Passion Week Through Jewish Eyes: The Testing BY The Lamb Of God

SO, four times Yeshua is confronted by the religious leaders, and four times He answers and shows Himself to be the perfect Lamb of God without spot or blemish. Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians all put Him to the test.

Now He turns the tables on them and He has a question for the religious leaders…on the last day that Yeshua is speaking publicly so it’s very important to hear what He says. And His last message is about His identity, who is He?

Matthew 22:41, Yeshua said this:

“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose Son is He?”

That was the question that He asked. “What do you think about the Messiah, whose Son is He?” And He is saying this to the Pharisees and the scribes, in the hearing of all the people. And Matthew 22:42 says: They said to Him, “David’s… David’s.”

They understood that much. I want you to notice, there’s a definite article in the Matthew text when the question is asked: “What do you think about THE Messiah?”

He’s distancing Himself in that moment. He’s simply asking,

“What is your view of the Messiah? Whose Son is He?”

And they reply, “David’s.”

SO, their answer is correct. He is David’s Son. That is true. It just didn’t go far enough. There was a part of the answer they left off.

And so He does a brief exposition of Scripture leading them into the rest of the truth of His true and complete identity.

See Luke 20:41-44

“How is it that they say the Messiah 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

A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.’

Therefore, David calls Him ‘Lord,’ and how is He his son”

This is an absolutely brilliant question. No Jewish father would ever call his son Lord. Why is David calling his son Lord – Adonai in Psalm 110?

David is calling the Messiah both Lord and God:

“The Lord (God) said to my Lord (Messiah), ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’”

Verse 44, He asks the question:

“Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord,’ and how is He his son?”

Messiah must not only be David’s lineal descendant, but He must also be his divine Lord. The rabbis understood the Psalm in a messianic sense, and it had its true fulfillment in one greater than David.

Result:

Matthew 22:46, “No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.”

Sadly, it doesn’t say they believed. They just ramped up the hatred. When next they appear on the scene it will be with force (Matthew 26:47).

That was the last thing He ever said in His public ministry – a final opportunity for individuals to acknowledge that He is God as well as man. I say “individuals” because the unpardonable sin was a “national” sin. But individual Jews could still come to the Lord, then as today.

As to His humanity, He is David’s son; but as to His deity, He is David’s Lord.

The kingdom will have to wait. The people hoped for a national-political liberation, and totally misunderstood the possibilities of spiritual redemption.

All of the religious leaders were silenced by His answers. This one who rode into Jerusalem a few days earlier, proved to be without spot or blemish.

And that meant He could proceed to the cross to be the real Passover sacrifice.

That’s why THAT Passover was different than any other.