David's Son and Lord

Luke 41-44

An ancient throne seat carved from stone, worn and empty, a faint carved crown above it barely legible, afternoon light

Then Jesus put a question to them. "How is it that people call the MessiahtranslateTextthe Messiah (τὸν χριστόν)"Christ" has become a surname to modern ears — "Jesus Christ" sounds like a first and last name. But χριστός is a title meaning "the anointed one" (Greek translation of Hebrew mashiach). The popular expectation was specific: a Davidic warrior-king who would drive out Rome and restore Israel's sovereignty. Jesus does not deny Davidic descent — Luke's genealogy (3:23-38) affirms it. He complicates it: the Messiah is David's son AND David's Lord. David's son?" he asked.

"David himself wrote in the Book of Psalms: 'The LORD said to my Lord:Sit at my right handuntil I make your enemiesa footstool for your feet.'

"David calls him 'Lord.' So how can the Messiah be his son?"

Everyone agreed the Messiah would come from David's line — a son. But in their world, a father did not call his own son "Lord." Yet that is what David did. Jesus let the question stand. He did not answer it. The riddle was the teaching. No one spoke.

Additional Notes

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Context Psalm 110:1 expand_more

The most quoted Old Testament verse in the New Testament — cited or alluded to over twenty times (Acts 2:34-35; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12-13; 12:2). The early church's use of this psalm to articulate Jesus' identity — exalted to God's right hand, ruling until all opposition is subdued — became the foundational christological proof text. Jesus' riddle here plants the seed that the entire apostolic movement would cultivate.

menu_book Study Notes

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Text 20:41

the Messiah (τὸν χριστόν)

"Christ" has become a surname to modern ears — "Jesus Christ" sounds like a first and last name. But χριστός is a title meaning "the anointed one" (Greek translation of Hebrew mashiach). The popular expectation was specific: a Davidic warrior-king who would drive out Rome and restore Israel's sovereignty. Jesus does not deny Davidic descent — Luke's genealogy (3:23-38) affirms it. He complicates it: the Messiah is David's son AND David's Lord.
link
Context 20:42

Psalm 110:1

The most quoted Old Testament verse in the New Testament — cited or alluded to over twenty times (Acts 2:34-35; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12-13; 12:2). The early church's use of this psalm to articulate Jesus' identity — exalted to God's right hand, ruling until all opposition is subdued — became the foundational christological proof text. Jesus' riddle here plants the seed that the entire apostolic movement would cultivate.
translate
Text 20:42b

The LORD said to my Lord

Psalm 110:1 — the double use of "Lord" is the riddle. The first "LORD" (κύριος without article) represents YHWH, the divine name. The second "my Lord" (τῷ κυρίῳ μου) is the one David addresses — whom the early church identified as the Messiah. In the ancient honor system, an ancestor is always superior to a descendant. David calling his own offspring "Lord" violates the deepest social hierarchy. The paradox is deliberate: the Messiah must be both human (from David's line) and something more (worthy of David's worship).

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