Matthew 22:42

Sunday, 20 September 2026

saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”

They said to Him, “The Son of David.” Matthew 22:42

“saying, ‘What – you, you think about the Christ? Whose Son, He is?’
They say to Him, ‘The ‘of David’.’” (CG)

In the previous verse, it was noted that when the Pharisees had gathered together, Jesus asked them a question. That question is now forthcoming. He was “saying, ‘What – you, you think about the Christ?’”

The question is specific, and it refers to a particular person who was expected to come among the people of Israel. Many translations unwisely leave off the article, “What think ye of Christ?” (KJV, et al.). This leaves the question general and open to the meaning of the word, not a particular person.

In other words, Saul was noted as the anointed (messiah/Christ) of the Lord. Cyrus, King of Persia, is called anointed (messiah/Christ) in Isaiah 45:1. Leaving off the article leaves the question open to the position, reason for the anointing, etc. This is not at all the intent. Jesus asks specifically about “the Christ”, meaning the anticipated Messiah of Israel.

One particular person was to come, as prophesied in their Scriptures. His question is directed to them concerning this individual. Continuing, He asks, “Whose Son, He is?”

It was a question seemingly anyone could answer. The Scriptures recorded the promises, they defined the parameters, they gave locations and timeframes, etc. But they also gave information that had not been thoroughly considered.

It was there, recorded carefully by scribes of the past as uttered through prophets, but it is information not evaluated from the perspective God intended. Therefore, Jesus will present those writings in their proper light. First, however, He awaits their answer, which is, “They say to Him, ‘The ‘of David’.’”

Their answer is first and foremost based on the words of 2 Samuel 7 –

“When they will be fulfilled, your days, and you will lie with your fathers, and I will cause to rise your Seed after you who He will come out from your innards, and I will cause to erect His kingdom. 13He, He will build – house to My name, and I will erect ‘throne, His kingdom’ unto vanishment. 14I, I will be to Him to Father, and He, He will be to Me to Son. When in His ‘causing to crook’, and I will cause to remedy Him in ‘scepter, mortals’, and in ‘touchings, sons, human’. 15And My kindness, not it will veer from Him, according to which I caused to veer from with Saul, whom I caused to veer from ‘to your faces’. 16And it will be established, your house and your kingdom, unto vanishment to your faces. Your throne, it will be ‘being established’ unto vanishment.” 2 Samuel 7:12-16 (CG)

From there, the idea of a coming ruler from the line of David continued to be presented in Scripture. This was so commonly understood that the term “Son of David” has been called out several times in Matthew already concerning Jesus by those anticipating the Messiah and believing it could be Him.

Life application: The most important question any person can ever answer is “Who is Jesus to you?” Responding to the gospel, for example, must be in relation to the proper Jesus. If one calls on “another Jesus” (see 2 Corinthians 11:4), they are responding incorrectly. The gospel, when applied to the wrong Jesus, is not the gospel. John Gill gave his thoughts on who Jesus is. His words are worth considering –

“If this question was put to some persons, it would appear, that they have no thoughts of Christ at all. The atheist has none; as God is not in all his thoughts, nor in any of them, for all his thoughts are, that there is no God; so neither is Christ the Son of God. The deist thinks thing of him, for he does not believe the revelation concerning him. The epicure, or voluptuous man, he thinks only of his carnal lusts and pleasures: and the worldling, or covetous man, thinks nothing but of his worldly substance, and of the much good things he has laid up for many years: to say nothing of the Heathens, who have never heard of him; others, and such as bear the Christian name, have very wrong thoughts of Christ, mean, and undervaluing.

The Arrian thinks he is a created God, of a like, but not of the same nature with the Father. The Socinian thinks he is a God by office, and did not exist until he was born of the Virgin Mary; and has no notion of his sacrifice, and satisfaction for the sins of men. The Arminian thinks meanly of his righteousness, and denies the imputation of it to them that believe. And indeed, all such think wrongly of Christ, who divide their salvation between their works and him, and make them their Christ, or their frames their Christ, or their graces, and particularly their believing in him; that is, that ascribe that to them, which properly belongs to him.

And as for those who do not bear the name Christians, it is no wonder that they entertain wrong and low thoughts of Christ. The Jews thought him to be a mere man, and the carpenter's son. The Pharisees thought that he was an Antinomian, a libertine, a loose, and licentious person, that had no regard to the law, and good works: hence those words of his, ‘think not that I am come to destroy the law’, Matthew 5:17. Yea, they thought him to be a Samaritan, and to have a devil, and to cast out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils.

The Mahometans, though they allow him to be a prophet, yet think that he is inferior to Mahomet their prophet. There are others that think well of Christ, admire the loveliness of his person, and the fulness of his grace, but are afraid Christ does not think well of them: they think well of the suitableness there is in Christ, of his righteousness to justify, of his blood to cleanse and pardon, and of the fulness of his grace to supply all wants, but think these are not for them: they often revolve in their minds his ability to save, and firmly believe it, but question his willingness to save them: they often think of Christ, what he is to others, but cannot think of him for themselves; only believers in Christ have a good thought of him, to their own joy and comfort: faith is a good thought of Christ; to them that believe, he is precious; and such, through believing in him, are filled with joy unspeakable, and full of glory; such think often, and well, of the dignity of Christ's person, of the excellency and usefulness of his offices, of the virtue of his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, and of the sufficiency of his grace for them: they think well of what he did for them in eternity, as their surety, in the council and covenant of peace; and of what he has done for them in time, by suffering and dying for them in their room and stead; and of what he is now doing for them in heaven, as their advocate and intercessor.”

Lord God, help us to think rightly about Jesus. May we not get pulled aside or led astray by false teachings concerning the Savior of the world, Your Son. May we consider Him as He is presented in Scripture by You, hailing Him as the incarnate Word, come to bring us back to You. May we rightly hail the glorious name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.