When Y’shua Jesus turned the tables on the Pharisees, they weren’t wholly prepared. That may be because it wasn’t part of their plan. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat, and tell me what you think.
Matthew 22:42 CEB
[42] “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” “David’s son,” they replied.
Whose Son
There is an entire industry directed to identifying paternity these days. It is unfortunate and speaks to the extent of mistrust (perhaps not misplaced) experienced by couples. It is so pervasive that there are programmes on social media that cover such cases. There, they try the case, then produce evidence as a result of dna testing. Sometimes, the mistrust is warranted. In other instances, folks are simply being mean.
This question posed by Y’shua to the Pharisees, however, is not about that kind of paternity. It is actually more of a socio-theological issue. In the Pharisees’ opinion, it was simply about determining the promised Messiah’s lineage. When reduced merely to human terms, it was a correct answer. After all, Matthew dedicated several verses in chapter 1 to make this connection. That merely confirmed Jesus as the fulfilment of prophecy If one chose to acknowledge Him as such. It doesn’t speak to His divinity, which still poses a challenge for many today.
Self-Check
What do our actions say, is Jesus filly human and fully divine, or is He just another prophet?
Application
What the Pharisees failed to affirm in their response was the Messiah’s divinity. But the Messiah’s humanity without the divinity reduces God’s salvific work. While this is a partially understandable response for the Pharisees, we have the benefit of greater insight.
We know that Y’shua was crucified, died, resurrected, and ascended, all for humanity’s sake. One songwriter said He ‘did it just for me’. We know that the Y’shua Who spoke with them is the Son of God. Fully human, fully divine. And we claim Him as our Saviour.
Point to Ponder
If questioned about Y’shua, would we claim Him as the Son of God?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
