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Grace Bible Church Expository Sermon Notes Jesus Questions & Warns His Enemies cf. Matt. 22:41-46 The Lord’s Day 8/3/97 AM The Jewish religious leaders had confronted Jesus as He taught in the temple Court of the Gentiles. Their goal was to "trap Him in His speech," but instead the Lord answered with three profound comments, putting His enemies to silence: first the disciples of the Pharisees with the Herodians asked a political question, which Jesus answered; then the Sadducees asked Him a theological question, which Jesus answered; and then finally, the Pharisees asked a ethical question, which Jesus answered. At this time the Lord turned to the offensive and asked the religious leaders a two-part question, meant to direct the crowds attention to the topic which should have been discussed all along, i.e., the Scriptures identity of the Messiah. Question One: Whose Son is Christ? Matthew 22:41-42 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ? Whose son is He? They say unto Him, The Son of David. Obviously, the Scriptures identity of the Messiah was the topic the religious leaders and crowds should have been occupied with. In two short days from this moment, Jesus would be betrayed into the hands of these "chief priests and scribes," resulting in His trial and crucifixion. The nation would reject their Messiah. This question of Jesus' was one of His final pleadings with these religious leaders to repent of their sins and turn from their refusal to believe in Him. They had earlier set the means of debate, i.e., a question/answer format in the temple of God, which Jesus had cleansed from their money making marketing of sheep, oxen and doves. And the Lord begins His two-part question by asking something that was obvious to everyone, i.e., "Whose son is Christ?" They immediately answered, "The Son of David," which was the correct answer according to the OT Scriptures. Back in 2 Samuel chapter 7 God had promised to David that his son would "sit on his throne forever" and "of his kingdom there shall be no end." Jewish interpreters for centuries understood that David's son Solomon didn't fulfill that promise, so this prophecy remained unfulfilled. Jews were united in understanding that in this passage were elements of promise that referred only to the coming Messiah, the greater "son of David." Of course, this was precisely the answer Jesus expected, so Jesus tightens the noose of His argument... Question Two: Why Does He Call Him Lord? Matthew 22:43-44 He saith unto them, How, then, doth David, in the Spirit, call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? Here Jesus relates this to a second Messianic prophecy, Psalm 110, quoting the first verse. This also, was a well accepted fact among the Jews that God would address the Lord of the human author of this psalm, David the king, saying, "Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool." David's Lord, the Jews understood is Messiah, who God or Jehovah will command to take His place at the position of power and authority, until David's Lord's "enemies" are subjugated. No doubt the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, chief priests and elders of the people, would reflect on this later and realize that according to Jesus, the "enemies" to be subjugated in the future, was a veiled reference to themselves. The Lord Jesus would suffer at their hands, but sit at the right hand of God, patiently awaiting the total subjugation of His enemies, including those very religious leaders. So Psalm 110 was a product of the mind of David the king and the will of the Holy Spirit of God, so Jesus could say, "How then, doth David, in the Spirit, call him Lord?" Then Jesus concluded His question with these words... Matthew 22:45-46 If David, then, call him Lord, how is He his son? And no man was able to answer Him a word, neither dared any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions. Obviously, they couldn't answer because they refused to believe. Their theology recognized that the coming Messiah would be of the lineage of David and their theology recognized that God would address Him as "Lord," but they couldn't understand how king David could address Him as Lord. The title of "Lord" or Adonai (in the Hebrew) implies sovereign ruler over someone. If David called Him, "Lord," then he would be calling his own son, the sovereign ruler over himself, in acknowledgment of subjection to Him. This to the Jewish thinking, where the respect of one's father was a serious duty, presented a serious problem! And of course, for someone accepting Jesus as the Messiah and sovereign God, this is no problem. David welcomes Jesus as his sovereign Lord regardless of the fact that these Jewish religious leaders refused Him and this was the very issue that Jesus was driving at in the first place. What a profound argument! Jesus took the religious leaders on a mental journey, beginning with what they believed and leading them to the logical conclusion of what they refused to accept, i.e., that He was the promised Messiah and allegiance to His Lordship was their personal obligation. They were not to try to trap Him with silly political, theological or ethical questions, but to humble themselves before Him and one coming day, as His "enemies, be made His footstool!" The psalmist’s emblem of His "enemies being made His footstool," is a graphic one, born from the culture of that day. The psalmist explained how this will take place, saying... The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of His wrath. He shall judge among the nations; he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. he shall drink of the brook in the way; therefore shall he lift up the head. (cf. Psalm 110:5-7) When the psalmist says the Lord "shall strike through kings in the day of His wrath" the Hebrew verb translated "strike through" according to Albert Barnes means... ...to shake, to agitate; and then, to shake in pieces, to dash in pieces, to crush; and here it has the sense of dashing in pieces, smiting, wounding, crushing. The kings referred to are the enemies of God and the Messiah, and the idea is that all would be subdued before him; that he would set up a universal dominion; that none would be able to stand before him; or, that he would reign over all the earth. The entire portrait here in Psalm 110 is the granting of authority to rule to the Messiah, by Jehovah God, who then makes war against His enemies, until completely victorious and the dead bodies lay as a testimony to the world of the sovereign power of the Messiah! This final silencing question of Jesus' wasn't simply meant to arouse the curiosity of His enemies, but to announce their impending doom! These enemies of the Messiah would one day be crushed under the authority of His power as all who seek to rebell against Him. As the Apostle Paul summarizes… Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth [that means those who are lost], and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is [now here is the name above every name] Lord, to the glory of God, the Father. The chief priests, scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees would have their day of rejecting Christ and finally rally together to place Him on the Cross to die, but that's not the end of the book about the Messiah. There's another chapter that's already been written and it contains their impending doom and the total destruction of all those who reject Jesus Christ as the rightful Lord of their life. If you've never trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord then that includes you. You are no different in essence than the "scribes and Pharisees" who Jesus indicted here, and warned of their impending doom. Why not turn from your sin and come to Jesus in humble faith right now? why not put away your sin and embrace the Christ of God? Stop with your political, theological and ethical excuses and acknowledge the Lord’s sovereignty over your life before the twilight of opportunity hits and Christ subjugating His enemies in devastating judgment, includes you!
Exploring the Bigger Picture The Love of God: He will Do Whatever it Takes to Make Us Holy by John MacArthur, Jr. (Word Publications, 1996) deals with the two truths of God’s love and God’s hatred; God’s mercy and God’s justice. A fresh Biblical reminder that the Lord hates sin and sinners, while lovingly longing for their salvation. What Should We Do About this Passage? - Application Recommendations - Guilty men and women often find personal excuses why they will not surrender their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. And sometimes these take the form of political, theological or ethical questions.
Sometimes in Gospel presentations we fail to point out that an unbeliever is a child of wrath and an enemy of God. We give rightful emphasis to the fact that God loves and wants them saved but fail to explain the other side, that they are enemies of God now and in danger of His terrible angry retribution if they do not repent.
Children growing up in Christian homes often get the wrong impression of the character of God, hearing only that He loves us. Too often we ignore the essential truth that the holy God hates all sin and is angry with the sinner every day.
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