A.In Matthew 22:41-46, we see Jesus discussing with the Pharisees their understanding of the Christ.
1.The Lord prompted the Pharisees by asking the question, “What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?”
2.The Pharisees answered correctly that the Christ was the son of David.However, Jesus further challenged their understanding by quoting from Psalm 110:1.
a.In this verse, the psalmist wrote, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand until I put Thine enemies beneath Thy feet.’”
b.This psalm was written by David, the very person whose son the Pharisees said would be the Christ.Jesus asked the Pharisees, “If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?”
c.The text indicates that this question stumped the Pharisees so much that from that day on they stopped questioning Jesus.They knew that they could not cause Him to stumble in anything He might say.
d.By asking this one question of the Pharisees, Jesus had silenced them.Prior to this, He had already silenced the Sadducees (Matt. 22:34).
3.What confounded the Pharisees in Psalm 110:1 so that they were not able to answer Jesus?
a.They were right that the Christ was the son of David.Notice Psalm 132:11-12; 2Samuel 7:12-16.
b.However, they could not explain how David could call his own descendent, “my Lord.”
i.Their fault was in their false assumption that the kingdom of the Christ was of the world.They incorrectly expected a worldly kingdom led by a conquering Messiah whose throne would be in Jerusalem.
ii.To properly explain this verse of the psalm, the Pharisees would have to admit something that they did not want to believe.
B.Let us consider the truth that the Pharisees did not understand, which is that Jesus has been given all power and authority in the kingdom at the right hand of God.
II.“THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD”
A.The part of Psalm 110:1 that confounded the Pharisees was the phrase “The Lord said to my Lord.”
1.The American Standard Version of the Bible translates this phrase correctly as “Jehovah saith unto my Lord,” for the word in the original language is YHWH or Jehovah.
2.The second word translated as “Lord” in this phrase is the Hebrew word adon, which means “lord” or “master.”
3.Therefore, the meaning of this phrase in this psalm of David is, “Jehovah said to my Master.”By saying this, David made a distinction between Jehovah and the one to whom he referred as Lord or Master.
B.This phrase stumped the Pharisees because it appeared to conflict with their beliefs regarding the Christ.
1.They knew that this passage was about the Christ, for it describes the one who would sit at the right hand of God and be given dominion and power.
2.Obviously, David recognized in the passage that the Christ was greater than he, for he called Him Lord.Furthermore, the Pharisees knew that the Scripture also says that the Christ would be the descendant of David.Yet they could not understand how David’s descendant could be David’s Lord.
3.The answer that the Pharisees did not understand is in the dual nature of the Christ.He was both human and divine.He was the son of David and the Son of God.
4.Peter gave the explanation of the phrase in Acts 2:24-36, which we will notice next.
III.“SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND”
A.In Acts 2:14-36, on the Day of Pentecost following the ascension of Jesus to the Father, Peter openly declared that Jesus is the Christ.
1.Peter’s preaching revealed the dual nature of the Christ that was not previously understood.
2.In his sermon, Peter used three passages from the Psalms to prove that Jesus is the Christ (Psalm 16:8-11; 110:1; 132:11).
B.Notice Acts 2:24-32, where Peter quoted from Psalm 16:8-11 and Psalm 132:11 and explained the meaning of the passages.
1.Peter’s explanation of Psalm 16:8-11 tells us that David wrote about the Christ.
a.David could not have written the passage of himself, for he died and his tomb was among the people as Peter spoke (v. 29).
i.Instead, David wrote Psalm 16:8-11 from the perspective of the Christ who was not allowed to remain in the grave (Hades).
ii.To some extent, David understood the resurrection of Christ by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.He knew that the Christ would die (Psalm 22), but he also knew that God would not abandon Him to the grave.
b.Notice that verse 25 says, “I was always beholding the Lord in my presence; for He is at My right hand that I may not be shaken.”
i.The word “Lord” is the name “Jehovah.”Therefore, Jehovah God was always with the Christ.
ii.In this case, for Christ to have Jehovah at His right hand indicates that Jehovah was there for His defense and protection.Just as the right hand was used for defense in a battle, so also Jehovah was there to defend Christ.
2.Peter quoted Psalm 132:11 to show that David foresaw the resurrection of the Christ because he knew that God had sworn to seat his descendant on his throne (vv. 30-31).Even though his descendant would die, David knew that God would raise Him again and seat Him on the throne of David.
C.With the previous explanations given by Peter, Psalm 110:1 made perfect logic, for David recognized that His descendant would be made both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:33-36).
1.Therefore, David’s son was also his Lord.David’s descendant, who is Christ, has a higher position than David.
2.Likewise the kingdom of Christ is higher than David’s kingdom, for the kingdom of Christ is not of this world (John 18:36).
D.As Lord and Christ, Jesus sits at the right hand of God and reigns over His kingdom.
1.A seat at the right hand of a king or majesty indicates a place of honor and dignity (consider Matt. 25:31-34)
2.More importantly, the seat at the right hand of God indicates the authority and power that God has given to Jesus (Matt. 26:64; 28:18).
E.God has said that Jesus will remain at His right hand “until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet” (Acts 2:35).
1.This indicates that there is a limitation on the reign of Christ.See 1Corinthians 15:23-26.
2.The resurrection of the dead is when death will be destroyed and Christ’s reign at the right hand of God will be complete.See 1Corinthians 15:54-57.
IV.CONCLUSION
A.Jesus of Nazareth, who was rejected by men and crucified on earth, now sits at the right hand of God where He reigns over His kingdom.
1.“Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ – this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36)
2.“He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:31)
3.“Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” (Rom 8:34)
4.“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” (Col. 3:1)
5.“And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.” (Heb. 1:3-4)
B.Therefore, let us submit to Him, the one who was crucified, raised, and exalted to have all power and authority.Jesus is the son of David, the Son of God, the Lord, and the Christ.
