Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to Him, “The son of David.” Jesus said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls Him Lord saying, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”? If then David calls Him Lord, how is He his son?” And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. (Matthew 22:41-46)
There are certain questions that define your life. A few life defining questions for me have been:
“Do you, Christopher, take Kelly as your beloved bride?”
I’ve have the privilege of being asked if I would be Solomon’s dad by his birth mother and a judge.
One question that helps define me as well as Pastor Koehneke was something like when you asked: “Would you come and be our pastor?”
Each of have a few life-defining questions: marriage, children, jobs and callings – some of us will have similar life-defining questions, others quite different.
One life-defining question, though, that every person has in common is this: “Who do you say that Jesus is?”
What do you think about the Christ? Jesus will say in the text. Whose son is He?
This is not a question that we Christians simply answer one time and then done. There are particular moments we might have in life in which that question is specifically posed to us to answer before all. Miss Sissallee and Scicelia were asked that last week before in the Rite of First Communion.
You were asked it more than like when you baptized and confirmed.
But we also that question every time we gather here. Paul will say, Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David (2 Timothy 2:8).
We forgetful ones need constant reminders. So the liturgy hammers the question, “Who do you say Jesus is” with the answers:
Son of God,
Lord who lives and reigns,
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,
only begotten Son of God,
God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten not made,
incarnate by the Holy Spirit, made man,
Judge,
Savior,
Blessed is He, Blessed is He, Blessed is He who come
Glory of His people Israel.
Today, our Harvest Home will answer the question, “Who do you say that Jesus is?” with the beautiful confession, “The Lord is my Shepherd. Jesus is my Good Shepherd. I’m ok. I’m good. I’ve got Him and He’s got me, I shall not want.”
No matter how many times you’ve had that theme hammered into you, you’re always in need of that simple reminder.
Jesus poses what seems to be a far from simple question.
[If the Christ is truly David’s Son] how is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls Him Lord, saying, [then Jesus quotes Psalm 110] The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your footstool?
It’s really an interesting question that is worth meditating.
How can the Christ both come from David and be David’s Lord?
The Christian knows there’s more questions to come from this, our confession:
How can Jesus be both our Lord and our brother?
How can Jesus be both our Judge and our defense attorney?
How can Jesus be the Creator and also become a part of His creation?
He is both Law-giver and Savior;
teacher and doer on our behalf;
above us and present with us;
before Abraham and yet He says, “I AM.”
Giver of the heart and soul and mind we are called to love God with and also partaker of heart and soul and mind and redeemer of our heart, soul, and mind.
The answer to all this is that Jesus is true God, begotten of the Father.
And also, true man, born of the Virgin Mary.
Really and truly and man
He has a day He was conceived;
We celebrate His birthday;
He hungered, thirsted, needed to sleep;
was able to die and be buried.
David’s Son according to His human nature; David’s Lord according to His divine nature.
This Jesus, really and truly God, and really and truly man is my Lord – the life defining question answered.
And what is your Lord Jesus doing for you now?
We say in the creed: “He sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.”
According to our text, the Father invites Jesus, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your footstool.”
At the right hand of God, He’s praying for you, encouraging you, helping your delight in His will and walk in His ways.
He does this by preaching to you the great commandment: You shall love you the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. (Matt. 22:37-40)
No excuses. No waiting. All encompassing – no room for doubt, worry, anger, lust, selfishness, or greed. All.
No room for enemies, racism, or culture wars. No room for “but they did this to me” or “they said this about me” – love your neighbor as yourself.
His will is good. His ways are good and your Jesus prays and helps you delight of that will of love and walk in the way of love of God – the greatest commandment – and love of neighbor that flows from it.
But Jesus is doing so much more for you at the right hand of God – He is interceding, pleading for your forgiveness. ***O God, because without You we are not able to please You**
The text has a play on words that some translations capture.
On these two commandments hang on all the Law and Prophets.
The word “hang” is like that of a nail keeping a picture up.
The image is that of “love of God” and “love of neighbor” being held up at equal height holding up all the Old Testament Scriptures.
And I hope you’re seeing the image well now, that this same word is used of your Jesus hanging on the cross (Luke 23:39)
The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree (Acts 5:30)
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.”
Who do you say that Jesus is?
The Christians says: He is the Christ. Everything hangs on Him.
My salvation.
My peace.
My righteousness.
My holiness.
My victory over the enemies of sin, death and devil.
My faith and hope and love – all hang on Him, the very Son of David, born of the Virgin Mary and the very Son of God, begotten of the Father from eternity.
Who do you say that Jesus is?
He is the One who defines my life and death and eternal life.