What is the meaning of Matthew 22:45? So • The word “So” links Jesus’ question directly to the Pharisees’ answer that the Messiah is “the son of David” (Matthew 22:42–44). • It signals a logical conclusion Jesus is drawing from Scripture, not speculation. • By doing this, He grounds the conversation in the authority of the written Word, echoing earlier moments where He appealed to “It is written” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). • The context shows Jesus turning the tables on His critics after they have failed to trap Him with legal or theological puzzles (Matthew 22:15–40). if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ • Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1: “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’” • David—Israel’s greatest king—speaks “in the Spirit” (Matthew 22:43), affirming verbal inspiration and placing divine authority behind his words (cf. 2 Samuel 23:2). • By calling the coming Messiah “my Lord,” David concedes a superior rank to Someone who would appear centuries later, hinting at the Messiah’s deity (Acts 2:34-36; Hebrews 1:8, 13). • The rendering underscores two distinct Persons: “the LORD” (Yahweh) and “my Lord” (Adon), prefiguring the Father-Son relationship shown in John 1:1, 14 and Hebrews 1:3. • This verse is the Old Testament passage most cited in the New Testament (Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44; Acts 2:34-35; Hebrews 1:13), highlighting its foundational role in Messiah’s identity. how can He be David’s son? • Genealogies in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38 trace Jesus’ human lineage to David, fulfilling covenant promises (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Isaiah 11:1). • Jesus presses the Pharisees to reconcile two truths: – The Messiah is David’s physical descendant (Romans 1:3; 2 Timothy 2:8). – The Messiah is also David’s sovereign Lord (Revelation 22:16; Colossians 1:16-17). • This paradox resolves only in the incarnation: the eternal Son took on flesh (John 1:14; Philippians 2:6-11). • Rejecting either side distorts the biblical portrait. Denying His humanity severs Him from David’s throne; denying His deity strips Psalm 110:1 of its force. • Jesus’ question silenced the Pharisees (Matthew 22:46), exposing their inadequate grasp of Scripture (John 5:39-40). summary Matthew 22:45 reveals the Messiah as both David’s promised Son and David’s eternal Lord. Jesus uses Psalm 110:1 to confirm His divine authority while maintaining His genuine human lineage. The verse compels us to embrace the full, literal testimony of Scripture: the incarnate Son of God reigns at the Father’s right hand, fulfilling every promise to David and inviting all to acknowledge Him as Lord. |
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