Do We Really Know Who Jesus Is?
And He said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David? Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’ Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his Son? - Luke 20:41-44 NKJV
The Context:
At this point in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is in the final week of His earthly ministry. He’s in Jerusalem, and the religious leaders are challenging Him - questioning His authority, trying to trap Him with theological puzzles, and ultimately looking for a way to discredit Him. But now Jesus turns the tables. Instead of answering another one of their trick questions, He ask them a question.
What Jesus is saying is this:
“You say the Messiah is the Son of David. But have you ever really thought about what that means?”
The Challenge:
Jesus isn’t denying that Messiah would come from the line of David - that was clearly prophesied ion 2 Samuel 7:12-16. But He’s challenging the assumption that Messiah would be only a political deliverer. He’s challenging the idea that Messiah would be merely a human descendant of David. So, Jesus points them to Psalm 110:1, where King David says;
The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’
In the Hebrew “The LORD” (all caps) is Yahweh, God the Father. The second “Lord” (capital L, lowercase o-r-d) is Adonai, referring to someone greater than David - yet David’s descendant. This is a profound and powerful moment. Jesus is showing them that the Messiah is more than a man. He is David’s Son, yes - but He is also David’s Lord.
Revelation 22:16 echoes Jesus words here:
“I am the Root and the Offspring of David.”
He is both the source and the descendant - both the origin and the fulfillment of - of David’s line. Fully man, and fully God.
The Invitation:
This short interaction packs a theological punch. Jesus is inviting them - and us - to reconsider any assumptions we have about who He is. The religious leaders were experts in Scripture, yet they missed Messiah. Jesus was not just another teach or prophet. He is God in the flesh.
So we ask:
Do we really know who Jesus is?
Have we settled for a partial picture of Him - maybe one shaped by tradition, personal preference, or limited understanding? Jesus invites us deeper. To know Him truly is to know Him as Lord, not just as a historical figure, or moral teacher, or even a miracle worker. He is the exalted One seated at the right hand of the Father. He is Lord of all - even Lord over David, Israel’s greatest king.
Application:
Take some time today to reflect on how you see Jesus. Do you know Him as Savior and Lord?
Are there areas of your life where you’ve kept Him at arm’s length?
What does it mean for you personally that Jesus is not Just “the Son of David,” but the Lord of David?
Are you willing to let Jesus challenge your assumptions about who He is - and invite you into deeper truth - deeper relationship?
Heavenly Father, I confess that sometimes I think I already know all I need to know about You. But You are always greater than I can imagine. You are not only the Son of David, You are the Lord of David. Open my heart and mind to know you more deeply. Teach me to see you not only as Savior, but as Sovereign King. I give it all again to You today. Be Lord of my life. In Jesus name, Amen.
