“The LORD says to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” (Psalm 110:1)

During the last week of Jesus’ life, He spent time in discussion with the chief priests, the elders, the teachers of the law, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees. That is until Jesus asked the Pharisees one last question. “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” (Matthew 22:42a) The Pharisees answer with the truth about the Messiah, “The son of David.” (Matthew 22:42b) Jesus then asked a follow-up question based on the words of David Himself. David said, “The LORD says to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” (Psalm 110:1) Therefore, Jesus asked, “If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” (Matthew 22:45) With this one question, the Pharisees and the rest of the leaders had no answer and the discussion stopped. “No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.” (Matthew 22:46)

This question speaks to the heart of who Jesus Christ is. Jesus is called both the Son of God and the Son of Man. He is both the God of David and the son of David. God had sent Samuel to find a king to follow Saul after his disobedience. God said, “But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” David was the one chosen to follow Saul. David’s love of God is seen after his failure and sin with Bathsheba in his prayer of confession and repentance.

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.” (Psalm 51:1-4)

David’s God was the LORD, the God of Abraham and Moses. Jesus is the same God who has come in flesh. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) David’s descendant is also Jesus. In the announcement to Mary by Gabriel of her becoming the mother of the Messiah, he said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:31-33) Jesus is both the son of David and the Son of God. He is the bridge between God and Man. He is the one that has come from God in order to bring us back to God. He is not only the answer to the question. He is also the answer to the need of our lives. Our need is God. He alone is the hope for this life and the eternal life which Jesus brings to us.

In the Love of Jesus,

Michael Block