A CHALLENGING QUESTION

(Luke 20:41-44)
March 5, 2017

Read Luke 20:41-44 A teacher was explaining to her SS class that the
painting of Jesus hanging in the room was not an actual portrait, but just an
artists conception. A little girl in back was not going to be put off, however.
But youve got to admit that it does look a lot like him. Therein lies a huge
problem. No one has affected human history like Jesus Christ of Nazareth. No
one. Sixty billion people have occupied planet earth, but no one overshadows
history like Jesus. Even a skeptic like H. G. Wells called Him easily the
dominant figure in history and concluded that no historian could convey the
progress of humanity honestly without giving Jesus the foremost place.

But who was He really? Without question, people have turned Jesus into
whoever they wanted Him to be. Islam identifies Him as simply a prophet who
not die on the cross and was inferior to Mohammad. To the Mormons He is a
created being, the spirit brother of Satan. To the JWs He is Michael the
Archangel incarnate. To rock musicians and postmodern intellectuals, He is a
countercultural hero, but just a man. Others have re-invented Him as a cynical
philosopher, social critic, political activist or misguided martyr.

Yet, the 2 most important questions about Jesus identity seldom get asked.
Who did Jesus know Himself to be? and, Who do you accept Jesus to be?
The Bible affirms our eternal destiny hangs on our answers. The stakes could
not be higher. I Jn 5:11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not
have the Son of God does not have life. The lines are clearly drawn. Thats
why, in this passage, Jesus, in the last day of public ministry before His death,
brings us back to the ultimate question. Who is Jesus of Nazareth?

During this last week of His life, Jesus has demolished all of His enemies
attempts to discredit Him. With all their best challenges, Jesus enemies have
failed to put a single chink in His armor. So, having found that they cannot
handle His answers, they are about to find out they cant handle His questions
either. He has one for them: 41 But he said to them, How can they say that the
Christ is Davids son? So, who is them to whom He speaks, and who is
they who make the claim about Christ (Messiah) being David son? Mark
12:35-37 answers: And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, How can the
scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? So, it is the scribes (elite

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Pharisees) who say Messiah is Davids Son, which virtually every Jew knew
as well). And in Mark 12:37b: And the great throng heard him gladly. So,
them is the crowd. They are the scribes; them are the crowd to whom
Jesus speaks. With His question, Jesus is about to make a stunning point.

Virtually every Jew accepted the scribes teaching that Messiah would be a
son of David and would occupy his throne. This was the Davidic promise of II
Sam 7. So Jesus question would have sounded a bit strange: How can they
say that the Christ is Davids son? The obvious answer? Because the OT
teaches it. The prophets prophesied it. But Jesus has a profound reason for
asking. This is the lead-in to something more. Hes answering the first
ultimate question: Who does Jesus know Himself to be? The second, Who do
you accept Jesus to be? Well that one is up to you. First, who is Jesus?

I. He is Davids Son

Jesus question in v. 41 is intriguing, isnt it? How can they [the scribes] say
that the Christ [Messiah] is Davids son? How can they say that? Well, isnt
that true? Isnt Messiah, in fact, a descendant of David? Isnt that part of the
requirement? Wasnt that part of Gods covenant with David? II Sam 7:16,
And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.
Your throne shall be established forever. David refers to that same promise
in Psa 89:3-4, You have said, I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I
have sworn to David my servant: 4 I will establish your offspring forever, and
build your throne for all generations. That was a huge promise a
descendant [offspring is singular] on a throne forever the Messiah.

Other prophets pick up the theme. Isaiah, writing around 700 BC 300 years
after David says in 9:6-7: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and
the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of
the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the
throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with
justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. He
continues the theme in 11:1, There shall come forth a shoot from the stump
of Jesse, and a branch [Davids branch] from his roots shall bear fruit. 100
years on, Jeremiah picks up the theme in 23:5, Behold, the days are coming,
declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he
shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness
in the land. And again in Jer 33:15. Why did the scribes say Messiah would

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be Davids son? Because thats exactly what the OT consistently taught. This
was one thing they got right. You could hardly miss it.

