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III. The Son’s Identity Revealed

A. The Lord of His Lord

Matthew began his Gospel depicting three magi wanting to know the whereabouts of the newborn "the king of the Jews" (see Matthew 2:2).

And at the end of his Gospel, the subtext of the drama once again turns on whether Jesus is truly that "king of the Jews" (see Matthew 27:42).

"King of the Jews" is how non-Jews refer to Israel’s anticipated Messiah (see Matthew 2:4). In fact, in the New Testament, the phrase is only used by Gentiles (see also Mark 15:32;John 1:49; 12:13).

That is why the Jewish leadership arrests Jesus and demands to know whether He is "the Messiah" (see Matthew 26:63), while Pilate demands to know whether He is "the king of the Jews" (see Matthew 27:11).

Jesus’ "Davidic sonship" - the preoccupation of Matthew’s initial chapters - forms the climax of the controversy in his concluding chapters.

We see this in the final question He puts to the Pharisees: "What is your opinion about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" (see Matthew 22:41-46).

They respond - accurately, according to their understanding of the prophetic tradition - that the Messiah is expected to be the son of David.

Jesus takes the question to a deeper level, reminding them that in their own tradition, the Messiah, the Son of David, is also to be the Son of God.

This theme has been quietly developing in Matthew, beginning with His birth by the power of the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 1:1, 20-23).

We have mentioned three places in Matthew’s Gospel where individuals (not simply the crowds) have recognized and addressed Jesus as "Son of David" - the blind men at the start of His ministry (see Matthew 9:27-31), the Canaanite woman whose daughter is tormented with a demon (see Matthew 15:21-28) and the two blind men at the end of His ministry (see Matthew 20:29-34).

Return to each of those passages and see if you notice something else. In each instance, the individuals also call Him, "Lord" (see Matthew 9:28; 15:22,25,27; 20:20,31).

B. The Son of God

Notice, too, how subtly Matthew has deployed the phrase "Son of God" in His Gospel. It is never heard on the lips of Jesus, although He does refer to himself as the Son of Man.

"Son of God" is first used by the Devil and persons possessed by the devil (see Matthew 4:3,6; 8:29). Only the Apostles recognize Him by this title (see Matthew 14:33; 16:16), although at both His Baptism and Transfiguration, the voice of God is heard declaring Jesus to be "My beloved Son" (see Matthew 3:17; 17:5).

What Matthew has been subtly trying to show throughout his narrative, Jesus finally reveals at the end. He does this through a skillful interpretation of Psalm 110.

Jesus asks how Psalm 110 could describe David calling the Messiah "my Lord." How could the Messiah be both David’s son and David’s lord?

To understand His question, we have to know that Psalm 110 was believed to have been written by David and to be a Psalm about the Messiah. It describes the Messiah as begotten by God and seated at His right hand in heaven as both a princely ruler over the nations and as a priest.

Jesus’ question is how this Messiah, this royal high priest and son of God, can also be David’s son. The answer that the Pharisees cannot give is that David’s son, the Messiah, must also be a divine offspring, the Son of God.

Again, Jesus delivers this answer, not by simple proclamation, but by a patient interpretation of Psalm 110 that reveals the inadequacies of the Pharisees’ interpretation.

This Psalm, many scholars believe, was composed to celebrate the crowning of a Davidic king. It is ascribed to David and could very well have originated with the crowning of Solomon, David’s Son.

Recall that Solomon was anointed king shortly before David’s death, causing David to cry with joy: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has this day seated one of my sons upon my throne, so that I see it with my own eyes" (see 1 Kings 1:48).

Thus, for a brief period, David could have referred to his own son, Solomon, as he is said to in Psalm 110:1 - as his Lord, that is, as his king and superior, his "Lord."

Psalm 110 is referred to more frequently in the New Testament than any other Old Testament passage. That’s probably because here in Matthew Jesus essentially declares that the Psalm prophesied about Him - that He is the "Lord" who David refers to as "my Lord" in the opening verse (see Matthew 22:41-45).

And key images from the Psalm resound in the teaching and preaching of the New Testament:

* Jesus enthroned at God’s right hand (see Psalm 110:2; Matthew 26:64; Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33-34; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2).

* The enemies of Jesus put under His foot, made His "footstool" (see Psalm 110:2; 1 Corinthians 15:25,27; Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 2:8; 10:13).

