Amazed by Scripture

I’m supposed to be doing something else right now, but saw this passage while looking something up. It’s a great passage, and I am filled with the sudden urge to preach it to someone. Instead, I’ll write this up quickly and get back to what I should be working on.

“Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: ‘What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?’ They said to Him, ‘The son of David.’ He said to them, ‘Then how does David in the Spirit call Him “Lord,” saying [in Psalm 110:1],

“The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at My right hand,
Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet’”?

If David then calls Him “Lord,” how is He his son?’  No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question” (Matthew 22:41-46).

When introducing David’s Spirit-inspired words, Jesus uses the present active participle “saying” (λέγων). Even though Jesus is quoting text almost 1,000 years old at that point, He uses the present tense. The Holy Spirit never speaks in the past tense. The Scripture, no matter when it was inspired in redemption history, is always present tense to us because the Person Who inspired it is ever-Now to us when we read His Word. He speaks. Now.

Second, part of the genius in Jesus’ confounding of the Pharisees is His implicit presupposition: a Trinitarian reality (and Jesus’ presupposition is the only reality).

It is the Holy Spirit Who speaks these words through David:
“The LORD [the Father] says to my Lord [the Son]: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet’” (Psalm 110:1).

David’s “Lord” is David’s “Son” – this can only be Jesus. The Father calls the Son to reign with Him on His throne (Revelation 3:21) during this Gospel Age between the first and second Advents until all enemies are conquered (1 Corinthian 15:25). This calling is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit (right now through words almost 3,000 years old). One God, three Persons.

Things like this move me to rejoice. Our God is amazing.

Okay. Thanks for listening. Back to it.