This is why both Matt and Luke were at pains to establish Jesus genealogy.
Mt starts his record in 1:1, The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the
son of David, the son of Abraham. He goes all the way back to Abraham, but
along the way establishes Jesus connection as a son (descendant) of David.
Lukes genealogy (3:23-38) goes all the way back to Adam, thru David.
Matts genealogy is thru Joseph, establishing Jesus legal right to the throne;
Lukes genealogy is almost certainly establishes His biological connection
thru Mary. Jesus clearly meets the Messianic requirement son of David.

Further emphasizing the importance of this, look at John 7: 40 When they

heard these words, some of the people said, This really is the Prophet.
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Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Is the Christ to come from
Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring
of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was? 43 So
there was a division among the people over him. This shows conclusively the
peoples expectations of Messiah. Hed be an offspring of David, and come
from Bethlehem. Their confusion about Jesus was they knew Him as a
Galilean, where He had lived most of His life. They were unaware that He
had, indeed, been born in Bethlehem. Jesus Himself testifies to His lineage in
His post-resurrection and ascension message to the churches in Rev 22:16, I,
Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches.
I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.

So, How could the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? Because
He was, and Jesus fit that description to a T all of which established that He
was truly and fully man. Through His human lineage, Jesus Person is
established as fully man, and as one qualified by birth as King and Messiah.

BUT, whereas the people of Jesus time had no further definition of their
own Messiah, Jesus most certainly did. And it came right out of their own
Scripture. Messiah is not merely Davids son; He is something much more
something Jesus contemporaries had never considered.

II. He is Davids Lord

Luke 20:42-43: For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, The Lord
said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, 43 until I make your enemies your

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footstool. Sounds convoluted, doesnt it? What was Jesus trying to say?
Well, Hes quoting from Psa 110 the most quoted Psalm in the NT, so it
must be important, right? So, lets look at Psa 110:1. David says: The LORD
says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your
footstool. Everything hinges on the phrase, The Lord says to my Lord.
Who are these two Lords, and who is David specifically referring to as His
Lord? Both the Jews and Jesus recognized that this Psalm is talking about
Messiah the son of David who will rule on his throne. But to the Jewish
mind it was unthinkable that any father would call his human son, Lord. Yet
here is David, the greatest King in Israels history and founder of the whole
dynasty, doing exactly that. The Jews had just glossed over that issue without
comment, but Jesus isnt going to allow that any longer. How are we to
interpret Davids calling Messiah his Lord?!

It will help to know 2 different Hebrew words are used here. The first LORD is
Yahweh the personal, covenant name for God. Note the capital letters the
translators use to indicate that. Yahweh was so sacred to the Jews they would
not even say that name out loud. Thats the first name in this passage.

What about the second? It is the word Adonai, and that is very revealing. In
the OT, Yahweh is the name for God, but His supreme title is Adonai or
Sovereign One. In this instance, David places emphasis on His might His
enemies will be made His footstool a picture of absolute power. Further,
according to Psa 110:4b: You are a priest forever after the order of
Melchizedek. This is a reference to His priestly ministry, His mediating
between God and man. Without question, then, this is a Messianic psalm and
the Jews understood that. What they didnt get was the implication of v. 1.

With this background, look again. David says, Yahweh (Jehovah) said to my
Adonai. Now think. Someone has the name God (Adonai), yet is somehow
distinguished from God (Yahweh). It is impossible to make sense of this apart
from the concept of the Trinity which is why the Jews missed it. They had
no concept of God as Tri-unity three in one. But Jesus did. He knew this
passage shows the first person of the Trinity speaking to the 2nd person. And
His interpretation of this passage is that David is saying the Messiah is
Davids Lord -- 2nd person of the Trinity. That is why David could call Him
Lord. Because He is Lord. He is Adonai. Who also becomes Davids son!

