Who Is Jesus?

I want you to take your Bibles and find Luke 20:41.  I want to share a message with you entitled, “Who Is Jesus?”

 

In short, Jesus is fully man and fully God.  However, this truth is separates Christianity from other faith traditions.

 

It is still Tuesday.  It is still Passion Week, and Jesus is still dialoging in the temple with those who are opposed to Him.

 

He answered a question about authority form the chief priest, scribes, and elders.  He answered another question from the chief priests and scribes about paying taxes.  Last week, we see Jesus answer a question from the Sadducees about marriage, but it was really about life after death.

 

From the beginning of the New Testament and even today, many struggle to properly identify who Jesus was and is.  At one point, some Pharisees said that Jesus was the ruler of the demons.  See Matthew 12:24.

 

In Matthew 12:24, 24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

 

As I said a moment ago, what you believe about Jesus determines your place inside Christianity or outside Christianity.  Traditionally, cults and other religions separate themselves from Christianity because of what they believe about Jesus.

 

For example, Mormons believe that Jesus is not an eternal being but a created being, and the older brother of Lucifer.  Consequently, they are not Trinitarian and are not Christian. 

 

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus is not God.  Before He lived on earth, He was Michael the Archangel. Consequently, they are not Trinitarian and are not Christian.

 

For Muslim, Jesus was not God, but another prophet like Mohummed.  For Buddhists, Jesus was an enlightened teacher. For Jews, Jesus was a crazy man.

 

As a matter of fact, I will never forget a college mission trip with my church group to the University of Wisconsen. We met some Jewish students who told us they thought Jesus was a crazy man.  That was their words.

 

Like Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, these major world religions are not Christian.  So again, who is Jesus?

 

He is fully man and fully God.  Today’s text will demonstrate.

 

 

1. Jesus Asked a Question, Matthew 22:41-42a.

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” 

 

Luke doesn’t include the first part of today’s story.  Therefore, turn over to Matthew 22:41.

 

In our own study of Luke’s Gospel, we have seen Jesus spending a lot of Tuesday in the temple answer questions.  Now in Matthew 22:41, Jesus decided to ask His own.

 

Verse 42 states the questions.  He asked of the Pharisees who were gathered around, “What do you think of the Christ?  Whose Son is He?”

 

This sounds odd, but Jesus wasn’t asking about Himself.  The word “Christ” in verse 42 means “anointed one” or “Messiah.”  He was asking what they thought about the Messiah.   Specifically, whose son was the Messiah?

 

 

2. The Pharisees Answered Correctly, Matthew 22:42b.

42 They said to Him, “The Son of David.”

 

They said that the Messiah came through the lineage of David.  They answered correctly that the Messiah would biologically be from David’s line.

 

We also know that to be true from other texts.  See Ruth 4:18-22 and Matthew 1:5-6 and Matthew 1:16.

 

Ruth 4:18-22, 18 Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; 19 Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; 20 Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon; 21 Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; 22 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.

 

Matthew 1:5-6, 5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and Jesse begot David the king.

 

Matthew 1:16, 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

 

Again, the Pharisees answered correctly.  Jesus was David’s son.  Consequently, that means He was and is fully man. 

 

 

3. However, Their Assessment was Not Complete, Luke 20:41-44.

41 And He said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David? 42 Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms: ‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand, 43 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’  44 Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his Son?” 

 

Even though the Pharisees answered Jesus’ question correctly, they did not answer Jesus’ question completely.  Now, let’s give our attention to Luke 20.

 

In verse 41, Jesus asked another question wanting to know how they could say the Messiah was David’s son in light of Psalm 110:1.  What did Psalm 110 say?

 

Look at verse 42.  God told the Messiah to sit at my right hand until He makes His enemies His footstool.  Then David called the Messiah Lord.

 

What God was saying was the He would make the Promised Messiah the King.  He would make Him equal with God in rank and authority, and His victories would be many. 

 

Remember what we said previously. The Messiah would be from biological line of David.  However, why would David call his Son Lord?  That makes no sense. 

 

David is king.  A king would never call his son Lord.  What is going on here? 

 

The Messiah came from David’s line so He would be David’s son.  The Messiah would also be David’s Lord since He was God’s son too.

 

Jesus came from David.  However, Jesus was also David’s Lord.

 

Jesus is fully man and fully God.  Jesus is the Messiah!

 

 

Conclusion

I want you to see two more texts, and we’ll be done.  See John 3:36 and Romans 10:13.

 

36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

 

If you have never trusted in Christ as Lord and Savior, call on Him to save you.

 

13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

 

Paul was quoting from Joel 2:32.  Therefore, salvation has always been through the Messiah, Jesus the Christ!

 

Who is Jesus?  He is fully man and fully God, and the only Savior of the world.