LUKE 20:41-47 QUESTIONERS QUESTIONED

QUESTIONERS QUESTIONED

LUKE 20:41-47

(See also Matthew 22:42-45 and

Mark 12:35-37)

Luke 20:41 And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David's son?

Susan: The religious leaders in Jesus’s day saw the title “Son of David” as being indicative of the fact that the Messiah would be a man. They did not understand the reality of His divinity alongside His humanity. They did not know that the Messiah would be the God-Man, equally human and divine.

MacArthur Study Bible:

Son of David. The common messianic title that was standard scribal teaching. The religious leaders were convinced that the Messiah would be no more than a man, thus they deemed such a title appropriate

Luke 20:42-43 And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Susan: Jesus, in this passage, was quoting from Psalm 110, a Davidic psalm agreed by the rabbis as being a Messianic prophecy.

Psalm 110:1 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Susie: Both Matthew and Mark’s Gospels make it clear that David wrote under the divine influence of the Holy Spirit in Psalm 110.

Matthew 22:43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord,

Mark 12:36a For David himself said by the Holy Ghost . . .

Susan: All the human writers of the Bible wrote under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and David was no different.

Luke 20:44 David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?

Susan: Since the teachers of His day did not see the Messiah as being God incarnate, they could not explain David’s calling Him “Lord.” However, the two words David used for Lord meant “supreme master, controller”. We cannot explain this better than a couple of our resources:

The Pulpit Commentary as quoted at https://biblehub.com/luke/20-42.htm

Verse 42. - And David himself saith in the Book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand. The Hebrew runs thus: "Jehovah said to my Lord (Adonai)." The Eternal is represented as speaking to David’s Lord, who is also David's Son (this appears clearer in St. Matthew's account, Matthew 22:41-46). The Eternal addresses this Person as One raised to sit by him, that is, as a Participator in his all-power, and yet this one is also David's Son!

Matthew 22:45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

MacArthur Study Bible:

22:45 David then calls Him ‘Lord.’ David would not have addressed a merely human descendant as “Lord.” Here Jesus was not disputing whether “Son of David” was an appropriate title for the Messiah; after all, the title is based on what is revealed about the Messiah in the OT (Is. 11:1; Jer. 23:5) and it is used as a messianic title in 1:1 (see note there). But Jesus was pointing out that the title “son of David” did not begin to sum up all that is true about the Messiah who is also “son of God” (Luke 22:70). The inescapable implication is that Jesus was declaring His deity.

Luke 20:45-47 Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples, Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; Which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.

Susie: Jesus addressed this caution to His disciples but within earshot of everyone in the crowd. He intended this message for all the people, not just His followers or the Twelve.

Susan: The scribes, the teachers of the law and leaders of the Jewish religion, valued their own prestige above all else. They wore the long robes and prayed long prayers to look important and highly spiritual. They enjoyed being addressed with respect and seated as prominent guests of honor. They were not interested in bringing glory to God. They were glory-hounds, interested only in self-aggrandizement.

Susie: Also, they were, as we would say today, “in it for the money.” They may not have directly stolen a widow’s home, but in a sense that is exactly what they did. The scribes often acted as estate planners for widows and advised them to give great sums toward the scribes’ own pet projects. In other words, rather than advising the widow to provide for her own needs and later years, they would line their own pockets with the inheritance her husband had provided for her care.

Susan: These scribes would fall under strict judgement for failing to glorify God and using their positions to abuse helpless people.

Ponder this and Apply it: Jesus was the “Son of David” because through both Mary and Joseph He was a descendant of King David. However, that does not mean He was merely a man. Since Mary conceived Him by the power of the Holy Spirit, God is His Father, and He is equal to God. We must remember that Jesus IS God and revere Him as such. Honoring the Lord includes being humble, giving Him the credit for everything. Being His child also means caring for His other children and treating everyone fairly. The scribes were failing in these things. We must ask ourselves, “Am I being humble and treating others as the Lord would have me treat them?”