Matthew 22:41-46: a reflection

Jesus poses a question that reveals he is more than a mere man in David's line: how can the Christ be David's son, when David himself, by the Spirit, calls him Lord? Whose son is the Christ, Jesus asks the Pharisees; and when they answer, of David, he presses them: how then does David, in the Spirit, call him Lord, saying, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand? If David calls him Lord, how is he his son? The Christ was indeed to be David's descendant; but David himself called him Lord, which no one would say of a mere descendant. The Christ is David's son, yet also David's Lord: more than a man, he is Lord. And no one could answer Jesus a word. This shows that the Christ is not merely David's son, but David's Lord, more than a man. The Christ is not merely David's son, but David's Lord. Jesus is more than a man; he is Lord. David called the Christ Lord, for he is more than a mere descendant. Behold in Christ not merely a man, but the Lord.

Notice the puzzle Jesus sets and what it reveals. The Pharisees rightly said the Christ would be David's son, David's descendant. But Jesus points to David's own words, spoken by the Spirit: the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand. David, the great king, calls the Christ my Lord. And here is the puzzle: how can the Christ be David's son, his descendant, and yet be David's Lord, whom David himself calls Lord? No mere descendant would be called Lord by his own forefather. The answer, which the Pharisees could not give, is that the Christ is more than a man in David's line; he is David's descendant according to the flesh, yet also David's Lord, greater than David, worthy to be called Lord. This points to who Jesus, the Christ, truly is. He is not merely a great man, a teacher, a descendant of David; he is Lord, David's Lord and ours, seated at God's right hand. To see Jesus rightly is to see in him not merely a man, however great, but the Lord, worthy of the honor and worship due to the Lord. We do well to behold in Christ not merely a man in David's line, but David's Lord and ours, and to honor him accordingly. Behold in Christ not merely a man, but David's Lord and yours. Jesus is more than a great teacher or descendant; he is Lord. Give Christ the honor due not to a man, but to the Lord. See in Jesus the one whom even David called Lord.

That is worth taking to heart, for the Christ is not merely David's son but David's Lord, more than a man, and we do well to behold and honor him as Lord, as Jesus revealed by his question. We can regard Jesus as merely a great man or teacher; but he showed that even David called the Christ Lord, which no one says of a mere descendant. He is Lord. Do not regard Jesus as merely a man in David's line; behold in him David's Lord and yours, and give him the honor due to the Lord. Behold in Christ not merely a man in David's line but David's Lord and yours, giving him the honor due not to a man but to the Lord, as Jesus posed a question revealing he is more than a mere man in David's line, asking how the Christ can be David's son when David himself by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, and pressing that if David calls him Lord, how is he his son; for the Christ was indeed to be David's descendant, but David himself called him Lord, which no one would say of a mere descendant, so that the Christ is David's son yet also David's Lord, more than a man, and no one could answer Jesus a word, which reveals who Jesus truly is, not merely a great man, teacher, or descendant of David but Lord, David's Lord and ours seated at God's right hand, so that to see Jesus rightly is to see in him not merely a man however great but the Lord worthy of the honor and worship due to the Lord, and we do well to behold in Christ not merely a man in David's line but David's Lord and ours and to honor him accordingly.