Just exactly who is Jesus? Everyone seems to have a different answer to that question. However, the Bible is very clear on it. In this message we learn what Jesus Himself taught as to His own identity.
[powerpress]
Jesus Christ: David’s Son and David’s Lord
Luke 20:41-44
Just exactly who is Jesus? The world can give you a hundred different answers to that question, depending on who you ask.
Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet of God. Those from the Bahai faith believe Jesus was a wise teacher, and miracle worker. Hindus believe Jesus was a god. Budhists believe Jesus was an enlightened and holy man. The New Age Movement says that Jesus was a wise moral teacher.
We will be considering a doctrine that is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. I don’t think there is any truth more important than who Jesus is. In fact, to get this wrong is deadly and damning. Jesus taught in John 8:24, “Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” To reject the Biblical truth concerning the identity and nature of Jesus Christ is to die in your sins. So, this morning we are not going to be talking about secondary issues. We will be talking about the core of the Christian faith.
Almost invariably the cults deny the deity of Jesus Christ. Jehovah’s Witnesses say that Jesus is God’s first and greatest creation, Michael the archangel. Christian Science says that Jesus was a wise man in tune with the divine consciousness. The Mormons teach that Jesus is a created being, the spirit brother of Lucifer and of all people. Victor Paul Weirwille, founder of The Way International, taught that Jesus was a man, a created being.
The essential nature of Jesus Christ has always been debated, and always will be debated to the end of history. But, one of the marks of a non-Christian cult is that they will invariably reject the deity of Jesus Christ. By “deity of Christ” I mean that Jesus is God. This is the bedrock of the Christian faith. All other religions and cults deny this truth. Historical orthodox Christians believe that Jesus is both God and man in one person. So, our study this morning will not be on peripheral issues. It will be focused on a truth that is absolutely essential.
We come again this morning to the last week of Christ’s life. During this week, the religious leaders are examining and scrutinizing Jesus Christ for any flaw that they might find in Him, similar to the way the Jews examined a lamb for four days before offering it in sacrifice on the day of Passover. We left our study last Sunday in Luke 20:39-40 which read, “Some of the scribes answered and said, ‘Teacher, You have spoken well.’ For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything.” Now, that’s interesting! Even the scribes, who were hostile to Jesus and wanted Him dead, had to confess and admit that He had spoken well. His wisdom just blew them away. They had never heard anyone speak and teach from the Scriptures the way Jesus did. The result? They stopped questioning Him and trying to bait Him into a trap. His wisdom had silenced them.
And so, now that they had finally been silenced, Jesus comes at them with a question. This is the last time Jesus will engage the religious leaders. What do you suppose His last conversation might be about? Undoubtedly, Jesus will discuss with them that thing which is most important, and He does. Jesus wants to speak to them about His essential nature.
Now that He is no longer questioned by them, He will ask a question of them. In essence Jesus says that all the Jews believe that the Christ or Messiah would be the son of David. However, David in Psalm 110 calls the Messiah his Lord. If the Messiah is David’s descendant, how could he possibly call him his Lord?
This morning I will deal with two questions:
- Who did the Jews believe the Christ would be?
- Who did God declare the Christ would be?
1. Who Did The Jews Believe The Christ Would Be?
Verse 41 says, “Then He said to them, ‘How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son?” Jesus is giving the popular view of the Jewish people in His day. The popular view is that the Christ (Messiah) would be the son of David.
Now, David was the greatest of all the kings of Israel. He was the greatest in terms of military might. Through David, the nation of Israel took possession of territory after territory, and ruled over all her enemies. The popular notion was that the Christ would be like David. He too, would be a very powerful conquering king who would vanquish all Israel’s enemies, and establish Israel as the greatest nation on the earth. However, they believed that the Messiah would only be a man. Yes, a powerful and great man, to be sure. Undoubtedly the greatest of men. But, still, a man.
Now, were the Jews right? Would the Christ be the son of David? Absolutely! 2 Samuel 7:12-13 says, “When your (David’s) days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” Isaiah 11:1, which all the Jews ascribed to the Messiah says, “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.” Of course, Jesse was the father of King David, so a root from the stem of Jesse would be an offspring of David. In Isaiah 9:7, God says of the Messiah to come, “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts.” So, the Jews of Jesus’ day were absolutely correct in believing that the Christ would be the son of David.
Interestingly, Jesus was a descendant of David. The book of Matthew begins this way, “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David (Mt. 1:1).” In Mt. 9:27, two blind men called out to Jesus, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” In Mt. 12:22-23 we find, “Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” You see, “Son of David” was a nickname for the Messiah or Christ that they had been waiting for for centuries. In Matthew 15:22, the Canaanite woman who had the demon-possessed daughter cried out to Jesus, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” And just a few days earlier, when Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem on a colt, all the multitudes waved palm branches and cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Clearly, in the minds of the common people, Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of David.
So, were the Jews wrong about Jesus? Was He the son of David? Absolutely! In fact, in Revelation 22:16 we read, “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” Jesus is the root of David and the descendant of David.
