Our study of the Gospel of Luke brings us to a topic that may be difficult to understand but it is vital we understand and embrace. Today we shall learn from Luke 20:41-44 about how Jesus can be both David’s Son and David’s Lord.
First, let us take a moment for a quick recap of what has happened in Luke 19 and 20. Jesus has had His “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem and chased out the money-changers in the Temple. He is then asked a number of questions meant to trap Him and turn the crowd against Him. They ask where His authority is derived. They ask if He supports taxes being paid to Caesar. And finally, they ask an absurd question about the resurrection. In our text today, it is Jesus’ turn to ask a question and it is a profound question regarding His true identity.
Jesus asked the Jewish religious leaders: “How can the Messiah be David’s son when David calls Him Lord?” Do you see the importance of this question? It is understandable that we might not immediately understand its importance so let’s study it a little closer. In Jesus’ day, a father would never call his son “Lord” because in this society fathers are always more honored than sons. The sons must honor their fathers because it was understood that fathers were wiser. Now consider, in regards to the greatest of the kings of Israel, no one surpassed David. Knowing this, let’s go back to Jesus’ question. If the Messiah is David’s son, why does David call Him Lord? Consider:
David’s Son
Human Nature. Jesus is David’s Son because He is a human being. He grew (Luke 2:40-52), slept (Luke 8:23), drank (Luke 22:17), wept (John 11:35), and bled (John 19:32-37). Jesus became human when He was born in Bethlehem to the virgin Mary. John 1:14 says: “The Word [Jesus] became flesh and dwelt among us.”
Human Nurture. Jesus was not only human but showed us how we should treat one another. Jesus is a man who loves others. An encouraging story of this great empathy is found in John 11. Jesus’ friend Lazarus had recently died and Jesus came to raise Him from the dead. When Jesus saw the crowds mourning over the death of Lazarus we read in the Bible that He wept. This prompted the crowd to say, “See how He loved Him!” Another indication is found in Matthew 9:36 where Jesus looked at the crowds following Him and had compassion on them.
David’s Lord
Divine Nature. Jesus is David’s Lord because He is Divine. Long before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He existed eternally with God the Father and God the Spirit. We know this because Jesus said in John 17:5: “Father, glorify Me in Your Own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.” The Bible tells us that Jesus is fully God. He is eternal (Jn 17:5), able to calm a storm (Lk 8:22-25), able to heal the sick (Jn 9), able to raise the dead (Lk 7:11-15), and able to forgive sin (Mt 9). Jesus is the “image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation…all things were created through Him and for Him” (Col 1:15-16).
Worshipped by Others. Another important sign of His Divine Nature is that He is worshipped by others. The Bible is clear that we must worship God alone (Exodus 34:14) and Jesus is worshipped. One of the most noticeable instances is when His disciple Thomas confessed to Jesus: “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Jesus did not rebuke Him, but blessed him for this true confession.
David’s Savior
Now that we have established that Jesus is David’s Son in His humanity and David’s Lord in his divinity, let us turn our attention to Jesus’ purpose in asking the question. This question is asked because Jesus is God who entered into humanity in order to be the Savior. Why did Jesus become human? He did so in order to offer Himself as a sacrifice for sin. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus and declared: “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). The word the Bible uses to describe this sacrifice is propitiation. We see it in Hebrews 2:17 where it says that Jesus is our advocate “to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Propitiation is an action that satisfies the wrath/anger of another. In Christ’s work, it is His sacrifice of Himself on the cross that satisfies the wrath of God against our sin. Those who admit that they are a sinner and repent, who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and who confess their faith and trust in Jesus Christ will have their sins forgiven and receive the righteousness of Christ.
Destroyer of Enemies. Jesus is our Savior who saves us from all our enemies. He will reign until all His enemies are conquered. Hi enemies include sickness, greed, murder, jealously, etc. All this things will be destroyed by Jesus.
Defeater of Death. Most importantly, Jesus is the One who will defeat death forever. We no longer have to live in fear, but will be resurrected to life because of our faith.
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