“JESUS IS LORD!”
LUKE 20:41-47

I. Introduction
Who is Jesus? Well, who does the Bible say He is? Let me begin this morning by quoting a few well-known passages where the Scriptures identify Jesus for us.
Isaiah 9:6
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
John 1:1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

What about the words of some of those people who knew Him? Who did they say He was?
John 1:14 (John)
14 And the Word (God) became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father…
John 20:28 (Thomas)
28 Thomas answered and said to (Jesus), “My Lord and my God!”
2 Peter 1:1 (Peter)
1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ…
Titus 2:13 (Paul)
13 (We are) looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.

Who about Jesus’ own words? Who did He say He was?
John 10:30
30 “I and the Father are one.”
John 8:58
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”

The Jews tried to stone Jesus for these last two statements because when He called Himself “I am,” He was claiming to be God in human flesh. So Isaiah, John, Peter, Thomas, and Paul all knew who Jesus was. And to that you can add the testimony of Jesus Himself.
Luke 22:70 (questioned by the Sanhedrin before the crucifixion)
70 And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.”
But there’s even more. Let me repeat just one of the verses that Brett read for us to open the service. Listen to the words of God the Father as He identifies Jesus.
Hebrews 1:8a
8a But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever…”

God calls Jesus God! What more proof would you need that Jesus Christ is God in human flesh? Yet many, even some who like to call themselves Christians, refuse to accept the deity of Christ. They say, “Jesus was a good example, and a good teacher, and He gave us a fine moral code to live by, but He wasn’t God.”

Really? Listen to this quote from C. S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity, where he wrote the following: “I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that option open to us. He did not intend to.”

Yet this question of Jesus’ identity permeates the gospels. He will address it once again in this morning’s passage in Luke. But this time His enemies won’t question Him. This time He will question them.
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II. Review
How have we come to this point in Luke? During the final week of Jesus’ life He spent much of His time teaching in the temple. As was the case whenever He taught, the Jewish religious leaders lurked about hoping to catch Him saying or doing something that would give them a reason to accuse, to ridicule, to challenge, or to threaten Him. This final week was no exception. Jesus’ identity, and therefore His authority, had already been questioned by the chief priests, the scribes, the elders, the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees.

In Luke 20:1-8 the priests, the scribes, and the elders challenged Jesus’ authority to speak for God. They demanded, “Tell us by what authority You are doing these things…who is the one who gave You this authority (v. 2)?

In vv. 19-26 the Pharisees and Herodians tried to get Jesus to speak against either Rome or God with a question about taxes. “Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not (v. 22)?”

In vv. 27-40 the Sadducees tried to confound Jesus with a question about a woman who had been married seven times. “In the resurrection therefore, which one’s wife will she be?
For all seven had her as wife (v. 33).” The Lord’s answers to all of those questions, and many others just like them, left His accusers frustrated and silent. Luke 20:40 says, “For they did not have the courage to question Him any longer about anything.” And that brings us to this morning’s text.
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III. Text
Our Lord will turn the tables on those who have been challenging both His identity and His authority. And once Jesus’ identity is established, there can be no question as to His author-ity, now can there?
*Luke 20:41-47 (Please stand with me in honor of reading God’s Word.)
41 And (Jesus) said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son?
42 For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand,
43 until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’
44 “David therefore calls Him ‘Lord,’ and how is He his son?”
45 And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples,
46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets,
47 who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”

This passage goes directly to the very nature of Jesus Christ. Who is He? That is the great debate that has raged for the last two thousand years. The world says He was just a man. In fact, in the rock-opera, Jesus Christ, Superstar, Mary Magdalene says, “He’s a man, he’s just a man, and I’ve had so many men before. He’s just one more.” This is nothing short of blasphemy, but it’s indicative of how the lost world sees Jesus. It says, “He’s just a man!”

