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Focus: We all need a revelation in spirit of Christ as the most wonderful Person in the universe. He is both God and man, divine and human. As God, He is the Lord of David; as a man, He is the Son of David.
I. Take some time to pray and ask the Lord to reveal Himself in His word to you during this Bible study.
II. Read Matthew 22:41-46. After the Lord Jesus faced a series of tests in the form of questions from some who were opposing Him, He goes on to ask them one of the most important questions ever asked.
A. What questions did Jesus ask to the Pharisees?
B. What was the Pharisees’ answer to Jesus’ first two questions? Was their answer correct? See 2 Samuel 7:12-13, which is a word spoken by God to David.
C. What is the significance of Christ being the son of David? See Matthew 1:1. There are actually many significances to this, but a main significance is simply that Christ was the descendant of a human being; hence He is also a genuine man with the human nature.
D. According to verse 46, everyone was speechless in considering the answer to Jesus’ second set of questions. What stumped them in these questions?
1. In verse 44 Jesus quoted Psalm 110:1, which was written by David.
2. In this Psalm, David referred to:
a) The Lord (Jehovah God)
b) The One who would sit at God’s right hand (the Christ)
c) “My Lord”; note that the word Lord implies divinity.
3. When we put the above three items together, what was Jesus trying to show to the Pharisees?
E. What conclusion can we make if we put the Pharisees’ answer together with Jesus’ answer?
F. The Pharisees had only half the scriptural knowledge concerning Christ’s Person, that He was the Son of David according to His humanity. They did not have the other half, concerning Christ’s divinity as the Son of God.
G. In Matthew 22:15-40, Jesus was asked many questions regarding religion, politics, belief, and the law. But in verse 42 He asked a question that can be considered the “question of questions.” Why can we consider this question to be the most important question compared to all of the other questions? You can use John 20:31 and Colossians 3:11b if you need help.
H. People today have many questions and care for many things, but not many care for Christ. God’s concern is for Christ, and Christ’s concern is for Himself. “What do you think about Christ? Whose Son is He?” This question touches Christ’s Person, which is a mystery, the most perplexing matter in the universe.
I. Many verses throughout the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments, confirm the wonderful mystery of Christ being both the Son of Man and the Son of God, i.e. being both divine and human. If you have time, read these verses and see if you can identify both aspects: Isaiah 9:6; 1 Timothy 2:5; John 1:1, 14.
Apply
I. What is the only way for people to see that Jesus is not only a man but also the Son of God, even God Himself? What is the key to receiving this revelation? Compare Matthew 22:43 to Ephesians 3:4-5. Also read Matthew 16:16-17.
- How should the above verses then guide us as we present the wonderful truth of Christ’s person to others? We should not merely attempt to convince them mentally but should….
- Our receiving a revelation of Jesus being the Son of God was the beginning of our Christian life. However, for our entire Christian life, we should continue to receive fresh revelations about this wonderful Person! Read Ephesians 1:17. Who was the apostle Paul praying for in this verse and how does this prayer confirm our need to have constant revelations of the Lord Jesus?
II. The fact that Christ is both God and man is not to remain merely as objective knowledge to us. Today Christ can be known and experienced by us in our spirit through God’s revelation. One way to subjectively experience Christ, as David did, is to “in spirit call Him Lord.”
- Read 1 Corinthians 12:3. According to this verse, how can we experience being in spirit?
- Calling on the Lord helps us find our spirit, which is the deepest part of our being (cf. 1 Thes. 5:23). Do you have any specific experiences where calling on the name of the Lord helped you touch Him deep within?
Verses
Matthew 22:41-46 – Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus questioned them, Saying, What do you think concerning the Christ? Whose son is He? They said to Him, David’s. He said to them, How then does David in spirit call Him Lord, saying, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies underneath Your feet”? If then David calls Him Lord, how is He his son? And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone from that day dare to question Him anymore.
2 Samuel 7:12-13 – When your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your seed after you, which will come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. It is he who will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
Matthew 1:1 – The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Psalm 110:1 – Jehovah declares to my Lord, / Sit at My right hand / Until I make Your enemies / Your footstool.
John 20:31 – But these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you may have life in His name.
Colossians 3:11b – Christ is all and in all.
Isaiah 9:6 – For a child is born to us, a Son is given to us; and the government is upon His shoulder; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
1 Timothy 2:5 – For there is one God and one Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us (and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only Begotten from the Father), full of grace and reality.
Matthew 22:43 – He said to them, How then does David in spirit call Him Lord, saying,
Ephesian 3:4-5 – By which, in reading it, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ, Which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in spirit,
Matthew 16:16-17 – And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens.
Ephesians 1:17 – That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of Him,
1 Corinthians 12:3 – Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking in the Spirit of God says, Jesus is accursed; and no one can say, Jesus is Lord! except in the Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.