41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
42 Saying,
What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.
43 He saith unto them,
How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
44
The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
45
If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. Matthew 22:41–46.
In Rabbinical thought, the Messiah must be a
physical descendant of David (
Mashiach ben David). However, Jesus points out a linguistic "riddle":
- Patriarchal Honor: In Middle Eastern and Jewish culture, a father is always greater than the son. A father would never call his descendant "Lord."
- The Question: If the Messiah is merely a human son (descendant) of David, why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh), address him as "my Lord"?
By asking this, Jesus wasn't denying that the Messiah is David’s son; He was suggesting that the Messiah is
more than just a biological heir.
From a Jewish theological standpoint, this points to the
Messiah’s pre-existence or a status that transcends simple lineage. He is "David's Son" according to the flesh, but "David's Lord" according to his divine appointment and station. The Pharisees were "silenced" because, within the strict horizontal view of a human-only king, they couldn't explain why the great King David would submit to his own grandson.
Jesus was clearly aware of His biological origin being a descendant of Abraham. It was this biologic by which He knew who He is and where He came from. He came from man and from God. The God-man.
You should know this and it should form your understanding. But instead, you like to add to the Bible and reject the truth of Jesus' genealogy. He IS the biological son of Abraham and David. His birth proves His credentials as a Jew who was prophesied to save Jews.
NOT Gentiles.