Scripture Reading: 2 Sam. 7:12-14a; Matt. 22:41-46; 1:1, 21-23
Ⅰ
"What do you think concerning the Christ? Whose son is He?"—Matt. 22:42a:
A
This question of questions must be answered by everyone—vv. 42-45.
B
Christ is God; in His divinity He is the Lord of David—Rom. 9:5; Rev. 22:16b.
C
Christ is also a man; in His humanity He is the Son of David—1 Tim. 2:5; Rev. 22:16b.
D
Christ's question of questions concerning His wonderful person muzzled the mouths of all His opposers—Matt. 22:46.
Ⅱ
The Gospel of Matthew emphasizes the fact that Christ is the Son of David—2 Sam. 7:12-14a; Matt. 1:1; 9:27; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9:
A
The title Son of David signifies the kingdom.
B
As the Son of David, Christ brings us into the kingdom of the heavens—4:17; 5:3.
Ⅲ
The Son of David is Jesus and Emmanuel—1:21-23:
A
"You shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins"—v. 21:
１
The name Jesus includes the name Jehovah, the I Am—Exo. 3:14.
２
Jesus is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua (Num. 13:16), which means "Jehovah the Savior," or "the salvation of Jehovah."
３
Jesus is not only a man but Jehovah, and not only Jehovah but Jehovah our salvation; hence, He is the Savior.
B
"They shall call His name Emmanuel (which is translated, God with us)"— Matt. 1:23:
１
Jesus is God incarnated to dwell among us; He is not only God but God with us—John 1:14.
２
Jesus the Savior is God with us, the saved ones, the believers.
Ⅳ
The Son of David is the all-inclusive Christ revealed in the Gospel of Matthew:
A
Christ is the heavenly King, who came with meekness—2:1-2; 21:5.
B
In His human living Christ was a despised Nazarene—2:23; John 1:45-46.
C
The Lord Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God—Matt. 16:16.
D
Christ is the Son of Man, who brings God's dominion to earth—8:20; 11:19; 13:37; 16:13.
E
Christ is the Baptizer—3:11-12.
F
Christ is the light of life shining in the darkness of death—4:12-16.
G
Christ ministered as a Physician and revealed Himself as the Bridegroom— 9:9-15.
H
Christ from His incarnation to His crucifixion was the unfulled cloth for making a new garment through His death and resurrection—v. 16; Luke 5:36.
I
The individual Christ is the new wine, and the corporate Christ is the new wineskin—Matt. 9:17.
J
Christ is the Shepherd—vv. 35-36; 26:31.
K
Christ is the Lord of the harvest—9:37-38.
L
Christ is the Friend of sinners and the wisdom of God—11:19.
M
Christ is the One who gives rest—vv. 28-30.
N
Christ is the greater Jonah—12:39-41; 16:4.
O
Christ is the bread and the crumbs under the table—15:21-38.
P
Christ in His humanity is the resurrected One with all authority in heaven and on earth—28:18-19.
Ⅴ
The Christian life is a life of faith; we live according to what we believe— 8:5-13; Gal. 3:2, 14; John 20:25-29; Heb. 11:6:
A
Faith is the unique way for God to carry out His New Testament economy with man—Matt. 9:2, 22, 29; 15:28; cf. 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8; 17:19-21; 21:21-22.
B
Faith is a matter of seeing a view of the contents of God's economy—Heb. 12:2:
１
Because we have seen a revelation regarding the contents of God's econ-omy, we spontaneously believe in what we see—Eph. 3:9.
２
The ability within us to believe is a product, a result, of having a proper view of God's economy—Heb. 11:6, 9, 23-26; 12:2.
３
As we open to the Lord in the Word, considering Him as the all-inclusive One, and the light comes in, there will be a reaction, a "click," which brings the divine scenery of the truth into our spirit; this reaction is faith.
C
As illustrated by the case of the Roman centurion, faith is the realization of what the Lord Jesus is—Matt. 8:5-13:
１
The centurion said that there was no need for the Lord Jesus to come to his house, because he realized that He was the highest authority—vv. 9-10.
２
Faith needs an object; the object of our faith is the wonderful Lord Jesus who has all authority and who, in Himself, is the highest authority.
３
Whenever we realize the Lord Jesus in a certain way, we have faith as a result of that realization—16:16.
D
We are believers, persons of faith in the Lord Jesus—Acts 5:14; 1 Tim. 4:12.
Ⅵ
David "in spirit" called Him Lord—Matt. 22:43:
A
Christ can be known by us only in our spirit through God's revelation—Eph. 3:5.
B
If we have seen the revelation concerning the Son of David as the all-inclusive Christ, we should turn to our spirit and in spirit call Him "Lord."