About the Divinity of Christ the Messiah
The Pharisees, standing at that time at some distance, now gathered together and came closer to Jesus Christ, but they did not dare to ask Him any question. Then, Jesus Christ Himself turning to the gathered Pharisees asked them a question saying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose Son is He?”
The Pharisees immediately answered, “David’s.”
The word “son” in Hebrew meant not only son in the proper sense but also line of descent. Therefore, the expression “Son of David” meant in the lineage of David.
Jesus Christ again asked, “How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit, calls Him Lord saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at My right hand, till I put Thy enemies under Thy feet?’ If David thus called Him Lord, how is He his Son?”
No one was able to answer Him a word. The Pharisees, not understanding the Scriptures in spirit and truth, did not understand that Christ as God-man was of the lineage of David only by His human nature; but by His divine nature, He always existed, for He is, as Son of God, existing from eternity.
From that day, no one dared to ask Him any more questions. Thus was the scholarly pride of man disgraced before the divine wisdom of the Saviour. Multitudes of people listened to the Lord with rejoicing.
Then, Jesus Christ turned to His disciples and the crowds; and in a formidable speech before them all, He clearly exposed the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the scribes and predicted woe to them.
Jesus Christ with grief said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You shut the Kingdom of Heaven against men, for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You tithe mint, and dill, and cumin (things of little worth) and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, and mercy, and faith. These, you ought to have done without neglecting the others. You are blind guides straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel!” This means that they painstakingly care for trivial things; but important matters, they leave unattended.
“You outwardly seem to the people to be righteous; but inwardly, you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness… “
This was the last admonition of the Lord, the last attempt to save them from the terrible judgement. But on their faces there was no repentance; but rather, there was repressed anger toward the Saviour.
Note: See the Gospels of Matthew 21:33-46, 22:15-46; and 23; Mark 12:1-40; Luke 20:9-47.