The Jews of Jesus time believed the Messiah would be a great

man the son of David. What Jesus is showing from their own

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Scripture is that Messiah, while certainly being the son of
David, is also so much more. So much more! He is, in fact,
Adonai. He is God. And since Jesus claimed to be Messiah, as
He directly told the woman at the well in Jn 4:26, and as His
enemies well knew, He is now showing that He is not
merely the son of David (a man), he is also Lord of
David (God in the flesh). This is the whole point of the
incarnation the second person of the Triune Godhead, took
on human flesh fully God and fully man in one unique
person. He is, indeed, Immanuel, God with us. As such He is
not only Davids Son, He is Davids Lord. Thats who
Jesus knew Himself to be!

N. T. Wright once asked kids at a party, Can you get this balloon into that
box? The balloon was big; the box was small. They tried squeezing it into the
shape of the box, but it oozed out. They suggested sticking a pin into the
balloon or letting some of the air out, but Wright said that would have been
cheating. The solution? The box was folded double. Once it was opened up to
its full dimensions, the balloon fit perfectly.

So, Jesus is making one more attempt to get people to see what is right in front
of them. By His miracles, His words and wisdom He is presenting a Messiah
who is too big for their box. You cant get Him into the box by diminishing
Him! They must accept Him complete. This was His message to Nicodemus,
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes
in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Believe in Him literally
into Him accept Him for all He is, great man, yes, but also God, Savior,
Redeemer and Lord. You must take Him all or you take Him not at all.

III. He is Our Lord

Who is Jesus? He is Messiah who is both Davids Son and Davids Lord. He is
the God-man. This is exactly Pauls message in Rom 1:1: Paul, a servant of
Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which
he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
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concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
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and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of
holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. But note:
Jesus is not only Davids Lord according to Paul, He is our Lord.

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So, who is our? According to v. 6, it is you who are called to belong to Jesus
Christ. So is everyone called? No, not everyone. So who? V. 16: 16 For I am
not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone
who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the
righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, The
righteous shall live by faith. Who are called? Those who have believed in
Jesus and accepted Him for all He is by faith.

You say, Well, what if Im not called? Well, none of us can do anything
about Gods calling. But heres what we can do. We can accept Him as our
Lord by grace through faith. Thats how you make sure of your calling. Jesus
explained: If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up
his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it (Luke 9:23-24).

Conc Did you know that if you are resisting Jesus Christ today indifferent,
apathetic, comfortable, self-satisfied did you know one day you will
acknowledge that He really is Lord? That day is coming. Paul says it this way
in Phil 2:9, Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the
name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. God will be
glorified by everyone eventually confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord.

But the tragedy is, for many, it will be too late. That will come after death
when the confession will not change your eternal destiny of separation from
Him. Thats why we urge you, do it now. Do as Jesus invites now, in this life,
when it counts for eternity. Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him.

The great British theologian, John Stott, who died not long ago (July, 2011),
writes of a teen-age boy who knelt by his bed one night in his dormitory. In a
simple, matter-of-fact way, he confessed that he had made a mess of his life,
acknowledged his sins, thanked Christ for dying for him and invited Him to
take control of His life. The following day he wrote in his diary: Yesterday
really was an eventful day! . . . Up till now Christ has been on the
circumference and I have been asking him to guide me instead of giving
him complete control. Behold, he stands at the door and knocks. I have
heard him and now he has come into my house. He has cleansed it and now
rules in it. Next day he wrote further: I really have felt an immense and new
joy throughout today. It is the joy of being at peace with the world and of

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being in touch with God. How well do I know now that he rules me and that
I never really knew him before.

That diary entry was from John Stott himself, of course, describing the
beginning of his journey with Christ. It began when Jesus went from being
Someone Stott just wanted to use for His purposes to being truly his Lord.
How about you? Is Jesus your Lord or is He just a convenience? Its the
difference between eternal life and eternal death. Lets pray.