Luke 20:39 (NKJV); Then some of the scribes answered and said, Teacher, You have spoken well.

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1 Introduction In chapter 20 Jesus has defended his authority (vv.1-18), destroyed the religious leaders strategy to entrap Jesus (vv.19-26); demolished their theology concerning the resurrection (vv.27-38) and now will declare his Deity (vv.39-44). The religious leaders had their opportunity to ask questions, and now it s Jesus turn. Jesus will deal with their dishonest use of the scriptures and their counterfeit conduct towards the people of God. Jesus will point them to His true identity. Jesus Answers Critics (vv.39-40) Luke 20:39 (NKJV); Then some of the scribes answered and said, Teacher, You have spoken well. Jesus had answered their questions with such wisdom and power and authority that even His enemies were impressed. They praised His use of the Pentateuch even though they were hostile towards Him. The scribes were the teachers of the law; Biblical scholars who also served in the capacity of lawyers. Jeremias the New Testament scholar in his book Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus tells us that people rose in respect whenever a scribe would walk by; only busy tradesmen were exempted from this ancient practice of courtesy. The scribes were greeted with Rabbi or master or Father in the marketplace. When the wealthy threw a party a scribe was invariably invited. They always sat at the place of honor, on the right hand of the host, even if the host s parents were present! The scribes were honored above the aged, and when they came to the synagogue, they sat in the place of ultimate honor;-facing the congregation with their backs against the chest holding the sacred Torah, so all could see their holy faces. Jesus turns his attention to these religious leaders. In this exchange we learn something about Jesus and his enemies and if we listen carefully about ourselves. Jesus will go after them with a theological puzzle that points towards two things the religious leaders believe they hold dear, Biblical teaching and logic. The Messiah s Deity (vv.41-44) Luke 20:41 (NKJV); And He said to them, How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David? Jesus certainly believed the Christ was the Son of David. Why is he asking this question? It was the common belief among the religious leaders that the Messiah was a direct descendant of King David. There is overwhelming Scriptural evidence that the Messiah must be a physical descendant of David. 2 Samuel 7:12-13 (NKJV); When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 1

2 Isaiah 9:7 (NKJV); Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. In Luke s gospel the bloodline of Jesus to David is referenced four times (1:27; 32, 69; 2:4). Blind Bartimaeus shouted in chapter 1:38- Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Jesus knew the popular view of the Christ was that God s Messiah must be an earthling a mere man, a physical descendant of David, a gifted human leader who would deliver Israel from the yoke of Roman bondage and reinstate Israeli sovereignty. In other words, the religious leaders, the scribes could not see with spiritual eyes the numerous references to the divinity of the Messiah. They do what so many people do, they believe and embrace those scriptures that support their position, and deny those scriptures that fail to support their position. 2 Samuel 7:13-14 (NKJV);13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. Luke 20:42 (NKJV);42 Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, 43 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool. 44 Therefore David calls Him Lord ; how is He then his Son? Jesus quotes Psalm 110 the first verse. The verse indicates the Messiah is human and more than human. David calls the Messiah my Lord this represents the way a person would refer to a king or a sovereign. In the ancient culture the father is greater than the son. Jesus claims King Messiah will have even the submission of David. In the opening two words of Psalm 110 it literally reads, Yahweh or Jehovah says to my Lord (Messiah); Sit at my right hand. Psalm 110:1-4 (ASV);1 Jehovah saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.2 Jehovah will send forth the rod of thy strength out of Zion: Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.3 Thy people offer themselves willingly In the day of thy power, in holy array: Out of the womb of the morning Thou hast the dew of thy youth. 4 Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek. The Messiah must be something more than a mere man. The answer lies in the mystery of the incarnation of God. The Messiah is David s Lord because the Messiah is both David s son and David s God. Jesus is God. Jesus is both the root and the offspring of David (Rev.22:16). 2

3 As the root of David Jesus brought David into existence; but as the offspring of David, David brought Jesus into the world. Isaiah 11:1 (NKJV); There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. Jesus points out another Messianic prophecy that David believed the Messiah must be something more than human. Psalm 110:4 asserts that the Messiah will replace the Old Covenant s Levitical priesthood with the eternal priesthood of Melchizedek. The entire Psalm describes the Messiah as an eternal Priest-King. The disciples of Jesus understood this; which made Psalm 110 one of the most quoted passages of Old Testament Scripture in the New Testament. Psalm 110:1 is quoted here in Luke and the other synoptic gospels (Matt.22:44; Mark 12:36) but the writer of Hebrews says; Hebrews 1:13 (NKJV);13 But to which of the angels has He ever said: Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool? Jesus is something more than human. Does that mean He is an angel like the Jehovah s Witnesses believe? No says the writer of Hebrews. God the Father never spoke to an angel and made an angel a king or a priest forever. Peter in his address in the book of Acts Acts 2:34-36 (NKJV); For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, 35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Peter argues that David did not rise from the dead, ascend, sit on the right hand of the Father, as God made all enemies subject to Him. Psalm 110:4 is quoted and expanded in Hebrews 5 and 7; Hebrews 5:4-10 (NKJV);4 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 6 As He also says in another place: You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek ; 7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, The writer of Hebrews goes on to argue in chapter 7 3

