34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Whose Son Is the Christ?
41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,
44
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet”’?
45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. Matthew 22: 34-46 ESV
Matthew 22: 34-46
But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees - Jesus taught the resurrection, though His heavenly perspective was different than the Pharisees, who had been debating with the Sadducees for some time. Both groups have enough in common, even with their differences, to hate Jesus. They are both moralist, the Pharisees adding traditions to the law, and the Sadducees are a part of aristocracy that is trying to live their best and "only" life now. Both respect money, persons, power and prestige, both groups are concerned with this Jesus, the Pharisees because it draws people away from them, and the Sadducees because they fear an uprising that would cause Rome to come in and wipe them out. The Sadducees are adorable, putting a lot of weight on a life that they don't believe they will remember, but there is an attractive solace there in believing this is it, in their minds they will never face a Holy and just God outside of space and time.
…5Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, 7because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.… Romans 8: 5-7
15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life— is not from the Father but from the world. 17The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.… 1 John 2: 15-17
A lawyer - This would be a person who was knowledgeable not only about the Mosaic law, but also the traditions of the Pharisees, which they held not only as equal to but often their laws subverted adherence to God's law. They even twisted God's law in order to get out of paying taxes or taking care of widows.
…41But give as alms the things that are within you, and you will see that everything is clean for you. 42 Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former. 43Woe to you Pharisees! You love the chief seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces.… Luke 11: 41-43
Which is the great commandment - He lays a net for Jesus, hoping that He will diminish some aspect of God's law, and all the while he doesn't realize Who he's talking to.
16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 17Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. 18For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.…Matthew 5: 16-18
Love the Lord your God with all your heart - Effectively stating the whole of your being, this is what is owed to Him Who created you. Pride is at the root of our inability here, and the root of all sin is pride, for God says a thing, do this, or don't do that, yet we somehow know better than God. It's not because we are good people who sometimes do bad things, but rather delusional people, dead in our trespasses and sins, slaves to sin and at enmity with the Author of life.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself - You value him as a creature also made in the image of God, as family, and you look to his good. Basically Jesus has summed up the ten commandments in these two statements, the first part being man's relationship to God, and recognizing that we have fallen short of this. The second part is man's relationship to his fellow human beings, and here we find ourselves guilty as well by God's standard.
“Moses summed up all in the ten commandments, to which, truly interpreted, all the precepts of Scripture are reducible. Christ here brings the ten to two.” (Poole)
Jesus asked them a question - He has allowed their questions, answered them and corrected the assumptions behind them, now it's His turn. It is in the same line as when we are approached by Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses, they say terms like, "Jesus, God, church, Christian", and they make sure to let you know that they also own a King James version of the Bible. The Pharisees speak of the law and the prophets, worship at the temple of the true God, yet they don't recognize the Messiah, and they have added to God's word things that don't belong. They have put more on outward appearance in defiance of a God Whose concern is the heart. These obvious examples of heresy are not alone though, Jesus could ask this same question in many so called evangelical churches today, and the answers would be all over the place.
…2“Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge? 3Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me. 4Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.… Job 38: 2-4
What do you think about the Christ, whose Son is He - Jesus thinks this is an important question. People often say, "the god I believe in, or I like Jesus", but apparently to Christ it is important to know Who He is, "Who do men say that I am?"
…3I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it way too easily. 5I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”… 2 Corinthians 11: 3-5
The Son of David - So they read the scripture, the Messiah does come from the line of David, but Jesus is about to crack their skulls.
…9Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? 10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his. 11He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He washes his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.… Genesis 49: 9-11
1Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD. 3And He will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what His eyes see, and He will not decide by what His ears hear,… Isaiah 11: 1-3
…4I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any go missing, declares the LORD. 5Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land. 6In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.… Jeremiah 23: 4-6
How is it then, that David, in the Spirit, calls Him Lord - Just like He used His superior knowledge of the Scriptures to school the Sadducees on the resurrection, now He ever so gently ask a question and then takes them to the text. Who is the Messiah? How is it, if He is a son, that David calls Him his Lord, and writing as one of the prophets David sees the Father (Yahweh), say to the Son (Adonai), come sit at My right hand. Though the Messiah came after John the Baptist, He was greater than John the Baptist and before him, and He is greater than His father of lineage, David, and all the patriarchs.
…30For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation. 31The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One greater than Solomon is here. 32The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.… Luke 11: 30-32
…57Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?” 58“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.… John 8: 57-59
Nor from that day did anyone dare to ask Him anymore questions - No one wanted to touch that, it was too scary even to contemplate, a place they really didn't want to go. They didn't like the question because they understood it's implications.
…28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. 29My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one.”…
…31At this, the Jews again picked up stones to stone Him. 32 But Jesus responded, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?” 33“We are not stoning You for any good work,” said the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, declare Yourself to be God.”… John 10: 28-33
…27Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”… John 20: 27-29
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