The Ultimate Challenge Question: How Jesus' Question Proves Who He Is

Scripture Reading

Prayer

Introduction

Review

Following

Jesus arriving in Jerusalem and causing a scene at the temple,

His return the next day and having His authority challenged directly,

Followed by His teaching in parables to tell the leaders that they we not truly of the kingdom

Jesus has just be challenged again by three question meant to show that He was just a Rabbi and had no wisdom beyond that of a regular man.

He successfully answered all of these questions in a way that regular Rabbis and scholars have never been able to, silencing His critics and impressing the crowds.

Preview

Now Jesus will turn the tables, asking a question of His detractors that will finally silence them.

He puts an end to the questions that were beating around the bush and gets to the true heart of the matter.

He challenges them on the identity of the messiah.

After all, this is what has them so upset.

Not His view on the ressurection, or taxes, or even on the great commandment

but on His claim of being the messiah!

Exposition 1

Matthew 22:41 ESV

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together

This is a matter of convinience

Not just the Pharisees

The leaders of the Jewish people

Jesus asked them a question

Straight forward, to the point.

Matthew 22:42 ESV

saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.”

His question is, “Whose son is the messiah?”

This is the heart of the issue with Jesus.

The leaders were certainly upset with Jesus’ teaching and things like His causing of a scene at the temple.

Their real issue was that people believed that Jesus was the Christ

Christ as name vs title “the Christ”

Christ = Messiah

Their answer was standard/expected

“The son of David”

Their answer was not wrong

It is taught repeatedly in the OT (2 Sam 7:13; Isaiah 11:1, 10; Jeremiah 23:5.

It is taught repeatedly in the NT and even in Matthew, both through the genealogies and through the title “Son of David”

But Jesus is about to show that it is deficient.

It is not a complete picture of who’s son the messiah is

Jesus is asking them to evaluate His merits as the Messiah, or the Christ

Matthew 22:43 ESV

He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

In verse 44, Jesus quotes Psalm 110. Here, in verse 43, Jesus introduces the Psalm by asking another question of the Jewish leaders.

Specifically, He asks, if the messiah only relates to David as his heir or descendent, why does he refer to Him as Lord?

Jesus also emphasizes that David was “in the Spirit”

I want to stop here and make a point

Now this is not the “main point” of the text but it is certainly a very important doctrine that we see here is supported by Jesus

I. All scripture is true because the Holy Spirit is its source (43)

Psalm 110 was widely viewed as Messianic in Jesus’ day

Matthew 22:44 ESV

“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet” ’?

Matthew 22:45 ESV

If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”

Let’s take a moment to hear what Jesus is saying

Here is Jesus’ teaching point. Next will come the passage point.

II. Messiah is more than The Son of David, He is Lord(41-45)

Matthew 22:46 ESV

And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

III. Jesus is the Messiah, the Perfect Teacher, He is Lord! (46)