Doctrine vs Revel8tion

If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?

Matthew 22:45

When responding to Jesus' question "Whose son is the Christ?", the Pharisees seem to have responded without hesitation: "The son of David". (v. 42)  But Jesus countered with a further question: "If David calls him 'Lord', how can he be his son?" in referencing Psalm 110:1.  To whit, they did not answer - they seemed stunned at the question.

Often in culture, we are taught things that are not questioned; we simply take them at face value with no or even minimal teaching - from topics of evolution, creation, media news influence, societal traditions, and yes religious doctrine.  But we must go deeper if we are to have conviction with substance.  To answer that the Messiah is "the son of David" lacked just that substance.  To the Pharisees, the answer was a matter of fact based on accounts in 2 Samuel and 1 Kings.  But Jesus challenges them that there is something deeper than that of genealogy to this One to come.

If we go to the rest of Psalm 110, we find that deeper thing:

The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying,
    “Rule in the midst of your enemies!”
Your troops will be willing
    on your day of battle.
Arrayed in holy splendor,
    your young men will come to you
    like dew from the morning’s womb.
The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind:
“You are a priest forever,
    in the order of Melchizedek.”
The Lord is at your right hand;
    he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.
He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead
    and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.
He will drink from a brook along the way,
    and so he will lift his head high.

This hails the Messiah as much more than simply one of David's sons:  He is a priest like that of the mysterious Melchizedek - arrayed in holy splendor - who will rule in the midst of enemies.  This is precisely what Jesus did in his death and resurrection; He ruled in the midst of the frenzy of His enemies.  This is more than a son of David, and Jesus was challenging them to see this - to look deeper than their doctrine.

Look deeper into your beliefs, and challenge yourself to know why it is that you believe what you believe.