Every false religion on the face of the earth believes that about Him. He’s just a man. And let’s be clear about it. That’s what makes them false religions. And that’s how you identify false religions. It doesn’t matter whether the religion appears to be conservative and respect-able, like Mormonism, or evil and murderous, like today’s radical strains of Islam. The fact is that any religion that rejects the deity of Christ is a false religion.

And every false religion plays into the hands of Satan. Think it through. If Jesus is just a man, He is not God. If Jesus is not God, He cannot be Lord. If Jesus is not Lord, He cannot be Savior. If Jesus is not Savior, the Bible must be wrong. If the Bible is wrong, Christ-ianity is a false religion, isn’t it? So I have one question for you. If Christianity is a false religion, why are you here this morning? Have you been duped into believing a lie? To use the Apostle Paul’s strongest and most vociferous negative – “May it never be!”

And so, since Jesus is God, and the Bible is true, then Christianity is the only true religion.
There is no gray area because there can be no gray area! Jesus left no room for any.
John 14:6
6 Jesus said to (Thomas), “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”

“Well,” says the world, “That’s pretty narrow.” Yes, it is! Jesus even said it was.
*Matthew 7:13-14
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.
14 “For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.”

What Jesus is teaching is as clear as it can be. No one can enter into heaven unless they use the narrow way, and only a few people will find it. What is that narrow way? How can you find it? Jesus said you go through Him and Him alone. There is no other way. Who would have the audacity to say such things?

Do you remember what C. S. Lewis’ said about Jesus?
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call him Lord and God.”

Falling at His feet and calling Him Lord and God is what every true Christian does, but it is exactly what the Jewish religious leaders would not do. So He asked them a question.
Luke 20:41
41 And (Jesus) said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son?”

This question is a little easier for us to understand when we hear it asked by Matthew.
*Matthew 22:41-42
41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a ques-tion,
42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ (the Jewish Messiah), whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.”

Matthew’s gospel records the Pharisees’ answer. And, of course, they are right. The Christ (the Messiah) will be a son (a descendant) of King David. The OT makes that crystal clear. But the Jews had a fatal flaw in their understanding of the nature of the promised Messiah. Like the Mary Magdalene character in Jesus Christ, Superstar, they thought he would be a man, “just a man,” albeit a very special one. The Jews thought their Messiah would be a “Super-man,” or a “Superhero,” or even a “Superstar.”
They thought he would be the one to overthrow their Roman oppressors. They thought he would be the one to return Israel to her former glory under David and Solomon. That is how most of Jerusalem welcomed Jesus on Palm Sunday, wasn’t it? Do you remember how excited they were and how they shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David (Matthew 21:9).”?

So again, when the Pharisees answered Jesus question, “…whose son is the Christ?” and they responded, “The Son of David,” they were technically correct. But in what sense were they correct? And more importantly, in what sense were they wrong? Their salvation – and ours – hangs on getting it right. David understood, but most of the Jews did not understand.

Yes, in human terms Jesus certainly is the Son of David – or as He calls Himself over eighty times in the NT – the Son of Man. But He is so much more. He is the Son of God. In this we find His true and eternal identity. In this we find the basis of His sovereign authority.

In Luke 20:41, Jesus is giving His enemies yet one more chance to recognize Him for who He is. He is offering them the truth one more time. If they will simply look to their Scrip-tures, they will “get it.” Jesus has asked them a question – “…whose son is the Christ?” – that will require an answer from the Scriptures that these men claim to honor and cherish.

Turn with me to Psalm 110 and we will read David’s own words about the Messiah, the Christ.
*Psalm 110:1
1 The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

Most of your translations are careful to differentiate the two words usually rendered “Lord” here in this verse. The first time it’s all capital letters and is translated from God’s name, the Hebrew “Yahweh,” the “I AM WHO I AM” of Exodus 3:14. This is God the Father Him-self speaking directly to the Messiah. The second time it’s used it refers to David’s Messiah. Now notice what David calls his Messiah. He calls Him, “…my Lord.” This is the Hebrew word “Adonai,” and refers to God as Lord and master of all things.

