Expert: Jason Harris - 10/22/2009

Question
Dear Pastor Harris,

Can you please explain this Scripture.  

41While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42"What do you think about the Christ[d]? Whose son is he?"
     "The son of David," they replied.

43He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says,
44" 'The Lord said to my Lord:
     "Sit at my right hand
  until I put your enemies
     under your feet." '[e] 45 If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Answer
Hello Carol,

This is a passage in which Jesus is claiming his divinity and eternal nature. Compare it to similar statements such as "Before Abraham was, I am."

Jesus Christ is the "Son of David" in a biological and legal sense, both Mary and Joseph being of the "house and lineage of David." The Pharisees would have been expecting the Messiah to be such a human descendant of David.

However, they did not understand that the Christ would be God made flesh, incarnate by the Holy Spirit. He was not a biological child of Joseph but the Son of God. He existed thousands of years ago when David penned this psalm. Thus God the Father sends God the Son to be revealed as the glorified Son of Man. This second reality would have been confusing to the Pharisees.

Hope this helps!

Pastor Harris