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What Do You Think About the Messiah?
What Do You Think About the Messiah? Matthew 22:15-46 Key Verse: 22:42 “‘What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?’ ‘The son of David,’ they replied.” Last week, we thought about Jesus’ parable comparing the kingdom of heaven to a wonderful wedding banquet prepared by a king for his precious son. Jesus wanted to help the Pharisees and elders of the people to focus on the kingdom of God and what God was doing among them. However the Jewish leaders refused to listen to Jesus because they were more concerned with their own positions of authority and blinded by their own ideas of what God’s Messiah should be like. After hearing Jesus’ parable, they didn’t repent. Instead they left him, hardened their hearts, and started looking for a way to trap Jesus in His own words. In today’s passage these religious leaders send three groups of people to Jesus with questions designed to make Jesus say something that they could use against him. Of course they failed, and, in the end, Jesus asks them a question that everyone must answer. The Pharisees tried to answer with their head knowledge and failed. This is a question that we all must answer with our heart. May God open our hearts today so that we can answer Jesus question correctly as Peter did – “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Part I. Jesus Answers the Religious Leaders' Questions First, giving to Caesar and to God (15-22). The first group of people who came to question Jesus consisted of some of the Pharisees’ disciples and some Herodians. If you look at Mark chapter 3 you will see that the Pharisees plotted with the Herodians to take Jesus’ life (Mk 3:6). It is interesting that the Pharisees would team up with the Herodians. The Herodians were representative of King Herod who was put in place by the Romans. These Herodians were a symbol of Roman occupation and represented everything the Pharisees hated. Yet here they were working together to try and trap Jesus. It was really a brilliant plan because the question they brought to Jesus was bound to offend one of these groups of people. Let’s look at what happened. Look at verses 16b and 17. “’Teacher,’ they said, ‘we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?’” They began their question with flattery, pretending that they were on Jesus side. They wanted Jesus to think that their question was a serious one which they couldn’t solve themselves. Of course, what they said about Jesus was absolutely true, but they didn’t believe this. They were lying to Jesus and Jesus knew it. We should never think that we can fool God with flattering words and superficial worship. Jesus sees directly into our hearts, so we need to worship him in spirit and in truth. As I said before, the question that this group brought was ingenious. No matter how Jesus answered he was sure to offend either the Herodians who thought that people should absolutely pay the tax and submit to Roman rule, or the Pharisees who longed for Jewish independence and so hated the tax. It appeared they had indeed trapped Jesus. They must have felt really good about themselves. However, Jesus didn’t focus on their question, he focused on their hearts. Look at verse 18. “18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, ‘You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?’” Before answering them, Jesus rebuked them. Jesus wanted to help them by showing them that He could clearly see their hypocrisy in their hearts and therefor He must be at the very least sent by God. After rebuking them Jesus gave them an answer that neither group could argue with. Look at verse 19-21. “’Show me the coin used for paying the tax.’ They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, ‘Whose image is this? And whose inscription?’21 ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. Then he said to them, ‘So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’” Jesus amazed this group with his answer and they went away completely defeated. Jesus’ wisdom came directly from God. Human clever thinking is no match for this wisdom. We all need this wisdom to face the challenges of this world and Jesus promises to give it to us through the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells us that we don’t have to worry about what to say when people try to test our faith with clever sounding arguments. If we believe, the Holy Spirit will give us the right words just as Jesus was given the wisdom to answer this seemingly impossible question. Second, the God of the living (23-33). The next group of people who came to question Jesus were the Sadducees. The Sadducees were an interesting group of people. They were rich, aristocratic people and many of them were also priests. They were a large part of the religious leaders of the Jews, but they rejected spiritual realities. They only believed in the here and now. Anything to do with heaven or anything spiritual they completely rejected. Like the Pharisees, they studied the scriptures a lot. They knew Moses law perfectly, so they came to Jesus with a ridiculous question that came directly out of that law. It had to do with seven brothers who all married the same woman in obedience to the law. Unfortunately these seven brothers all died before this poor woman could have a child. Finally, probably out of complete despair, this woman died also. Now these Sadducees really wanted to know whose wife she would be in the kingdom of heaven which they didn’t believe in. Their question was absolutely ridiculous, but it took considerable wisdom to answer. Once again, Jesus didn’t answer their question directly, but first addressed their problem of unbelief. Look at verse 29. “Jesus replied, ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.’” The Sadducees were probably shocked that Jesus said they didn’t know the scriptures because they had studied them since their childhood. Of course, the part about not knowing the power of God probably didn’t bother them at all because they didn’t really believe in God anyway. Jesus went on to explain that marriage doesn’t exist in the kingdom of God because everyone that gets there will be just like