WWUTT 2478 Whose Son is the Christ (Luke 20:41-47)

The people believed that their Messiah would be born in the line of David. But Jesus points out that the Messiah has to be more than that for even David himself Calls him Lord when we understand the text.

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Here's your teacher pastor Gabe. Thank you Becky in our study of the gospel of Luke. We are finishing chapter 20 today with Jesus answering the question. Whose son is the Christ? He asked the question and answers the question and then also warns his disciples.

To beware of the Scribes and the Pharisees. Let me begin reading here in verse 41. We'll go through verse 47. Hear the word of the Lord. But Jesus said to them How can they say that the Christ is David's son?

For David himself says in the book of Psalms the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand. Until I make your enemies your footstool. David thus calls him Lord. So, how is he his son and? In the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples.

Beware of the Scribes who like to walk around in long robes and love greetings in the market places and the best seats in the Synagogues and the places of honor at feasts who devour widows houses and for a pretense make long prayers.

They will receive the greater condemnation. Now this caution that Jesus gives to his disciples at the end. This really goes with what we're gonna read at the start of chapter 21. So I'm gonna wait until next week to delve more into that.

We'll touch on it here, but I'll get into more of it with the context of what we have in chapter 21. Mainly what we'll focus on today. Is this question that Jesus asks and then answers? Concerning who is the Christ and how is he David's son?

So let me read in verse 41 again. But he said to them, how can they say now they in this circumstance is. Probably the Scribes the Pharisees the Sadducees all of whom Jesus has responded to thus far in this chapter.

Previously the Scribes and the chief priests. They brought this riddle to Jesus and saying do we pay taxes to Caesar or not? And then the Sadducees they came with their own riddle and they said how can a woman who's been married to seven brothers?

Be married to all seven brothers in the resurrection and Jesus shames all of them. He shows up the Scribes and the chief priests. He quotes the scriptures to the Sadducees who aren't even able to respond to the argument that Jesus makes they just stand there and marvel.

So now Jesus asks a question now He's gonna put it to everybody they who have been your teachers have said that the Christ is David's son. So, how can they say that how can they say? That the Christ is David's son now when he asks this question He's not saying that the Christ is not David's son.

Because Jesus is of course born in the lineage of David. So one of the things that Christ fulfills is that he is the promised seed. He is the one who fulfills not only those promises concerning the Messiah, but even the Davidic Covenant itself.

That's on the throne of David. God would establish an eternal kingdom and where Jesus sits now enthroned in heaven on high He is sitting on the throne of David. Whatever throne Jesus sits on is the throne of David because he is born in the line and the lineage of David.

So Jesus fulfills that Davidic Covenant. He fulfills everything concerning the coming of the Messiah. So we asked this question, how can they they who are teaching you about the coming of the Messiah.

How can they say that the Christ is? David's son the people know that he is Born of the line the lineage of David. They know who his lineage is. We've seen this previously. I think all three synoptic Gospels record the people saying this is the carpenter's son.

How is it that this guy has so much knowledge? So they know that he is born in the line of Joseph who is a descendant of David. Genealogy was very very important to the Jews. It was really important to know what tribe you were from and especially concerning the Messiah.

They were going to know that he was born in the line of David. So even the people who have been following him into Jerusalem who were singing his praises in the triumphal entry even they know That Jesus is born in the line of David.

So if they are expecting him to be their Messiah. He's got to fit the criteria and he has to be descended in the line of David. So Jesus is of course David's son in that sense. He is a descendant of David.

So, how can they say that the Christ is David's son when Jesus asked that question? What he means is how can they say that the Christ is only? David's son the Messiah has to be so much more than this and As I've said all this while as we've been through Matthew Mark and Luke I have said what the people are expecting even what the disciples are expecting out of their Messiah is an emancipator they want an actual earthly King who's going to come in with all this power and be able to overthrow the Romans or lead some sort of revolt against the Romans and When he does so he's not going to be able to be stopped.

We are going to have victory once again and then Israel when we when we gain control. No one's ever going to unseat us the next Throw of power that Israel has according to all the prophecies that have been made.

We will be unstoppable. Israel will be the superpower in the earth. That's what people are expecting. They've read the scriptures and that's how they are Interpreting them. So when they're looking at Jesus, especially with all the power he has this guy can raise the dead.

He can heal the sick. He's done some incredible things. Some of these disciples have even heard the voice of God from heaven say this is my beloved Son in whom I am Well pleased. I mean really all the disciples heard that at the baptism of Jesus.

But you had Peter James and John who were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration and actually heard the voice of the Father there. Say that when Jesus was transfigured before them so there are even some of the disciples in Peter James and John were not supposed to talk about this until after Jesus was Resurrected from the dead.

So some of the disciples have even seen this display of power. There are high expectations higher among some than others. That Jesus is truly this Messiah and he has great power with which he will overthrow All of our oppressors and he will set us free.

What they're not expecting about the Messiah is that he's God's Son. So they're expecting that he's David's son that he's gonna be a king like David that he will be even greater than David. But they're not expecting the Messiah to be God incarnate God himself.