Here is the salient point in Psalm 110:1 – David hears God call the Jewish Messiah “God.” “Yahweh said to Adonai…” This is why Psalm 110 was so important to the Jews. They all knew it was Messianic. They all knew it meant Messiah would sit at God’s right hand, the position of power and authority. They all knew Psalm 110:1 meant that Messiah would put all of God’s (Israel’s) enemies beneath His feet. And they all knew that Messiah would be a descendant, a son of David.

So Jesus “sets them up,” if you will. He makes them face the reality that He is not only David’s son, He is also David’s Lord. And if He is David’s Lord, He is God’s Son. And if He is God’s Son, He has all authority.
When you understand the incredible importance of Psalm 110:1, it’s easy to see why it’s quoted no less than six times in the NT. And it’s easy to see why, for hundreds of years after the crucifixion, the Jews tried to change its meaning.

Once the NT was complete (by ca. 100 A.D.) it became more and more clear to Jewish scholars that Jesus had in fact been their Messiah. But they had murdered Him! A new interpretation of Psalm 110:1 was needed. So some tried to make it apply to Abraham, some said it was really talking about Melchizedek, and some said that it actually spoke of Judas Maccabeus, the great military leader who led the Jews’ victory over the Seleucids in 164 B.C. (The cele-bration of that victory is remembered today at Hanukkah.) Some even tried to say, “Well, David just made a mistake.” But that doesn’t work because both Matthew and Mark tell us that David’s words are the words of the Holy Spirit.

The point is that the Jews did whatever they could to change the meaning of Psalm 110 so as to make it “non-Messianic.” This should be a lesson for all of us that accurate interpretation and careful exposition of Scripture is critical. Conversely, “playing fast and loose” with Scripture in order to make it say what you want it to say is, how should I say it, “playing with fire?” Yet how many people today do just that with the Word? (back to Luke 20)
*Luke 20:42-44
42 For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand,
43 until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’
44 “David therefore calls Him ‘Lord,’ and how is He his son?”

So there it is! Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1 and asks the Pharisees the question unbelieving Jews have wrestled with ever since. To say that these Pharisees standing in front of the Lord find themselves on the horns of a dilemma is a gross understatement.

While Luke 20:44 lets the question just hang out there, Matthew does not. He answers it.
Matthew 22:46
46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.

And why would they? They had tried three questions, all of which were designed to con-found Him, and make Him look foolish. But Jesus answered them all, and confounded them and made them look foolish. “Where do you get Your authority? Is it lawful to pay taxes to the Romans? To whom will she be married in heaven?” Each of Jesus’ answers succeeded in “putting them in their place” by exposing not only their ignorance and unbelief, but their motives as well. So they were left with nothing to say, but still, they would harden their hearts and refuse to believe. From here on they would only plan and plot to kill Jesus.

Let me ask you a question. To whom do you turn if you dismiss the Son of God? Where do you go if you reject Jesus’ offer of salvation? He is God incarnate.
You can deny it all day, but you cannot change it.
*Luke 20:45-47a
45 And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples,
46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets,
47a who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers…

Keep in mind that all of these encounters with the Jewish leaders (priests, elders, scribes, Phari-sees, Sadducees, and Herodians) took place in the temple in Jerusalem. They were all witnessed by multitudes of people. You can be sure that these powerful and influential leaders did not enjoy being embarrassed in front of the people. But more than having been embarrassed, they have been exposed. They are frauds and false teachers, and at least some of the people see them for what they are.

