The Audience Luke Is Writing To
Luke continues writing to Theophilus and readers seeking certainty about the identity of Jesus Christ. Therefore, after answering every challenge presented by the religious leaders, Jesus now asks a question of His own.
The change is significant.
For several encounters, the leaders have questioned Jesus.
They have challenged His authority.
They have tested His wisdom.
And they have attempted to trap Him.
Each effort has failed.
Now, Jesus becomes the questioner.
And with one carefully chosen passage from Scripture, He exposes the greatest gap in their theology.
They understand that the Messiah will descend from David.
What they fail to understand is that the Messiah is infinitely greater than David.
Luke 20:41-44 NASB
Then He said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son? For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, Until I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.”‘ Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord,’ and how is He his son?”
Key Focus of the Passage and Jesus’ Character
The focus is on the identity of the Messiah and the deity of Jesus Christ.
Jesus reveals Himself as both the promised Son of David and the eternal Lord whom David himself worshiped.
This short interaction contains one of the clearest declarations that the Messiah is both fully human and fully divine.
The People in the Interaction
This interaction includes:
- Jesus, asking the decisive question
- The religious leaders listened without an answer
- The crowd, witnessing the exchange
- King David, whose inspired words became the foundation of Jesus’ argument
What Happened in the Scene
After silencing His opponents, Jesus asks:
“How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son?”
At first, the question seems strange.
Everyone agreed that the Messiah would descend from David.
In fact, the Old Testament repeatedly promised that God would establish an everlasting kingdom through David’s family line.
Jesus is not denying that truth.
Instead, He asks His listeners to consider another passage.
He quotes Psalm 110:
“The Lord said to my Lord,
’Sit at My right hand,
Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’”
Then Jesus asks the obvious question:
“Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord,’ so how is He his son?”
The crowd falls silent.
No one answers.
Because the answer requires them to rethink everything they believe about the Messiah.
The Deep Theology of Psalm 110
Psalm 110 is the most frequently quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament.
Why?
Because it powerfully reveals Christ’s identity.
Notice the two different uses of the word “Lord.”
The first “Lord” refers to God the Father.
The second “Lord” refers to the coming Messiah.
David writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Yet he speaks of one of his own descendants as “my Lord.”
In ancient Jewish culture, this was astonishing.
Fathers did not refer to their descendants as their masters.
The greater person was always the ancestor.
The descendant honored the father.
Yet David reverses the pattern.
He calls the coming Messiah “Lord.”
Why?
Although the Messiah would be born through David’s family line, He existed long before David.
He is David’s descendant according to His humanity.
He is David’s Lord according to His deity.
Only Jesus fulfills both realities.
The Promise Made to David
Centuries earlier, God promised David that one of his descendants would establish an everlasting kingdom.
That promise appears in 2 Samuel 7.
The Jewish people expected a royal descendant.
A king.
A deliverer.
And a son of David.
They expected someone great.
But Jesus reveals that the promise pointed to Someone infinitely greater.
The Messiah is not merely another king.
He is the eternal King.
Not merely David’s heir.
David’s Lord.
This explains why Jesus repeatedly accepted the title “Son of David” throughout Luke’s Gospel while gradually revealing its deeper meaning.
He fulfills the promise to David.
Yet He also surpasses David in every way.
Seated at the Right Hand
Jesus also emphasizes another remarkable phrase:
“Sit at My right hand.”
The right hand symbolizes the place of highest honor, authority, and shared rule.
No ordinary human king sits beside God.
The Messiah does.
These points relate directly to Jesus’ exaltation following His resurrection and ascension.
The One standing in the temple courts will soon be crucified.
Then He will rise.
Then He will ascend.
And then He will sit at the Father’s right hand exactly as Psalm 110 promised.
Jesus is not merely predicting future events.
He is identifying Himself within God’s eternal plan.
Why No One Could Answer
The religious leaders possess all the necessary Scriptures.
They know the prophecies.
They know David’s writings.
Yet they cannot reconcile them.
Why?
Because their understanding of the Messiah is too small.
They expect a political ruler.
Jesus reveals a divine Redeemer.
They expect someone who resembles David.
Jesus reveals Someone whom David worships.
Once again, the issue is not a lack of evidence.
It is an incomplete understanding of God’s plan.
The Humanity and Deity of Christ
This passage beautifully brings together two foundational Christian doctrines.
Jesus is fully human.
He truly descends from David.
He fulfills every covenant promise made to Israel.
Yet He is also fully divine.
He shares the Father’s authority.
He receives David’s worship.
And He reigns forever.
Neither truth can be abandoned.
Without His humanity, He cannot represent us.
Without His deity, He cannot save us.
The Gospel depends upon both.
Mood and Tone
The tone moves from question to revelation to amazement to silence.
And through every stage, Jesus reveals His identity without directly stating, “I am the Messiah.”
Instead, He allows Scripture to make the declaration.
What Jesus Reveals
Jesus reveals:
- The Messiah is both David’s Son and David’s Lord.
- Psalm 110 points directly to Christ.
- Jesus possesses divine authority.
- God’s promises to David find their fulfillment in Christ.
- The Messiah reigns forever.
- Scripture consistently testifies about Jesus.
The Response of the Others
The Religious Leaders
They have no answer.
Their silence reveals the limits of their understanding.
The Crowd
They witness another remarkable display of Jesus’ wisdom.
Jesus
He allows Scripture to reveal His divine identity.
The Lesson for Us in 2026
1. Jesus Is More Than a Great Teacher
He is the eternal Lord.
2. The Old Testament Points to Christ
God’s promises find their fulfillment in Jesus.
3. A Small View of Jesus Leads to Incomplete Faith
The more clearly we understand His identity, the deeper our worship becomes.
4. Christ Reigns Today
The King now sits at the Father’s right hand.
5. Worship Flows from Right Theology
Understanding who Jesus truly is changes how we respond to Him.
Final Reflection
The question “Whose Son is the Christ?” remains one of the most important questions ever asked.
The religious leaders could answer part of it.
The Messiah is David’s Son.
But they missed the greater truth.
He is also David’s Lord.
Jesus is not merely another prophet.
Not merely another king.
Not merely another teacher.
He is the eternal Son of God who entered David’s family line so that He could redeem humanity.
The One who walked through Jerusalem is the same One seated at the Father’s right hand today.
And one day, every knee will bow before Him.
Not because He became Lord.
But because He has always been Lord.
So the question becomes:
Is Jesus merely an important figure in my life—or have I recognized Him as my Lord and King?