* Jesus as the new Melchizedek, the mysterious high priest who offers bread and wine and bestows blessings on Abram (see Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 6:20-7:1-3, 15-17; 20-26;Genesis 14:17-20).

C. Gathered Against the Anointed

But there is one more Psalm that lies in the background of Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees. Actually, it is just one word from the Greek translation of the Psalm.

But in that word, Matthew evokes the eschatological drama about to take place - the death of the Lord’s anointed, the Messiah.

Notice the innocuous phrase that begins the story of Jesus’ debate. The Pharisees are described as "gathered together" (see Matthew 22:41). In the Greek, that same word (synago) is used in Psalm 2 to describe how the princes of the world "conspire together against the Lord and against His anointed" (see Psalm 2:2).

Matthew is subtly situating the entire discussion in the context of the Pharisees’ conspiracy to thwart Jesus. And this showdown marks the end of all His debates with the Jewish religious authorities in Matthew’s Gospel.

Clearly, the authorities now know the divine claims that Jesus is making about himself, something that previously only demons and Apostles have recognized. When He is hauled before the Sanhedrin a day or so later, on the last Friday of His life, the High Priest has only one question for Him - Is He truly "the Son of God"? (see Matthew 26:63).

And during the narrative of Jesus’ Passion and death, Matthew continues to remind readers that Jesus is being killed for His identity:

* Pilate twice identifies Him as "Jesus called Messiah" (see Matthew 27:17,22);

* The soldiers cruelly mock Him: "Hail, King of the Jews" (see Matthew 27:27-29) and on the Cross they nail "the written charge against Him: This is Jesus the King of the Jews" (see Matthew 27:37).

* The chief priests, scribes and elders, too, mock Him as He hangs on the Cross, taunting Him: "So He is the King of Israel…He said, ‘I am the Son of God’" (see Matthew 27:42-43).

D. The Nations Are His Inheritance

Skepticism and cruelty, however, are not the last words in Matthew’s narrative of the crucifixion. When the earth quakes upon His death, one of the soldiers concludes what Matthew wants all of his readers to conclude: "Truly this was the Son of God!" (see Matthew 27:54).

Matthew carries the Son of God and Davidic King images through into the last scene of his Gospel (see Matthew 28:16-20).

Jesus, at the end, is depicted as the son of a king, being "given" his inheritance. In this case, the kingly Father is God, and the inheritance is "all power in heaven and on earth."

Matthew here appears to be recalling the royal, heavenly scene in Daniel’s prophecy, where "one like a son of man" is presented before the "Ancient One." The son figure is given "glory and kingship, nations and peoples of every language serve him, his dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away" (see Daniel 7:13-14).

The language in Daniel recalls God’s promises to David - that his "son" will be considered a son of God, that he will reign as king "forever," and his throne shall never be "withdrawn" (see 1 Chronicles 17).

This promise is celebrated in Psalm 2, where God establishes the Messiah as king, declares him to be "my son," and then promises: "As of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession" (see Psalm 2: 6-8).

Matthew’s final verses also show Jesus fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham (remember that in Matthew’s first line, Jesus is called "son of Abraham"). God had promised that all the nations of the earth would be blessed in the descendant of Abraham (see Genesis 12:3;18:18; 22:18)

In commissioning the Church, Jesus, the ultimate son of Abraham, is fulfilling that promise - extending God’s blessings to all nations through Baptism and the teaching of the Church.

We also, see at the end of this Gospel, another theme we highlighted earlier in this course - Jesus as the "new Moses."

While in this lesson we’ve focused on the importance of Jesus as a "new David," throughout this last book Matthew has continued using Mosaiac imagery and allusions to show that Jesus is the prophet-king promised by Moses (see Deuteronomy 18:15,18).

And His commissioning of the Apostles recalls Moses’ commissioning of Joshua.

As Joshua was ordered to cross the Jordan and make the land the "domain" of Israel (see Joshua 1:2-4), the Apostles are sent to claim all the world for the Trinity - the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Joshua is commanded to "observe the entire law" given to Israel by Moses, as Jesus commands the Apostles to (compare Joshua 1:7,8 and Matthew 28:20).

Moses tells Joshua that God "will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you" (see Deuteronomy 31:8). The Lord himself tells Joshua: "I myself will be with you" (see Deuteronomy 31:23; Joshua 1:5,9).

And these are the last words on Jesus’ lips in Matthew’s Gospel: "I am with you always" (see Matthew 28:20).

Continue to Section 4