No, the Jews were not wrong about Jesus being the son of David. They were right. Their view of Jesus was not wrong. It was just incomplete. Jesus was the son of David, but He was much more.
2. Who Did God Declare the Christ Would Be?
In verse 42-44, Jesus says, “For David himself says in the book of Psalms, `THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, ‘SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.’ Therefore David calls Him `Lord,´ and how is He his son?”
Matthew 22:43 says, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him Lord?” Now, you might think Matthew is only saying that David called the Christ “Lord” in his human spirit. However, Mark puts it this way in Mark 12:36, “David himself said in the Holy Spirit.” This is Jesus’ way of saying that David’s very words in Psalm 110 were inspired by God Himself. His words are true, and correct, without error.
And so, what is it that God said in Psalm 110? “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’” This verse is quoted or alluded to in the New Testament 27 times! It is quoted or alluded to in the New Testament, more often than any other Old Testament verse! Now, what is God declaring about the Christ here?
An Inter-Trinitarian Conversation. First, we need to understand that David is being given the privilege of eavesdropping on a conversation between God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord (God the Father) said to my Lord, (Jesus Christ). Here we have an inner-Trinitarian discussion. Have you ever wondered what God the Father would say to Jesus Christ? Well, here we have a sample.
Right hand. What does God the Father tell Jesus? “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” God tells Jesus to sit at His right hand. Now, the right hand of a sovereign was the place of power, and preeminence, and authority. God is saying to Jesus, “You will be My vice-regent. Together we will rule over the universe!”
Now God tells Jesus to sit at His right hand. That is very interesting, because Psalm 110:4 says, “The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” What is interesting is that God is telling a priest to sit at His right hand. Now, if there was one thing a priest never did, it was to sit. He was always standing, ministering. He was always offering sacrifice, or sprinkling blood, or washing in the bronze laver, or trimming the candles on the lamp stand. There was no chair within the tabernacle, because a priest never sat down. Notice how this is stated in Hebrews 10:11-12, “Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet.”
There was one thing that could never happen in Israel. You could not have a king minister as a priest as well. King Uzziah tried that, and it didn’t go over real well. Listen to his story in 2 Chronicles 26:16-21, “But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. Then Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of the LORD, valiant men. They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the LORD God.” But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the altar of incense. Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because the LORD had smitten him. King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived in a separate house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son was over the king’s house judging the people of the land.”
God would not allow a King to enter into the temple and minister before the Lord. That was off limits for the sons of Aaron. However, there was one man who was both a king and a priest. That was the mysterious person in Genesis 14, Melchizedek. God says that the Christ would be a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. In other words, the Christ would rule as a King, and offer sacrifice like a priest. And this Christ, would sit at God’s right hand. What is all this point to? It’s pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ, who would take the role of a priest. Hebrews 9:26 says, “but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Jesus is the sacrifice, and Jesus is the priest. However, this priest sat down. That was unheard of. Why? Because the priests’ job was never done. As soon as he offered an animal in sacrifice for someone over here, he had to go and do it all over again for this other person over there. But “He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God!” This priest sits down, because His work is done! The work of redemption is finished. No other sacrifice ever needs to be offered. It has been offered once for all time.
Now, when did Jesus sit down at God’s right hand? After He had died for sins, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven, then He sat down as the King of the universe, ruling along with God the Father. This is what Daniel was writing about in Daniel 7:13-14, “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.” This is what Jesus meant in Matthew 28:18 when He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” This is what the apostle Paul was talking about in Ephesians 1:20-22 when he said, “He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church.”
Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Now, how long will Jesus sit at God’s right hand? Until all his enemies have been made a footstool for His feet. This is a direct allusion to Joshua 10, where five enemy kings attacked the children of Israel. God gave the victory to Joshua and Israel. When Israel had conquered their enemies, the five kings were brought out of a cave where they were being kept, and told the chiefs over the army to put their feet on the necks of those kings. When they had done that, Joshua struck them and put them to death. Thus, this expression, “a footstool for your feet”, means until your enemies have been utterly destroyed.
When will Jesus’ enemies be utterly destroyed? When He comes back, He will cast all His enemies into hell, and the last enemy that shall be abolished is death. So, Psalm 110 refers to the time between Jesus resurrection and His second coming, in which He will rule along with God the Father.
The Lord said to my Lord. Now, with all of this unpacked, we can finally get to the heart of this verse. Who is talking to who? The Lord, God the Father, is talking to David’s Lord, Jesus Christ. Now, everyone believed that this text was speaking of the Christ. Therefore, Jesus is saying that the Christ was David’s Lord. However, in the culture of Israel, a father would never, ever, call his son or his descendant his lord. The patriarch was always superior to his descendants. So, what is Jesus doing here? He is trying to get the Jews of His day to think. Just what did the Scriptures predict concerning the Messiah? They predicted that he would be the son of David. But, they also predicted he would be the Lord of David.