4 Hebrews 7:15-17 (NKJV);15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 17 For He testifies: You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:20-21 (NKJV);20 And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath 21 (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: The Lord has sworn And will not relent, You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek ), Jesus presses the point that disturbs so many people even to this day; the Messiah is human and divine; both man and God. Jesus, King forever, Jesus priest forever. In light of us full power we should be submissive to Him. The early church did not invent the Deity of Jesus. Jesus is both Lord and God. The Bible teaches there is only one God, and this one God is three persons. The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Spirit is God. The persons are distinct. The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is neither the Father or the Son. The three are called persons because they relate to one another in personal ways. We as Christians do not believe in one God in three Gods, or three persons in One person, or one person in three Gods. We believe in one God in three Persons. Deuteronomy 6:4 (NKJV); Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! John believed Jesus was God. Thomas believed Jesus was God. Paul believed Jesus was God. Romans 9:5 (NKJV);5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. Take out the verbs and the adjectives; Christ...is...God. Colossians 1:15-16 (NKJV); He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Isaiah 45:23 (NKJV); I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath. Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV); Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 4

5 Jesus is LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. Religious Integrity (vv.45-47) Luke 20:45 (NKJV); Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, That s the time to speak, when everyone is listening! Luke 20:46 (NKJV);46 Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, Jesus issues a warning concerning the Scribes, Beware of the scribes or the teachers of the law. Beware of their pride, their greed, their hypocrisy. Their Pride The pagan priests wore special garments to identify their service to the gods. The religious leaders, the scribes also wore special clothing, a long white flowing robe similar to the priests in the Temple. The white linen robe would also have a lengthy fringe all they way to the ground. This special clothing marked them for special honor. It was the custom to greet such scribes in the public marketplace by their title. Jesus knew the religious leaders loved to set themselves apart from the hoi polloi. Things have not changed all that much. We still have priests and clergy who set themselves apart with special garments, robes and collars. Always in a hurry, going from conference to conference, airport to airport, luncheons and prominent gatherings, building monuments, gathering honoraria and titles. Joseph Bayly observed; No person can foster the impression that he/she is great, and then exalt a great God. Luke 20:47 (NKJV);47 who devour widows houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation. Their Greed who devour widows houses Poverty wants much; greed, everything. Publilius Syrus (First Century B.C.) Some of us will take all God has to give us while we take good care not to give him anything back. Oswald Chambers ( ) How did they devour widows houses? 5

6 R. Kent Hughes writes; They did this by taking payment from widows for legal aid even though such payments were prohibited, cheating inexperienced widows out of their inheritance, living off the hospitality of lonely women, mismanaging widow s property who had dedicated themselves to service in the temple, and accepting money from the naïve elderly in exchange for special prayer (Luke Vol. 2; p ). Religious ripoffs are alive and well at this very moment. Prosperity teachers and motivational speakers who twist and torture the Scripture and make the Word of God the gospel of greed. Their hypocrisy When pride is paired with greed prayers become a pretense and a parade of empty words. They are rote, routine, they are not from the heart. In the end, the Scribes used religion to rob the needy and keep the money for themselves. Warren Wiersbe was fond of saying; God is seeking servants, not celebrities; He sees the heart (Wiersbe s Expository Outlines of the New Testament; p.196). Conclusion Look at the end of verse 47; these will receive greater condemnation. We have tendency to under-state the warnings in the Bible. Jesus says, Such men will be punished most severely. Jesus will punish those who in pride, greed and hypocrisy use religion as a tool to rip people off. The brother of Jesus, James wrote; James 3:1 (ASV); Be not many of you teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive heavier judgment. In the Westminster Larger Catechism question 150 reads; Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God? Answer: All transgressions of the law of God are not equally heinous; but some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations are more heinous in the sight of God than others (cf. John 19:11; Ezek.8:6, 13, 15; 1 John 5:16; Psalm 78:17, 32,56). Question 151 is What are those aggravations that make some sons more heinous than others? In summary in goes something like this; Some sins are more heinous than others due to the advantages of the offenders If they be riper age, greater experience of grace, eminent for profession, gifts, place, office, guides to others, and those whose example is likely to be followed by others their sins are more terrible. 6

7 Some sins are more heinous than others due to the parties they directly offend. Blasphemy of God is heinous, but also sins against any of the saints, particularly weak brethren, the souls of them, or any other, and the common good of all or many are particularly heinous. Some sins are more heinous than others due to the nature and quality of the sin that is, if the sin is committed while fully knowing God s graces and requirements, and yet doing it anyway while admitting no reparation or fault. In public or in the presence of others etc. In other words sins committed by experienced Christians is greater than inexperienced Christians, Sin by a pastor is more grievous than one new in the faith. The religious leaders of Jesus day, the scribes, the Pharisees, the Saducees had every advantage and yet they choose sin. They defiled the whole nation. Church leaders can defile the whole church. Christian, Jesus believed the Bible to be authoritative. We will submit to one of these as the ultimate authority; tradition reason or the Scriptures. Jesus makes it clear that saving faith and the Holy Spirit are necessary for us to understand and properly interpret the Scriptures. We must interpret personal experience in the light of Scripture and not Scripture in the light of personal experience. During the Civil War in America both sides used the Bible to denounce and support slavery. One of Lincoln s Generals said during the fierce conflict, I hope God is on our side. The President said, Sir, I am not half as concerned that God is on our side as I am that we are on God s side. Jesus believed and defended His Deity on the grounds of the Word of God. 7