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“What  Do  You  Think  About  The  Christ?”  Psalm  110:1-­‐7/Matthew  22:41-­‐46  

   Message  by  Michael  J.  Barnard                                                                                        May  24,  2015      Teaching  Aim:    To  examine  Psalm  110  and  see  why  this  Psalm  was  so  important  to  Jesus  and  to  the  New  Testament  writers.    To  realize  the  most  important  question  ever  asked  to  anyone  is:  “What  do  you  think  about  the  Christ?”    To  understand  a  proper  response  to  this  question  is  the  only  way  to  heaven.  

DIGGING  DEEPER  INTO  GOD’S  WORD  (BIBLE  STUDY)  Part  I:    Jesus  ascends  to  the  place  of  honor  and  dominion  at  the  right  hand  of  God  the  Father  (Psalm  110:1-­‐3)  1. What  two  parties  do  we  find  dialoging  in  verse  1?    David  uses  the  word  “LORD”  twice  in  verse  1,  does  

he  make  a  mistake  in  the  spelling?  (See  Commentaries)    What  is  the  Hebrew  meaning  of  the  English  word  “LORD”?    (See  Commentaries)    Who  is  represented  here?    What  special  significance  was  there  in  this  Name  to  Israel?    (See  Exod.  3:13-­‐15)  

             2. What  is  the  meaning  of  the  Hebrew  “Adonai”?    (Hint:    Google  it)    Who   is  the  title  “Adonai”  used  for  

(vs.  1)?    What  special  message  does  God  the  Father  give  to  God  the  Son  (“the  Messiah”)?              3. What  does  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  an  earthly  king  represent  (vs.  1)?    Why  is  it  even  more  powerful  

to  sit  at   the  right  hand  of  God  the  Father?  According  to  verse  1b,  who  will  defeat   the  enemies  of  Messiah  and  make  them  bow  down  as  His  footstool?    What  did  bowing  in  this  manner  imply?    Who  had  the  power  of  life  or  death  over  the  humiliated  enemies?    Does  Jesus  have  the  power  of  life  and  death  over  each  of  us  today?    If  so  how?    (See  John  1:12-­‐13;  Eph.  2:8-­‐9)  

           4. In  light  of  Psalm  110:2,  what  are  some  ways  that  Psalms  2  &  110  are  similar?    What  period  of  future  history  do  both  Psalms  prophesy?                  5.  Who  are   the  “volunteers”  mentioned   in  verse  3?    How  will   they  serve  “the  King  of  kings”  and  “the  

Lord  of  Lords”?      

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Part  II:    Yahweh  places  Jesus  in  the  dual  office  of  being  both  King  and  Priest  (Psalm  110:4-­‐7)  1. It  was   common  knowledge  among   the   Jews   that   the  Messiah  would  come   from   the   tribe  of   Judah.    

(See  Gen.  49:10;  Mic.  5:2)    The  priests  of  Israel  came  from  the  tribe  of  Levi;  Jesus  was  born  into  the  kingly  line  in  the  tribe  of  Judah.    What  surprising  revelation  is  given  in  verse  4?      

             2. How  long  did  the  Levites  serve  as  priests  in  Israel?    (See  Heb.  7:23-­‐28;  9:24-­‐28;  10:11-­‐14)    How  long  

will  the  Messiah  be  a  priest  in  the  order  of  Melchizedek  (vs.  4b)?     3. Who  was  Melchizedek?     (See  Gen.   14)    How  was  Melchizedek   superior   to  Abraham?    How  was  he  

superior  to  Levi?     (See  Heb.  7:7-­‐10)    What   is  “a  biblical  type”?      How  was  Melchizedek  “a  type”  of  Christ?    What  were  some  of  the  similarities  between  Melchizedek  and  Jesus  Christ?    (See  Heb.  7:2-­‐3)  

             4. So  often  today  we  see  Jesus  pictured  as  the  gracious  and  tender  Lamb  of  God,  this  is  true  of  His  First  

Advent.    What  can  we  learn  about  His  Second  Advent  from  verses  5  &  6  along  Rev.  19:11-­‐16?    Why  should  this  motivate  us  to  get  out  into  our  community  and  evangelize?    When  will  Jesus  return?  

             5. How   does   verse   7   picture   the   unceasing   conquest   of   Christ   at   His   Second   Coming?     (See  

Commentaries)    What  age  in  history  will  the  Second  Coming  of  Christ  lead  to?    (See  Rev.  20:1-­‐15)                Part   III:     Jesus’   teaching   exposes   a   lack   of   understanding   about  who   the  Messiah   really   is  (Matt.  22:41-­‐16)  1. Why   did   the   religious   leaders   confront   Jesus   at   the   temple?     (See   Matt.   21:23)   Following   this  

confrontation,   Jesus   responded   by   teaching   three   parables   that   spoke   directly   against   the   Jewish  religious  leaders.    How  do  you  think  the  religious  leaders  responded  to  this  embarrassment?    Why  is  pride  such  a  big  hurdle  for  so  many?    What  can  we  learn  about  pride  from  Proverbs  16:5,  18?  

