He
said to them, “Why do they say that the Christ is David’s son? David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.”’ “David therefore calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”
Luke 20:41-44
Luke 20 [39.] Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you speak well.” They didn’t dare to ask him any more questions.
Luke 20 [41.] He said to them, “Why do they say that the Christ is David’s son? David himself says in the book of Psalms,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.”’
“David therefore calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”
Luke 20 [45.] In the hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts; who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these will receive greater condemnation.” - PIB from the World English Bible.
Meaning:
In the temple, during the last week before his crucifixion, Jesus has answered every question his opponents put to him. The Sadducees’ question about the resurrection ended with some scribes saying, “Teacher, you speak well,” and no one daring to ask him anything more (Luke 20:37-40). Now Jesus asks a question of his own. It goes to the heart of who the Messiah is.
- “Why do they say that the Christ is David’s son?”
Everyone agreed that the Christ, the promised Messiah, would be a descendant of King David. God had promised David, “I will set up your offspring after you, who will proceed out of your body, and I will establish his kingdom” (2 Samuel 7:12). “Son of David” had become a popular title for the Messiah. The blind man near Jericho cried out, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:38). Before Jesus was born, the angel told Mary that “The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David” (Luke 1:32).
Jesus does not deny that the Christ is David’s son. He was born in the line of David. But he shows that this title, on its own, is not enough.
- “David himself says in the book of Psalms”
Jesus quotes Psalm 110, a psalm the Jews of his day understood as speaking about the Messiah. David writes, “Yahweh says to my Lord,” and then gives God’s words, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool for your feet” (Psalm 110:1). In the Hebrew, the first “Lord” is God’s own name, Yahweh. The second is “my Lord,” a title of honour for a superior. David, the greatest king of Israel, calls the Messiah his Lord.
To sit at someone’s right hand meant to share his authority and honour. The Messiah is invited to sit beside God and rule until all his enemies are defeated.
- “David therefore calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”
In that culture a father did not call his son “lord.” A son honoured his father, not the other way round. If David calls his descendant Lord, then that descendant must be far greater than David. He is not merely a royal heir who would restore David’s earthly kingdom; he is someone with divine authority.
Jesus leaves the question open, and no one answers. The answer is found in who Jesus is: by human descent he is the son of David, but he is also the Son of God. Jesus himself is “the root and the offspring of David” (Revelation 22:16), both David’s source and his descendant.
Soon afterwards, at his trial, Jesus would apply Psalm 110 to himself: “From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:69). At Pentecost Peter quoted the same psalm to show that God raised Jesus and exalted him: “God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36).
The same exchange is recorded in Mark (Mark 12:35-37) and Matthew (Matthew 22:41-46).
The Significance of Luke 20:41-44
- Jesus is more than a great man
Many people honour Jesus as a teacher or a moral example. This question shows that the Messiah is David’s Lord, someone who shares God’s throne.
- Scripture points to Christ
Jesus used the Psalms to reveal his own identity. Reading the Old Testament with Christ in view opens its deepest meaning.
- Confessing Jesus as Lord
If David called the Messiah “my Lord,” so should we. Faith involves not only admiring Jesus but submitting to his rule.
Cross-References:
Psalm 110:1: "Yahweh says to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool for your feet.”" The psalm Jesus quotes.
2 Samuel 7:12: "I will set up your offspring after you, who will proceed out of your body, and I will establish his kingdom." God’s promise to David.
Acts 2:36: "God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." Peter applies the psalm.
Mark 12:35-37: The parallel account in Mark.
Conclusion: Jesus asked how the Christ could be both David’s son and David’s Lord. Quoting Psalm 110, he showed that the Messiah is far greater than an earthly king in David’s line: he shares the throne and authority of God. Jesus is both the son of David by birth and the Lord whom David worshipped, and he calls all people to honour him as Lord.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible