06-03-25 part 1: The Divine Paradox Jesus as Both Son and Lord of David

Section One

After fielding relentless questions from the Pharisees and religious elite, Jesus finally presents a question of His own. In Matthew 22:41, He asks, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is He?” Their answer is immediate and confident: “The son of David.” This response reflects centuries of Jewish tradition and prophecy, especially the emphasis on David’s lineage as central to the coming Messiah. But Jesus, as always, is not seeking mere repetition of tradition. Instead, He is setting a trap of truth—a theological puzzle that will expose their spiritual blindness. His intention is not to embarrass but to reveal a dimension of the Messiah they have not considered.

Section Two

Jesus then quotes Psalm 110:1 and underscores that David, “speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,” called the Messiah “Lord.” This is no small statement. Jesus affirms the divine authorship of Scripture, showing that David was not writing from human insight alone, but through revelation from the Holy Spirit. The question that follows—“If David calls Him Lord, how can He be his son?”—is meant to shake up their rigid expectations. By citing Scripture they already accept as authoritative, Jesus forces them to reckon with the idea that the Messiah must hold a status greater than a human king. This introduces the divine mystery they have missed.

Section Three

The only way to reconcile this riddle is through the Incarnation. Jesus is both fully man and fully God—born in the lineage of David according to the flesh, yet eternally divine as the Son of God. He is not part human and part divine; He is entirely both. This dual nature is what qualifies Him to be the one true Mediator between God and man. Psalm 110 makes sense only when one acknowledges the Messiah’s divinity. It is not merely a doctrinal point; it is the heartbeat of the Gospel. Jesus alone bridges the infinite gap between the Creator and the created, standing as both the fulfillment of prophecy and the embodiment of divine authority.

Section Four

The Pharisees have no answer. Verse 46 says, “No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask Him any more questions.” Their silence is not from reverence but from the crushing realization that their legalistic framework cannot contain the truth. Jesus has exposed the limits of their understanding and shown that true insight comes not from law alone, but from divine revelation. As believers, this passage reminds us that Jesus is not just a teacher or prophet—He is the Lord of David, the Lord of all. Fully human, fully divine, He stands alone as the only One who can redeem, rule, and reconcile.