Jesus: Son of David

Part III - Jesus: Son of Man, Son of God, Son of David

“And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?”
--Matthew 12:23

What did the people mean when they asked, "Can this be the Son of David?" Of course, Jesus' genealogy recognizes Him as being from the lineage of David (Matthew 1:1; Luke 3:31). But the question came as a result of the healing of the demon possessed man. This miraculous deliverance from demon possession was, according to Matthews view, taken as a definite sign of the the expected Jewish Messiah, the Chosen One of God, who would fulfill the prophecies concerning the throne of David. Thus, he is referred to as "Son of David", another title for the Messiah.

Although Jesus never used the title for Himself, others used it with great expectancy and faith, desiring mercy from Him for their particular needs. In Matthew 9:27, the blind man called out to Jesus as "Son of David" and asked for mercy. In Matthew 15:22 the Canaanite woman called Him "Son of David" when asking for mercy for her daughter. In Matthew 20:20, two blind men said "Lord, have mercy on us, 'Son of David'!" And in what is called His "triumphal entry" into Jerusalem in Matthew 21:9, the crowds shouted, "Hosanna to the 'Son of David'! Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord!"

Fundamental to understanding this concept of the One coming in the Name of the Lord is Nathan's promise in 2 Samuel 7:12-16, namely, the raising up of a successor to David from his offspring, and the confirmation of his "house" and kingdom forever. This prophecy provides the basis for Psalm 2:7; 89:4; and 132:11. And even greater is the reference in Psalm 110:1 which is the most quoted Old Testament Scripture in the New Testament regarding Messiah Jesus. In fact, the one place where Jesus does refer to the Son of David is in Matthew 22:42 when he asks the Pharisees what they thought of the Christ, ie. whose son he is. In order to understand Jesus response, we need to look at the Psalm in it's Hebrew form.

In Psalm 110:1 there are two forms of the word "lord" used. The first is a direct reference to the Lord God, Yahweh. This word, translated LORD is used throughout the Old Testament and always refers to Yahweh, the personal name of God. The translators use all capital letters to distinguish it from other, lesser lords. The second use of Lord, which has only the first letter capitalized, is the word "adoni". This word is used 287 times in the KJV and refers only to men. It is sometimes translated master, and even sir. So who is this "lord" which David calls "my lord"? This is a clear reference to the the LORD's Messiah. The LORD God, said to David's lord, "Sit at my right hand..."

In Ezekiel 37:22-28, the prophet tells of a future time of peace and prosperity in which God's servant, David, shall be king over all Israel. This is figurative language referring to the promise made in 2 Samuel 7. David's offspring is simply called "David" to emphasize the keeping of God's promise to David, but it clearly indicates a descendant of David. Also, in Micah 5:2-4, the son of David is proclaimed as the one who would shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, and in the majesty of the Name of the LORD. Although the phrase “Son of David” is not found in this passage, the reference to Bethlehem, the city of David, is given as a figure of speech for the person himself.

All the above, in addition to many other Scriptures, identify the Son of David as a Messianic person who would come as savior and king, dispensing the righteous judgment and mercy of God. This was demonstrated in the person of Jesus through His ministry of teaching, deliverance, healing, and other acts of compassion. So then, when Jesus asked the question of the Pharisees as to how they understood the Christ, their answer, 'he is David's Son', was correct. However, Jesus calls to their attention the fact that David refers to him as his Lord. So, how can he be David's son and call him lord? Jesus answer shuts the mouth's of His enemies by demonstrating that as the promised Messiah, He is both a descendant of David AND the unique Son of God, and thus, greater than David. Jesus was directly saying to them that he was the Son of God, the Christ, the Messiah.