Now, to a Jewish mind, “Lord” usually refers to God. The Hebrew word for the first “Lord” is Yahweh. The Hebrew word for the second “Lord” is Adoni. The word “Adoni” is used dozens and dozens of times in the Old Testament for God Almighty. What Psalm 110:1 is saying is that God the Father said to God the Son, “Sit at my right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” The only way someone could refer to His descendant as “Lord” would be if that person were God incarnate.
That is what Jesus is driving at. He wants these people to understand who He is. Their very own Scriptures point to His deity. Psalm 110:1 is not the only place the points to the fact that the coming Messiah would be none other than God Himself. Isaiah 9:7 says, “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.” However, just who will this descendant of David be who will rule on his throne? The answer comes in the previous verse, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” The One who would rule on David’s throne will be none other than the Mighty God!
In Isaiah 11:1, it says, “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.” Jesse was David’s father. So, just who is this One who would be a shoot springing from Jesse? Look down to verse 10, “Then in that day the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place will be glorious.” The same person who is the shoot from Jesse, is also the root of Jesse. The shoot of Jesse refers to a son of or a descendant of Jesse. But the root of Jesse refers to the source of Jesse. What this passage is saying is that the Messiah would be both a descendant of Jesse, but also the Creator of Jesse who would bring him into existence!
Look at Jeremiah 23:5, “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The Lord our righteousness.’” There you have it! The son of David would be called “The Lord our righteousness.” Messiah would be the Mighty God, the Creator, and the Lord our righteousness! The Jews were given the key to unlock the identity of their Messiah in their own Scriptures, but they were blind to it.
Jesus is the son of David. But Jesus is also the Lord of David. Jesus is the Son of Man. But Jesus is also the Son of God. He is the root and offspring of David (Rev.22:16). The apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 1:3-4, “Jesus was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
You might be thinking, “But Brian, Jesus never comes right out and says that Psalm 110:1 is about Him.” Maybe not, but He does later in Luke. Turn over to Luke 22:67-69, “If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask a question, you will not answer. “But from now on THE SON OF MAN WILL BE SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND of the power OF GOD.” And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.” There you have it! Jesus could not have put it in any plainer language. He is the One who will be sitting at God’s right hand. He is the Son of God.
If God Were To Become Man, What Would We Expect? If God were to become a man, I think we would expect Him
- to enter the world in a supernatural way,
- to live a sinless life.
- To speak the greatest words ever spoken
- To display power over disease, demons, creation, and death
- to exercise a profound influence over humanity.
- To rise from the dead.
My friends, the gospel writers tell us that this is exactly what Jesus did! This is the central core truth of the Christian faith. Jesus is God! In fact it was the missionary C.T. Studd who said, “If Jesus Christ is God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.”
Concluding Applications
So, why does all this matter? What difference does it make? Does it really matter if we think Jesus is an angel, or the spirit brother of Lucifer, or a prophet, or an enlightened teacher, or a great moral leader, or God in human flesh? Yes, a million times yes!!!
Let me tell you why? You and I are sinners, and God is holy. We are born into this world enemies of God, children of wrath, dead in sins. We are helpless to save ourselves. If we will ever be saved from sin, we must be rescued by someone else. Since we are God’s enemies, something must be done to reconcile us to Him. Our sin is the problem. We can never be saved unless Someone solves our sin problem. Well, that is exactly what Jesus Christ has done. This is how the ancient patriarch, Job, said it in Job 9:32-33, “For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, that we may go to court together. There is no umpire between us, who may lay his hand upon us both.” That word “umpire” means “arbiter.” An arbiter is someone who settles disputes so that peace can be restored to a relationship. Job said he needed an arbiter who could lay his hand upon us both.
My friends, in Jesus Christ, we have an arbiter who can lay his hands on us both. Jesus can lay His hand on God, because He is God. Jesus Christ can lay His hand on us, because He is one of us. Since man sinned, only a Man could pay for sins. Jesus had to be human. But in order for this Man’s death to be sufficient to pay for the sins of the whole world, He would have to be God. Every other man is a sinner. Only Jesus Christ is perfectly sinless. And because Jesus is God, His death had infinite value. It is sufficient to atone for all the sins of every person on this plant and a billion other planets besides, if that were God’s intention.
Now, what do we call a person who reconciles enemies, who settles disputes, and establishes peace between them? We call that person a Mediator. That is exactly what the apostle Paul calls Jesus Christ in 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all.”
My friends, the gospel hangs on whether Jesus is God. If Jesus is not God, then the Christian faith is a lie, and you should abandon it. If Jesus is not God, there is no gospel, for you have no true Mediator who can lay His hand on you and on God and reconcile you. But if Jesus Christ is God, then you and I ought to obey and worship Him. There is none greater! He alone is worthy!
Are you trusting in the merits of a creature, or your Creator? My friends, if Jesus Christ is not God, we have no hope! Thank God that the gospel is true! Thank God that God became flesh and dwelt among us. That God that He is the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father!
______________________________
© The Bridge
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by The Bridge.
Follow Us!