When Jesus asks this question here, he's not just putting the Scribes and the Pharisees to the test he is asking this of his disciples and Everybody else there who is present. How can they say that the Christ is David's son?

He's got to be more than that. The Messiah has to be more than just a descendant of David and we get this from even The Old Testament from the writings of David himself. Now remember in the previous interaction that Jesus had with the Sadducees.

He quoted from the Old Testament scripture specifically from the Pentateuch from the law the first five books of the Bible because the Sadducees did not accept the rest of the books of the Old Testament as Scripture it can be wise.

Even some wise literature, you know. It's good for us to read and to know but the words that are actually God's words are only those first five books of the Bible. That's what the Sadducees thought. So when Jesus is Showing to them that there is a resurrection from the dead.

He quotes Moses. He goes back to the Pentateuch back to Exodus to show them this. That God is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. He's the God of the living. He's not the God of the dead but of the living.

So even when he says of these men to Moses I am the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob. That's an argument for the resurrection that there is a resurrection of the dead so Jesus has quoted from the Old Testament scriptures to make his case to the Sadducees and Shame them who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead.

I didn't even use the joke yesterday when we were talking about this or when we were reading this section. But they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead so that's why they were sad you see.

Yeah, every pastor worth his salt has to fit that joke in. Somewhere I've already used it before so I didn't feel it necessary to have to do it again and here I've done it. Right here. So anyway, that's why they were sad.

I think the first time I ever heard that joke was Erwin Lutzer. Anybody know Erwin Lutzer is used to be the pastor of the moody church in Chicago since retired. Anyway, I used to listen to Erwin Lutzer all the time every Sunday morning.

There would be about 20 to 30 Sundays a year that I would be preaching in another church this is when I was younger before I was a pastor myself and. And when so when I would be driving to the church that I was going to preach at.

So that I could get good preaching. I would listen to Erwin Lutzer the moody church hour on the air as I drove. So anyway, he was the first one that I heard used that joke. They were sad you see and that's that's why they're called Sadducees but anyway, Jesus quotes the Old Testament scriptures with them showing that there is the resurrection of the dead and.

Psalm 110 and the Lord at God's Right Hand

Here.

Jesus even uses David's own words To show that the Messiah has to be more than just David's son for David himself says in the book of Psalms The Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your Footstool, this is quoted from Psalm 110.

It is the Old Testament reference that comes up the most often in the New Testament this quoting of Psalm 110 Verse 1 the Lord says to my Lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your Footstool.

Now when you read what Jesus said in Luke 2041 You see that Lord and Lord are spelled the same. There's there's nothing really that Makes those words the the two references to Lord. It doesn't make one Lord distinct from the other one.

So you just have the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand. But when we go to Psalm 110 when you go to the Old Testament and read it from what was translated from. You're reading what was translated from Hebrew so in the in the Gospel of Luke We're reading what's been translated from Greek and even Jesus is probably quoting from the Septuagint.

Which is the Greek translation of the New Testament? When you go to the Hebrew Old Testament. Sorry, what did I say Greek translation the New Testament? Greek translation of the Old Testament. That's what the Septuagint was.

I don't know if I said that correct or not. But anyway, when you go to the Hebrew Old Testament or the Old Testament, which is translated from Hebrew. Then you'll notice that in Psalm 110 verse 1. The first Lord is Capitalized l-o-r-d.

Now if you're using the legacy standard Bible, then you'll notice it's already the word Yahweh. Yahweh says to my Lord sit at my right hand. So the legacy standard has already gone ahead in translation and given you who the first Lord is.

But if you're reading it in another translation most likely you're looking at those four capital letters l-o-r-d and Wherever Lord is capitalized, you know this right? It's every occasion of a mention of of the Tetragrammaton.

Which is YHWH in Hebrew. That is the covenant name of God Yahweh. So where you see capital l-o-r-d you are looking at the name Yahweh Translated as Lord in English and the reason why it's translated as Lord.

I mean, there's a biblical tradition that's attached to that. It's because in the Septuagint in the Greek translation of the Old Testament Yahweh was translated as Adonai which is translated in English as Lord in Greek.

They did they chose not to carry over Yahweh from Hebrew into Greek and so they just use Lord. So therefore when we read in the Old Testament today, and we see the Tetragrammaton that's been Translated as capital l-o-r-d that's that's continuing that tradition that was going on even in Jesus Day to refer to Yahweh as Lord so it's not wrong.

It's not incorrect to call Yahweh Lord or to translate a Bible that way. I know this debate has since been sparked following the Translation of the Legacy Standard Bible. I was even talking to a guy one time where you're saying so now that we've Translated this correctly the legacy is not the first one to do it.

But it is the most prominent translation out there to translate the Tetragrammaton as Yahweh so he was asking me now that the legacy has done this is. Does that mean all the other translations before it were incorrect and the legacy finally got it, right?

