With the accumulated intellects of Judaism gathered, the Pharisees felt confident when their usual nemesis posed what seemed an innocuous question, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” Matthew 22:42.
The son of David, they replied,” sure they had finally stood on ground common to all. Psalm 110 had for centuries been a non-controversial, God-given promise of his Messiah’s appearance in Israel. It defied debate or denial by any orthodox believer. And TRUE, because it embodied the Messianic pedigree of Israel’s long-awaited Christ. Furthermore, it was satisfactory to all the scholars then gathered around Jesus. To their surprise, not satisfactory to him. And...a problem they never solved...in almost 3 ½ years of constant exchanges of views, his One Mind mastered more in-depth understanding of Moses, Prophets and Psalms than the accumulation of all Jewish thought in the previous 1500 years, that generation’s included. Blinded by their pride of ownership of all things religious, they couldn’t see in him the NEW MIND of a NEW SPIRITUAL AGE. Nevertheless, true to God and himself, he endeavored to broaden and deepen into a spiritual understanding what had been historically catechetical answers to rote questions: “Whose son is the Messiah? David’s son. ” To the leaders, the greatest compliment a mortal could have. As being considered in the class of the prophets offered Jesus the highest compliment the populace gave him Matthew 16:14. After all, only ONE Of Israel’s luminaries would have the privilege of being the Chosen descendant of David to rule a newly-reconstituted Jewish state. Besides, while no leader had acclaimed him as David’s chosen descendant—even Nicodemus’ half-hearted defense of Jesus lacked any punch of conviction John 7:50-51—the popular view left no doubt. They either wondered if he could be, or voluntarily declared him the “Son of David” Matthew 12:23, 15:22, 20:30-31, 21:9, 21:15. That adult enthusiasm for the Nazarene even inspired children in the temple to shout, “Hosanna to the son of David” Matthew 21:15. While it enraged the leaders, they admitted Jesus had impressed the people—those the leaders considered as hopelessly naive, unclean and cursed John 7:49, 9:34. However, standing apart and above them all, Jesus refused to strip-mine scripture where its depths promised MORE. His deep-drill mind penetrated it, surfacing golden truths available only to its author. End Part IV
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