Students of the Bible often conclude that Matthew addressed his gospel account largely to the Jewish Christian community. He begins his account with that lengthy Hebrew genealogy of the Messiah, traced all the way back to Abraham (Matthew 1:1-17). So, it is not surprising to find this question in this week’s focal text: Is the Messiah the son of David? (Matthew 22:41-46)
Jesus starts the conversation with the Pharisees by asking whose son the Messiah is. The religious Pharisees know their heritage and assert that the Messiah will be the son of David (v. 42). That is when Jesus plays a surprise card; He quotes the psalm in which David refers to the Messiah as “my lord,” a term that a father would not use to depict a son (Psalm 110:1). Jesus is moving to the claim that He, the Messiah, is the Son of God.
The other gospel writers find ways to make the same claim. Mark 12:35-37 tells the same story as we have looked at in Matthew. Luke 20:41 gives the same account. John 1:14 is clear that Jesus is the Word made flesh and is the father’s only son. Going back to Matthew, remember the writer’s reminder that the Christ is from the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20). God’s Son.
How important is all this? Let me come at it this way. This morning I received an ad from an office supply store; it said that crayons were 20% off this week. That is not particularly valuable information for me. I suppose I could go and buy a few boxes of crayons for a local kindergarten, but you get the picture: fresh crayons are not a big part of my life. On the other hand, knowing that Jesus is the Son of God makes a transitional difference for me. It marks my relationship with God. It gives God’s voice in a human life that I can follow. It becomes the fullness of God’s saving gift to me. And it is not 20% off; it is a free gift of grace!
Let’s close with this. I have a desk calendar that has a “word of the day.” The word on the day I am writing this is “eidetic.” It means “extraordinarily accurate and vivid recall.” When I know that Jesus is the Son of God, I recall those accounts of His ministry with new accuracy: healing, love of justice, reconciliation, forgiveness, sacrifice, teaching—all as the work of God. In Jesus we are hearing the voice of God.
What Someone Else Has Said: In The United Methodist Hymnal (no. 436) (United Methodist Publishing House) is a hymn by John Haynes Holmes: “The voice of God is calling its summons in our day; Isaiah heard in Zion and we now hear God say: ‘Whom shall I send to succor my people in their need? Whom shall I send to loosen the bonds of shame and greed?’”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “I hear You, Lord, Jesus, and know that I hear the voice of God...”
