1/22 Drop the Mic

This is Scripture for Students. I’m Steve Whitacre, president of Trinity College and a pastor at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville. I want to help students build a daily habit for life-long Bible reading. Today is January 22, 2025 and this episode of Scripture for Students is called Drop the Mic. Grab your Bible and let’s get started.

Our readings for today are Genesis 23, Matthew 22, and Nehemiah 12. Please open your Bibles to Matthew 22.

Here’s a fun fact: I have never lost a debate. That’s right. Undefeated world argument champion, heavyweight division. I have never failed to deliver the knock out blow: just the right words, carefully nuanced, expertly delivered, that end the debate on the spot and prove without a doubt that I am right and the other person is wrong. I wish you could hear the gratitude in other people’s voices as they thank me for setting them straight. Let me tell you, I live for those mic drop moments.

The only problem with what I’ve just said is that it only happens in my imagination. And usually two to three days after I got crushed in the actual debate. I’m actually not very quick on my feet. I can tell when the moment comes: if I just had a real zinger right now, I could end this debate on the spot. Drop the mic and walk away. But I never have the zinger. And it won’t come for at least 24 hours. 

In today’s Scripture for Students, we’re going to get to see Jesus drop the mic in the argument. This is pretty fun to read, because Jesus starts the fight and then stops it… cold.

Matthew 22:41–46

41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 

42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 

43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, 

44 “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet” ’? 

45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 

46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

May the Lord bless the reading and the hearing and the keeping of his Word.

You already know that the Pharisees don’t think much of Jesus. These guys were well-educated, rich, and influential. They were respected in the community. So they didn’t think much of this carpenter’s son from Nowheresville showing up. Who does he think he is, making himself out to be some kind of rabbi? 

Most of the interactions we’ve seen so far, the Pharisees are asking Jesus questions: they challenge him, probe his understanding, looking for faults or flaws they can exploit to discredit him. But so far, they haven’t found any. And now it is Jesus’ turn to go on the offensive. 

So in verse 42, Jesus asks them, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” Now, to get the gist of Jesus’ question, we need to think clearly about the word Christ. Remember that “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name. It is a title. It means Messiah, or deliverer, or savior. We could refer to Jesus, the Christ. So Jesus is not asking the Pharisees what they think of him in particular. Instead, he is asking: “Since you are waiting for this Messiah to come, what do you think he will be like?” Jesus puts this in terms of whose son will the Messiah be because the answer to that question will tell us something about the Messiah. 

The Pharisees answer that they think the Messiah will be the son of David. That seems like a good, safe answer. If we take what we know about David and apply it to the Messiah, it probably means that they expected the Messiah would be personally devoted to God—after all, David was a man after God’s own heart. David was considered the greatest king in Israel’s history. No one else compared to him. And, they expected that he would come as a warrior king. A fearless fighter, a leader who would deliver Israel with decisive military victories and release Israel from the tyranny of Rome. 

Again, seems like a safe answer. But it is a revealing answer because if he is the son of David, then he is someone downstream from David. A great king, a great leader, a great warrior, sure. But come on—there was only one David. We’re never going to see the like of him again, are we?

If it had been me arguing with the Pharisees, I would have to give it to them, that’s a pretty good answer, guys. But Jesus sees the opening and lands a shot that ends the argument. Jesus quotes Psalm 110 to them and presents them with this riddle: if David was the greatest king of Israel, how can he say, “the Lord says to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.’” Ok, pause here a second. 

This seems confusing because there are two Lords: the Lord says to my Lord. Who does he mean here? It might help to know that in the original language of Psalm 110, where this is from, the first “Lord” is YHWH, the name of God. The second “Lord” is adonai, a more generic term meaning lord, sir, master. It’s a term of respect that someone would use to refer to a superior, to someone who outranks you. 

And that is the crux of Jesus’ question. He is asking: if David is pinnacle, the absolute apex of human leadership that Israel has ever had, who is David talking about? The Lord said to my Lord?! Who is David’s lord? Who is his superior? No or outranks David, outfights David, or outworships David? Right? 

Now you see Jesus’ point. Jesus has just devastated their argument, and he sums it up in verse 45: “If David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” Jesus is saying to the Pharisees, Have you even read your Bibles? You have no idea what you are talking about. He dropped the mic. And look at 46: that was the end of bringing questions to Jesus.

This is a fun story because who doesn’t like to see some arrogant men get cut down to size? But what does it have to do with us? The most obvious take away from this episode is that Jesus doesn’t come according to human expectations. He is constantly surprising people and turning their expectations upside down. 

So what do you expect from Jesus? The most significant expectation we have of Jesus is the forgiveness of our sins. But what else do you expect from him? Do you expect him to provide you with an easy life? Do you expect him to send you friends? Do you expect that he’ll make a way for you towards work or marriage? He may do those things. But he may not do them according to your expectations. He may have his own way of accomplishing his will in your life. Like with the Pharisees, he doesn’t conform to our desires or expectations. And when his deliverance doesn’t come in exactly the way we expect, we can trust him, knowing that he is a greater king than David. He is the Son of God and the Lord of all things.

That’s all for today. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with a friend and follow us on Apple Podcasts.

This content is sponsored by Trinity College of Louisville. We shape young men and young women for Christ and for the church. Learn more at TrinityCollegeLou.com. Until next time, keep growing!