David’s Son and David’s Lord

    “Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said. And after that they durst not ask him any question at all. And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David’s son? And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son? Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples, Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; Which devour widows’ houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation” (Luke 20:39-47).

    The Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees took great offence at our Lord’s doctrine, rightly perceiving that he had spoken the parable of the vineyard (vv. 9-18) against them (v. 19). Taking offence at his doctrine, these wicked religious men, like their successors in every generation since, tried to catch the Lord Jesus with trick questions, hoping to twist his words and turn them against him, all the while pretending to be sincere and honest. But they were altogether foiled in their schemes, as those who oppose Christ and his gospel always are.

    Once our Lord Jesus had stopped the mouths of the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees, he seized the opportunity to give us a word of instruction about himself and a word of warning about religious pretence. The Scribes, who believed the doctrine of the resurrection, which the Sadducees denied, were pleased enough with the Lord’s response to the Sadducees. But they no more believed God than the Sadducees or the Pharisees. All three groups were mere self-righteous religionists, who utterly despised Christ and salvation by him. Our Lord saw through their charade. He was no more impressed with one than with the other.

    First, our Lord Jesus publicly exposed the ignorance of these religious hypocrites. After enduring and silencing the cavils of his enemies, our Lord turned the table against them and deliberately exposed their utter ignorance of the scriptures and the power of God. Remember, these were not ordinary men, or even ordinary religious men. They were the most revered religious leaders of their day. But they were, as are the most revered religious leaders of every age, ignorant of the scriptures and ignorant of the power of God. Can you imagine how galling it must have been to them to have their ignorance publicly exposed before the multitudes? Yet, that is exactly what the Lord Jesus did here.

    He asked them to explain an expression found in Psalm 110, where David speaks of the Messiah, whom they all acknowledged is David’s son, as his Lord. They were dumbfounded. They were so stunned that they could not give any kind of answer. These great religious leaders did not see the plain teaching of holy scripture that Messiah (the Christ), he who is our Redeemer and Saviour, must be and is fully God and fully man in one glorious Person. Yet, that is exactly what the Psalmist David declares in Psalm 110. Their ignorance of this Psalm was exposed before all the people. Professing themselves to be teachers of others, claiming to possess the key of knowledge, they were totally ignorant of the scriptures they claimed to teach with authority. Nothing could have been more embarrassing and galling.

    Second, the Lord Jesus here reminds us that the Book of God is all about him, his person, his work, his salvation, and his great glory in saving his people from their sins. I remind you again that the Bible is all about Christ. There is a unique fulness about the Word of God that gives clear evidence of its inspiration. The more we read and study it, the bigger it gets and the more it seems to contain. All other books become mundane, if they are repeatedly read. Their weak points become obvious. After a while, they all get old. But the Book of God just gets more fresh. It appears to be broader, deeper, and fuller the more fully it is studied. The fresh truths that constantly spring up before our eyes are simple, plain, and clear. The Book of God is an inexhaustible mine of spiritual treasure. Nothing can explain this, except the fact that the Bible is the Word, not of man, but of God (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:21).

    Yet, throughout the Bible, there is but one theme, one message.⁸ The theme and message of this Book is Jesus Christ and him crucified, redemption and salvation by his blood (Luke 24:25-27, 44-47; Acts 20:26, 27; 1 Corinthians 2:2).

    We see this fact demonstrated throughout the scriptures. This Book speaks of him whom to know is life eternal. As we open the Word of God, let us pray that God the Holy Spirit, whose Word it is, will open our hearts and minds to see the Lord Jesus Christ.

    The Psalms, to which our Lord here refers us, are full of him. No part of the Bible perhaps is better known in the letter, and none so little understood in the spirit, as the Book of Psalms. That was true in our Lord’s day; and the same is true today. Most everyone who attends church knows something about the Psalms. In some churches a psalm is sung every week. Some sing the Psalms exclusively. Yet, there are few who understand that the Psalms speak of Christ.

    Most everyone acknowledges that some of the Psalms are messianic, that they have some reference to Christ. But few understand that all the Psalms speak of him, as he declared in Luke 24 that they do. Yes, they record feelings, experiences, praises, and prayers of the men who wrote them; but we have not understood the Psalms at all, if we do not see that they all point us to and teach us about our Saviour.

    The Book of Psalms is, in a word, a book full of Christ. Christ’s coming, Christ’s sufferings, Christ in humiliation, Christ dying, Christ rising again, Christ coming the second time, Christ reigning over all. The Psalms speak of both our Lord’s great advents, the advent of humiliation, when he appeared to be made sin for us and to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself and the advent of his glory, when he shall appear the second time without sin to gather his people home to glory. Both the kingdoms are here: the kingdom of grace, during which the elect are gathered, and the kingdom of glory, when every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord.

    We read the Word of God with no profit to our souls, if we read only the letter of the written Word and fail to see the person, the character, the accomplishments, the grace, the greatness, and the glory of Christ the living Word, of whom the written Word speaks.

