Monday, March 3, 2008
Psalm 150; Matthew 22:41-46"What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he? ...
If David calls him Lord, how is he his son?"
(Matthew 22:45)
One more parlay in this battle of parables and questions. Jesus ends it with this question.
They believed that the Messiah would be the son of David (which Jesus was, cf. 1:1). In a brilliant and beautiful reference to, and interpretation of, Psalm 110 Jesus silences all his opponents. He will go after the Pharisees next, just as he nailed the chief priests.
Jesus had defended resurrection, life after death, with an ancient text, with Moses; now, with another ancient text, with David, he is claiming there is one who had life before birth! The son of David was David's lord. Jesus seems to be saying that the Messiah, the coming King who will overthrow every opposing power that oppresses God's people (read through Psalm 110), who is also a priest after the order of Melchizedek, was in David's time God's anointed redeemer, was in David's time in communication with the LORD God.
Again, we're seeing this whole thing has a political edge to it. It could be that this interaction alone got Jesus killed. In it he is both claiming to be the delivering king of the Jews (guaranteeing crucifixion by the Romans) and pre-existent in union with God the Father (guaranteeing collusion in getting him handed over by all the religious powers).
Wow.
Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!... Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!
(Psalm 150)
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