No, again, this continues a tradition that was going on even in Jesus Day to translate Yahweh into Adonai and Jesus would have made that same reference because that was the Greek Septuagint. That was the Old Testament scriptures that were being read in the synagogue, especially in Greek cities.

So there is a long tradition of saying Jesus Christ is Lord as said in Philippians chapter 2 verses 10 and 11. So here once again in the Septuagint and may have very well been what Jesus quoted The Lord says to my Lord sit at my right hand.

So you have the Tetragrammaton Yahweh l-o-r-d says to my Lord, which is not the Tetragrammaton. That's capital L lowercase o-r-d so that is not the same as Yahweh at the beginning but Yahweh says to my Lord.

So who is my Lord that David is talking about there? Well, he is making reference to the Messiah and the people even during Jesus Day the scribes and the Pharisees they recognized that they knew Who it was that Jesus was talking about this is a messianic Psalm.

The Lord says to my Lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. But again, the great teaching that has been given to the Jews and even what they are expecting with the coming of their Messiah.

They're looking for somebody who is born in the line of David. Jesus is simply pointing out to them that the Messiah has to be more than that. How can they say that the Christ is only David's son for David himself Calls him Lord.

In The book of Psalms the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand verse 44. David thus calls him Lord. So, how is he his son? That's got to get everybody's wheels turning. Oh.

Goodness.

I haven't thought of this. So what what are we looking for in the Messiah exactly? He's got to be more than just descended from David. What does it mean? To call him Lord. And At the time they're using the same word for Yahweh as for Lord.

Lord can mean Yahweh Lord can mean Lord and so God is even using this language coin a Greek which is the common. The common language that the Romans are using throughout the world God by his providence is using this language to teach people the scriptures.

Because the Romans had decided the Greeks were on to something Alexander the Great was on to something Let's make the whole world speak Greek. So when the Romans take over the Empire, they were speaking primarily Latin.

But they already like this thing of the whole world is speaking and writing Greek. So let's stick with that. Let's stick with coin a Greek the Romans would still speak Latin. They would also speak Greek and the rest of the world was expected to follow Greek because that was what?

Alexander the Great had already committed the his Empire to and Rome was just kind of proceeding with it. So God was using by his providence this language to speak the truth all over the world synagogues all over the Roman Empire with the Greek Septuagint and Even quoting scriptures such as this in their teaching the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand making people Have to think about that.

How is The Messiah Lord and also a descendant of David and yet David is calling him Lord. So how is he his son? And of course This is setting the stage for what Jesus is about to do which he's going to do as more than a man.

But it's the Son of God who was sent To lay down his life as a ransom for many we've read that in the previous two Gospels Matthew 20 mark 10 the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many he came to seek and to save the lost and He is more than a man who is descended from David when he does this.

He is certainly a man. He is certainly a son of David, but he's more than that. The Son of God sent by the Father To be the atoning sacrifice for our sins to wit to take away the sin of the world. For all those who believe in Jesus, we will not perish but we will have everlasting life and he is Lord.

He is risen from the dead and he is Lord. Now as I said We would also touch on this the warning that Jesus gives to his disciples in the hearing of all the people. He said to his disciples beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes and love Greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts who devour widows houses.

That's how this is gonna tie into chapter 21 and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation. So right after Jesus just taught on how he is Lord. How the Messiah is the Son of God whom even David referred to as his God as Lord.

These scribes and the Pharisees are supposed to know this. But they don't. They are in it for themselves. They walk around long robes to walk around in long robes to attract attention to themselves. They love greetings in the marketplaces.

They just again want the attention. They want the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts. They think that the the position that they have been given is for their own advantage.

They devour widows houses. They take from those that they should be helping to benefit themselves and for a pretense make long prayers. So that everybody will be impressed by their piety. But they will receive the greater condemnation for they should have been feeding you.

But instead had been feeding themselves. They should have known and We're not leading the people into the truth. Now we're gonna continue talking about that tomorrow with the 29th chapter of the book of Jeremiah.

Those false teachers that were supposed to be caring for the people and instead they were just feeding themselves. But for now as we wrap up this lesson today from Luke chapter 20, we remember Jesus Christ is Lord and Because of what he has done as said in Philippians chapter 2 giving his life.

Rising again from the dead. The Father has given him the name that is above every name. Which is the name Yahweh so that at the name of Jesus. Every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Yahweh, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father glory, hallelujah.

Heavenly Father we thank you for what we've read and I pray that in knowing that Jesus is Lord. It changes our entire outlook. We know and can have confidence in our own resurrection. We know that our sins are forgiven.

We know that Christ reigns. We know that that nothing is going to snatch us from your hand that we have the promise of eternal life together with him in glory and let these truths about our Lord give us such a comfort today as We live our lives in service to our King.

It's in Jesus name. We pray. Amen.

You've been listening to when we understand the text with Pastor Gabe Hughes Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Gabe will be going through a New Testament study then on Thursday. We look at an Old Testament book on Friday.

We take questions from the listeners and viewers tomorrow. We'll pick up on an Old Testament study when we understand the text.