    Third, the Lord Jesus declares his eternal enthronement and dominion as the God-man, our Mediator.

    “And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool” (vv. 42, 43).

    Did David say precisely that? Did he actually declare that the Lord Jesus Christ was already enthroned as our Mediator? Indeed, he did. But Christ’s enthronement as our Mediator and Priest is the reward of his accomplished redemption. Is it not (Psalm 2:8; John 17:1-5; Philippians 2:5-11; Romans 14:9)? So how could he have been already enthroned, if he had not yet fully accomplished his work of redemption, if he had not yet fully saved his people? He was already enthroned because as the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world, his work was accomplished and our salvation was finished before the world began.

    Read Psalm 110 again. Carefully note that which the Holy Spirit, back in David’s day asserted emphatically that Christ was already enthroned because his great salvation was finished long before he came into the world in time. In fact, this is exactly what Isaiah saw and experienced in Isaiah 6. The Lord Jesus Christ, as our Mediator, was given the reins of universal dominion privately before the world began (John 17:5). He was given those reins publicly at his ascension. He holds those reins now, and shall hold them forever. The triune God has put all things into the hands of Christ, the God-man, our Redeemer. And he shall reign forever! Soon, all his enemies shall be (either by saving grace or by the execution of wrath) put under his feet (Isaiah 45:22-25; 1 Corinthians 15:24, 25).

    In verse 44 our Saviour, speaking of himself, asked these “brilliant”, religious idiots, “David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?” They were dumbfounded by the question. Yet, it is a question that is easily and quickly answered by the poorest, most unlearned sinner saved by God’s free grace (John 1:14-18; 1 Timothy 3:16). How truly blessed we are, being taught of God, to know and be assured of this great mystery. Our great Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, is both the “Root” and the “Offspring” of David. Being God the eternal Son, one with the Father, over all God blessed forever, he is, and must be God: David’s Root, and the Maker of all things. And as man he is the Offspring, which as a Branch, was promised to grow out of his roots (Isaiah 11:1).

    Precious Saviour! Blessed Redeemer! Were you not both David’s Son and David’s Lord, what would have become of us? But because you, O Blessed Son of God, became a man like us, that you might live and die and live again to save us, eternal life is ours by the merit and efficacy of your righteousness and blood! The righteousness brought in by the obedience of the God-man is the righteousness of God (Romans 10:1-4). The blood shed for the atonement of sin is the blood of that Man who is himself God (Acts 20:28). And it is this Christ, the God-man our Mediator and Saviour, who is, who was, and who shall be forever our Priest upon his throne, our King, Priest and Advocate, made after the order of Melchizedek! How safe we are! How secure! How peaceful and confident we ought to be!

    Fourth, our Redeemer again warns us to beware of all who make a show of religion and godliness.

    “Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples, Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; Which devour widows’ houses, and for a show make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.”

    This was an open, public rebuke of men who “sat in Moses’ seat”, and were the recognized and revered religious leaders of people. It seems that no sin is more obnoxious to the Son of God than hypocrisy and a show of religion. None drew forth from his lips such frequent, strong, and withering condemnation during the whole course of his earthly ministry. Our Saviour is ever full of mercy and compassion for the chief of sinners. Fury was not in him when he saw Zacchaeus, the penitent thief, Matthew the tax-collector, Saul the persecutor, and the woman in Simon’s house. But when he saw scribes and Pharisees wearing a mere cloak of religion, and pretending great outward sanctity, piety, and holiness, while their hearts were full of wickedness, his holy soul was full of indignation. Eight times in one chapter (Matthew 23) we find him saying, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites”!

    And he has not changed. He is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Whatever else we are in religion, let us be true. However feeble our faith, hope, love, and obedience may be, let us be real, genuine, and sincere. It is not accidental that the very first piece of armour Paul recommends to the Christian soldier is “truth”. “Stand therefore”, he says, “having your loins girt about with truth” (Ephesians 6:14).

    Anyone who attempts, in any way, to show his religion, devotion, piety, sanctity, and holiness to others, truly does; and he has his reward. His religion, devotion, piety, sanctity, and holiness is all outward; and the applause of men is all it is worth. God’s saints seek not the praise of men, but the praise of God.

    Fifth, we are taught that there are degrees of damnation in hell. Our Saviour’s last word in this instructive chapter is a word about the greater condemnation of self-righteous religionists. “The same shall receive greater damnation.”

    There are no degrees of glory in heaven, because salvation is by the grace of God alone. Heaven’s glory was earned for all God’s elect; and we are made worthy of it by Christ’s obedience and death as our Substitute. But there are degrees of damnation in hell. The everlasting torments of the damned in hell are measured out and executed by divine justice according to the measure of man’s wickedness.

    Do not read these solemn words and forget them. They are spoken to lost religious men. Do not be so proud. Do not be so foolish. Oh, may God the Holy Spirit give you grace now to look to Christ, to believe him. There is a Fountain opened for sinners; but there is nothing but everlasting damnation in hell for those who think they are righteous. O sinner, plunge into that Fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins. Sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains!