asks: If the Messiah is David’s son, how can David call Him Lord?

Think about the question! This would not be normal in our day nor in the days of Jesus. Calling your own son Lord? Crazy talk.

There’s only one answer: the Messiah is greater than David. This is a heavenly coronation scene. Yahweh speaks to David’s Lord and gives Him the seat at His right hand—the place of power, honor, judgment, and intercession.

This is not poetry for worship—it’s a declaration of sovereignty. The Messiah is not waiting for power. He is seated in power. Enthroned. Crowned. Ruling.

Jesus is saying: The Messiah is not merely a man coming to reign—He is God come down, now exalted, seated, and subduing His enemies.

This is the Kingdom present. Not postponed. Not symbolic. Real and reigning. This is not some abstract spiritual metaphor nor a delayed political hope. It is the active government of Christ now in operation. Heaven is not a waiting room—it is the command center. From the right hand of the Father, Jesus rules, intercedes, judges, and sends out His people. Every enemy is being subdued—not by accident, but by design. And the Church isn’t called to wait for the Kingdom; she is called to walk in it.

3. The Silence: No One Could Answer (v.46)

The question lands like a hammer—sudden, forceful, unanswerable. Like a flash of divine lightning splitting the sky, it exposes everything hidden beneath. In that moment, time seems to freeze. The bustling Temple courts, filled with noise and arrogance just moments before, fall into a stunned and uneasy silence. The religious elite, so quick to speak and slow to listen, suddenly find themselves without a word. It is the silence of conviction. The silence of being confronted with a glory too great to grasp. And what follows is stunning:

“And no one was able to answer Him a word…” Not one word.

For the first time in this confrontation, they are speechless. Jesus has just used their own Scriptures to reveal a truth they weren’t ready for—and a King they didn’t want.

The implications of this moment are staggering:

The Messiah is not just Israel’s hope—He is the world’s King.

He is not waiting to reign—He is reigning.

The throne of David is not a future political event—it is a present heavenly reality.

And the man standing in front of them—rejected, unassuming, headed to the cross—is the enthroned Lord of glory.

Their mouths are closed. But their hearts are already hard. Though silenced, they are not softened. This brief moment of stunned silence will not lead to repentance—it will lead to retaliation. By Friday, these same men, enraged and threatened, will rally crowds, twist justice, and hand over David’s Lord to be crucified. The One who revealed their ignorance is now marked for death. Yet even in their rejection, the Psalm is being fulfilled—for the path to the right hand of the Father leads straight through the cross.

Gospel Connection

Jesus didn’t die to become King. He died because He was King.

The cross wasn’t a pause in the Kingdom—it was the path to the throne. The resurrection wasn’t the end of the story—it was the public vindication of the enthroned Son.

Psalm 110:1 is not a future hope. It is a present reality. The question is not whether it’s fulfilled—the question is whether you’ve believed it.

The Lord said to my Lord—can you say that?

Six Application Points

1. Know your King. Don’t settle for a soft Jesus. If your Christ can be voted out, demoted, or dismissed—He’s not the one David saw.

2. Read your Bible from the throne room. Psalm 110 isn’t background noise—it’s the interpretive key. The apostles constantly return to it. So should you.

3. Stop asking if He reigns. Start asking where. He reigns in heaven. He reigns in His Church. He reigns in your home. Your job is to align everything under Him.

4. Silence your inner Pharisee. Religious people like a controllable Christ. But Jesus reveals a King who must be worshiped.

5. Preach a crown, not just a cross. The cross saves, but the throne rules. We proclaim both.

6. Repent of low thoughts of Christ. Have you made Him a helper, a coach, a mascot? He is King of kings, Lord of lords, David’s Lord.

Summary & Call to Repent and Believe

Let’s return to that moment in the Temple courtyard. The religious elite have surrounded Jesus with loaded questions, hoping to trap Him and humiliate Him. But now, the tables have turned. Jesus isn’t dodging their questions—He’s exposing their hearts. With one quotation from Psalm 110, He shatters their assumptions and reveals a truth too glorious for them to grasp: the Christ is not only David’s son, He is David’s Lord.

And in that one moment of silence—thick, uncomfortable, undeniable—they stand face to face with the eternal King. Not a future figure. Not a hopeful idea. A present, reigning Lord.

And that same question is asked of us today:

“What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”

You can answer with tradition, like the Pharisees did. You can recite theology you’ve heard from others. Or you can see Him for who He truly is.

This Jesus is not passive. Not waiting. Not on hold. He is seated. He is ruling. He is subduing every enemy.

And your response matters. Today.

So I ask you—can you say what David said? Can you call Him your Lord?

Because whether you do now in joyful surrender, or later in trembling submission, every knee will bow.

Repent. Believe. Bow. Rise. And serve your King.