48 The Messiah Questions

Jesus continued His teaching in the Court of the Gentiles on the Temple Mount and engaged the religious leaders. Keeping in mind their legalistic and highly detailed understanding of the Scriptures Jesus asked the question of Messiahship as defined by the Scribes to group of listeners. Jesus was making reference to the opening verses of Psalm 110 in this question. The Pharisees expected a human only Messiah (The Christ or The Anointed One) to deliver them from the Gentile dominion, which plagued them since the Babylonian captivity of 586 B.C. They wanted some warrior type who could after deliverance could establish the earthly Messianic Kingdom. They were persuaded that this Messiah of their own making would restore Israel’s greatness like when they were under the United Monarchy of David and Solomon. As part and parcel to their general misunderstanding of the Scriptures they missed this too. The Messiah would be a man to be sure but He would also come as God in the flesh. Psalm 110 was commonly known to describe the Messiah and this Psalm opens with the descent of the Messiah. Whose son is He? The Scribes who were in the audience, said that the Messiah (Christ) is The Son of David.