angels. For men, there is no need for a suitable helper in in God’s kingdom because we are there in God’s presence. All the help we need will be provided by Him. For women, there will be no need to desire a man because again, God will be right there to satisfy their every desire. Then Jesus goes on to show them how they were mistaken in their Bible study. Look at verse 31 and 32. “But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” In order to understand what Jesus is saying you must understand when God said this. The Sadducees knew exactly what Jesus was talking about. God said these words to Moses more than 400 years after Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived on earth. If these three men no longer existed because they were dead how could God be their God. They must be living somewhere for God to be their God. The Sadducees and the crowds had to admit that Jesus was right again. The crowds were amazed, but I sure the Sadducees felt nothing but complete defeat. Once again the wisdom of God prevailed. Third, love God and love your neighbor (34-40). The Pharisees saw that their disciples, the Herodians and the Sadducees had all failed to trap Jesus in what he said, so they decided to give it a try. They came to Jesus with a very good question. The Law of Moses contained an awful lot of rules and the Jews had added a lot more do’s and don’ts over the years. In short, the Law was really, really big and complicated and for the Pharisees it was impossible to find one law that was the most important. However, what is impossible for men, is possible with God. Jesus didn’t even hesitate to think about their question, he simply said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” If we take just a moment to think about Jesus answer, we can see how true this really is. The Bible is really a love story between God and His people. 1 John 4:8 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” The Bible also tells us that we love God because he first loved us, and sent his Son as a sacrifice for us (1Jn 4:19) and that God demonstrated his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners; Christ died for us (Ro 5:8). In response to God’s love for us, we should love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. We must have an intimate love relationship with God through Jesus, our Messiah. This produces in us a spring of life and love, welling up each day. When we draw on this love we are joyful, happy, satisfied. Now the question becomes how can we love our neighbor? Jesus told his disciples: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another (Jn 13:34b).” “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters (1Jn 3:16).” God loves each person so much that His son, Jesus gave his life for us all, so if we love God, how can we do anything but love our neighbors. If we don’t love our neighbors how can we say that we love God who loves them absolutely, to the point of dying for them? Part II. Jesus’ Question for Every Generation After silencing all of his critics Jesus asks them a question of His own. “What do you think about the Messiah?” This question is the most important question for every human being because how we answer it determines our everlasting destiny. Let’s look at verse 42 again, “‘What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?’ ‘The Son of David,’ they replied.” Since the Pharisees and teachers of the law viewed the Messiah as only the son of David, they were unable to accept Jesus as their Messiah. They were looking for some outward characteristics of a descendent of King David, like power, prestige, wealth, and glorious good looks. They were looking for a great warrior, who would lead them in their rebellion against Rome, restoring the past glorious nation. Jesus didn’t seem to have any of these characteristics. Jesus helps them to understand their mistake through David’s example: Verses 42-45 reads, “He said to them, 'How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him “Lord”? For he says, “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.’” If then David calls him “Lord,” how can he be his son?’” Jesus’ point is clear: David himself had a hope in a Lord greater than himself, a man to whom God would give all victory. David needed such a Messiah. David, speaking by the Spirit, was a prophet. Thousands of years ago he was thinking about the Messiah, one who would defeat the enemies of his sins and guilt. One whose body would not see decay. Jesus is David’s Lord, David’s Messiah. God accomplished victory over our enemies of sin and death by sending his one and only Son to this world to die on the cross and shed his blood to forgive sins. God raised him from the dead, and declared him with power to be his Son. Jesus is absolutely David’s Son. But Jesus is more. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the Messiah. What do you think about Jesus? People tend to avoid this question and talk about many other things, like sports, business, family, school, or even the Bible. However, Jesus question is all that really matters. What do you think about the Messiah? Some see him mainly as a guide and teacher, a moral leader to follow. But isn’t he more than this? Jesus is the Creator, who brought everything that is into being. Jesus is our Savior, our Healer, our Shepherd. This question is absolutely basic and necessary for us to think about. This question leads to other questions. Is Jesus my Savior? Do I need saving? From what? How does Jesus save me? However Jesus is more than just our savior. Jesus is also our Lord, King, and Master. Our relationship with him should grow and develop in obedience and daily submission to him, to his calling and direction for our life. In this passage Jesus was questioned by three groups of people. They had very difficult questions that required heavenly wisdom for Jesus to answer. In the end, Jesus answered them all and asked a question that we all need to answer: “What do you think about the Messiah?” What we think about Jesus determines our eternal destiny, our present purpose, and our lasting joy. I pray that each of us may come up with the answer that God approves of. |
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