         

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2. In  Matt.   22:15-­‐40,   the   Pharisees,   Herodians   and   Sadducees   all   took   turns   at   trying   to  make   Jesus  stumble  in  His  words,  were  they  successful?     In  each  case,  how  were  His  opponents  left?    (See  vv.  22,  33,  34,  41)        What  do  we  find  the  Pharisees  preparing  to  do  in  verse  41?    This  time  Jesus  beats  them  to  the  punch,  what  does  He  do?  

           3. What  two  questions  did  Jesus  ask  the  Pharisees   in  verse  42?    Why   is   the  first  question  perhaps  the  

most  important  question  ever  asked?    (See  John  3:16;  14:6;  Acts  4:12;  16:31)              4. When  Jesus  asked,  “Whose  Son   is  He?”  what  answer  would  be  expected  of  every  orthodox  Jew   (vs.  

42b)?    Jesus  begins  to  demonstrate  the  religious  leaders  had  a  limited  understanding  of  who  David’s  Son  really  was,  yes  the  Messiah  was  “the  Son  of  David”  in  His  human  nature,  but  the  Messiah  would  be   divine   as   well.    Why   do   you   think   so  many   people   in   our   own   day   refuse   to   accept   the   two  natures  of  Christ,  that  He  is  both  God  and  Man?    (See  John  3:3)  

5. In   verses   43   &   44,   Jesus   begins   to   challenge   the   religious   leader’s   knowledge   about   David’s  

prophesied  Son,  what   route  does  He  go?    What  Old  Testament  Messianic  Psalm  does   Jesus  quote  from  in  verse  44?    What  is  “a  Messianic  Psalm”?    What  makes  this  Messianic  Psalm  so  important?  

             6. It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  writer  of  Psalm  110  doesn’t  identify  himself,  but  Jesus  does  in  verse  

43.    Who  wrote  Psalm  110?    What  can  we  learn  about  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  David  as  he  wrote  this  Psalm?    (See  2  Tim.  3:16-­‐17)  

             7. What  point  is  Jesus  making  in  verse  45?    What  can  we  learn  about  David’s  Son  if  King  David  (the  most  

powerful  king  at  the  time)  called  Him  “Lord”?    How  would  you  answer  Jesus’  question  in  verse  45?    Why  was  the  virgin  birth  of  Christ  absolutely  necessary  for  Christ  to  be  God  manifest   in  the  flesh?    (See  Matt.  1:21;  John  1:1,  14)      

     

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8. According  to  verse  46,  were  the  Pharisees  and  those  who  listened  to  Jesus  ready  to  acknowledge  that  the  Messiah  would  be  God  in  the  flesh  (and  much  greater  than  King  David)?    The  religious   leaders  had  heard  the  multitudes  calling  Jesus  “the  Son  of  David”,  why  would  this  anger  them?    Why  do  you  think  so  many  people  today  have  such  a  hard  time  acknowledging  Jesus  Christ  as  Savior  and  Lord?    (See  John  3:3;  6:44)  

               9. Perhaps   the  most   important   question   that   has   ever   been   asked   is,  “What  Do   You   Think  About   The  

Christ?”    The  question  we  would  like  to  ask  you  today  is,  “What  do  you  think  about  Christ?”    Have  you  received  Jesus  Christ  as  Savior  and  Lord?    If  not  why  not  repent  and  do  so  in  prayer  right  now?      

               MINER’S  CORNER  ~  Manna  to  live  by!  • Psalm  110:1  reveals  a  heavenly  dialogue  between  God  the  Father  and  God  the  Son.  • Between  verses  1  &  2  of  Psalm  110  lies  the  Church  Age  –  also  known  as  “the  Age  of  Grace”.  • Although  from  the  tribe  of  Judah,  the  Messiah  would  be  a  priest  in  the  order  of  Melchizedek.  • The  priesthood  of  Melchizedek  is  greater  than  the  Aaronic  priesthood,  it  is  an  everlasting  priesthood.  • The  latter  part  of  Psalm  110  is  a  revelation  of  the  Second  Coming  of  Christ.  • The  so-­‐called  religious  leaders  of  the  day  had  their  own  ideas  about  who  and  what  the  Messiah  should  

be;  as  a  result  they  refused  to  put  their  faith  in  Christ.  • Jesus   is   king   David’s   “Lord”   (“Master”   or   “Sovereign   One”),   although   He   was   David’s   descendent  

physically,  He  was  also  God  manifest  in  the  flesh.    (See  John  1:1-­‐4,  14)