In vv. 45-47 we see that Jesus is finished with the leaders, but now He has a final warning for those who have sat under their leadership. “Beware of them!” Turn with me to Matthew 23 and we will get a fuller picture of what Jesus says about those who hold positions of power and authority, but whose hearts are unbelieving, cold, hard, and lost.
*Matthew 23:1-12
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,
2 saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses (the seat of the highest authority);
3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things, and do not do them. (We’re bound by God’s laws, not men’s traditions.)
4 “And they tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they them-selves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.
5 “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phy-lacteries, and lengthen the tassels of their garments (to look more deeply religious).
6 “And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the chief seats in the syna-gogues,
7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called by men, Rabbi. (“teacher” – not the legitimate title, but the pride that can go with it)
8 “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher (the Holy Spirit), and you are all brothers.
9 “And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
10 “And do not be called leaders; for One is your leader, that is, Christ.
11 “But the greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 “And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (back to Luke 20)

In Luke 20:41-44 (and the passage we just read in Matthew’s gospel) Jesus has exposed and attacked the beliefs of the religious leaders. In vv. 45-47 He exposes and attacks their char-acter. What is it that drives them? It is ego, self-importance, arrogance, and personal pride. Look at what these men demand for themselves…
• They demand praise from other men by drawing attention to their spirituality.
• They demand respect and honor. Has it been earned? It doesn’t matter. It’s expected.
• They demand more from others than they are willing (or able) to do themselves.
• They demand to be lifted up and seen as teachers, spiritual fathers, and leaders; and they’re quick to remind others of their wisdom, position, power, and authority.

“…but (Jesus said) the greatest among you shall be your servant (Matthew 23:11).”

What does it all come to?
*Luke 20:47b
47b …these will receive greater condemnation.”

Jesus finishes his statement about these prideful and hypocritical religious leaders, these false teachers, with a dire warning. Their eternal punishment will be worse than that of others. I can’t explain that. How it can be that one corner of hell will be worse than another, or that the pain and anguish of an endless eternity with no love, no peace, no comfort, no hope, and no way out could possibly be worse for some than for others, is beyond my com-prehension. But it is true. Those who know the truth but refuse to accept it, “…will receive greater condemnation.”
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IV. Conclusion
In todays’ passage in Luke we’ve seen the consequences of religion without Christ. It is religion at its worst. The leaders Jesus confronts in Luke 20 had every opportunity to know God and to know that He required them to care for His sheep with humility, sincerity, and love. But they chose to exalt themselves, to take advantage of those whom they were called to lead, and reject the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In v. 47 Jesus said one of the things these false teachers do is, “devour widows’ houses.” A widow is one of the most vulnerable individuals in our country today. Why? Anyone who has the confidence and trust of a widow also has the ability to take advantage of her.

It’s been said that widows provide the greatest source of revenue to today’s crop of multi-millionaire televangelists. I can’t prove that, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it were true. But Jesus does say that false teachers and unbelieving religious leaders do that. So there is little irony when the NT speaks of true religion by using the following example:
James 1:27a
27a This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress…

God has just given Lighthouse an opportunity to practice pure and undefiled religion with the situation that recently developed with one of the widows in our church. And Lighthouse has responded. Isn’t it a blessing that today’s passage has come to us when it has? Let us all thank Him for giving us that opportunity to serve Him by serving one of His – a widow.

And may God continue to remind us that religion without the person of Christ, Son of David, Son of God, and our Savior, is utterly worthless. Jesus is Lord!

So what is the overarching lesson we can take from all of this? Let me quote from one of John MacArthur’s sermons on the subject of false teachers. (from August, 2007) He said,
“The idea is clear, if you are in the wrong religion, you are going to be condemned. If you are a purveyor of the wrong religion, you are going to receive a far greater suffering and damnation in hell. They (false teachers) are dangerous, be warned. They are hypocrites, they are worthy of condemnation.

“Compassion…yes, gospel…yes, give them the gospel, pray for their salvation, have a sad heart, but in the end, we have nothing to learn from false teachers and false religions. And they must know that they are under sentence of divine condemnation. They must know for their sake and the sake of those who need to be protected from them.”

The worlds’ religions reject the deity and Lordship of Christ. And so, they are false reli-gions. And yet I believe there is a tragedy even greater than that. It is this: Far too many of those who claim to be Christians also reject His deity and His Lordship.

But neither their rejection, nor the rejection of the whole world can change this one eternal truth – Jesus is Lord!

~ Pray ~