Luke 20:41 kjv
And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David's son?
Luke 20:41 nkjv
And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?
Luke 20:41 niv
Then Jesus said to them, "Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David?
Luke 20:41 esv
But he said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is David's son?
Luke 20:41 nlt
Then Jesus presented them with a question. "Why is it," he asked, "that the Messiah is said to be the son of David?
Luke 20 41 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | When your days are fulfilled... I will raise up your offspring after you... and I will establish his kingdom forever. | Davidic covenant; Messiah as his descendant. |
| Psa 89:3-4 | "I have made a covenant with My chosen one... Your offspring I will establish forever." | God's covenant with David for eternal lineage. |
| Psa 132:11-12 | The LORD swore to David... "One of the fruit of your body I will set on your throne." | Divine promise of a descendant on David's throne. |
| Isa 9:6-7 | For to us a child is born... upon the throne of David... forever. | Prophecy of Messiah born as human, ruling. |
| Jer 23:5 | "Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch." | Messiah as a righteous descendant of David. |
| Matt 1:1 | The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David... | Establishes Jesus' Davidic lineage. |
| Matt 9:27 | And when Jesus departed... two blind men followed Him, crying out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" | Blind men recognizing Jesus as Messiah. |
| Matt 12:23 | And all the crowds were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" | Public acknowledging Jesus as David's Son. |
| Matt 15:22 | And behold, a Canaanite woman came... "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!" | Gentile woman's faith and Messianic title. |
| Matt 21:9 | The crowds that went before... were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" | Crowds hail Jesus during triumphal entry. |
| Luke 1:32-33 | He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High... the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. | Gabriel's annunciation of Jesus' royal descent. |
| Rom 1:3 | concerning His Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh... | Apostle Paul affirming Jesus' Davidic humanity. |
| Psa 110:1 | The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." | David's prophecy of a Lord greater than himself. |
| Matt 22:42-45 | "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?"... "If then David calls Him Lord, how is He his Son?" | Jesus' direct follow-up question in parallel text. |
| Mark 12:35-37 | "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?" ... "David himself calls Him Lord." | Parallel account of Jesus' question. |
| Acts 2:34-36 | For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord...' | Peter quoting Psa 110 to affirm Jesus' deity. |
| Heb 1:13 | And to which of the angels has he ever said, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"? | Applies Psa 110:1 to Christ's divine exaltation. |
| John 8:58 | Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." | Jesus asserting His pre-existence and deity. |
| Phil 2:6-8 | who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped... | Christ's pre-existent divine nature and humility. |
| Col 1:15-17 | He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created... | Christ's supremacy and role in creation. |
| Rev 5:5 | And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered." | Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of Davidic line. |
| Rev 22:16 | "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." | Jesus confirming His identity as both origin and offspring of David. |
Luke 20 verses
Luke 20 41 Meaning
In Luke chapter 20, verse 41, Jesus poses a direct challenge to the religious leaders of His day, questioning their conventional understanding of the Messiah's identity. He asks, "How can they say that the Christ is David's Son?" This seemingly simple question immediately precedes His citation of Psalm 110:1, and it is designed to expose the limitations of a purely human or lineage-based perception of the Anointed One, hinting at His divine nature and supremacy over even His royal ancestor, David. The verse sets the stage for revealing the Messiah's multifaceted identity, encompassing both humanity and divinity.
Luke 20 41 Context
Luke 20 records Jesus' final days of teaching in the Temple, where He is repeatedly challenged by the religious authorities – the chief priests, scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. They question His authority, try to trap Him with political dilemmas (paying taxes to Caesar), and theological arguments (the resurrection). Having skillfully silenced all their attempts, Jesus turns the tables. In Luke 20:41, Jesus transitions from being the respondent to being the questioner. He is now probing their understanding of the very Messiah they claim to anticipate. This interaction occurs within a setting where the Temple serves as the epicenter of Jewish learning and religious discourse, making the challenge about Messianic identity all the more profound for His audience. This particular exchange directly confronts their established (and limited) theological frameworks, specifically their rigid interpretation of Messianic lineage as purely human and temporal. It represents an indirect polemic against their insufficient grasp of Messianic prophecy.
Luke 20 41 Word analysis
- And he said (Καὶ εἶπεν, Kai eipen): This phrase signals a pivotal moment where Jesus, having effectively countered His adversaries' questions, now initiates the inquiry Himself. It denotes His intentional shift from defense to proactive teaching and revelation.
- to them (πρὸς αὐτούς, pros autous): Refers directly to the religious leaders who had just attempted to entrap Him. The audience is key; Jesus is not merely lecturing but challenging those who considered themselves expert interpreters of the Scriptures.
- How (Πῶς, Pos): This is not a denial of the belief, but a deep challenge to the consistency and completeness of their understanding. It seeks to uncover a theological paradox. It implies, "In what manner" or "On what basis" can they hold this view exclusively?
- can they say (λέγουσιν, legousin): Implies a widely held or conventional belief among the Jewish people, especially among the religious authorities. It highlights their accepted tradition regarding the Messiah's identity.
- that the Christ (τὸν Χριστὸν, ton Christon): "The Christ" is not a proper name here, but the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew Mashiach (Messiah), meaning "the Anointed One." This title carries immense significance, representing the long-awaited deliverer and King promised by God. Jesus uses the term they themselves recognized and sought.
- is David's Son? (υἱὸν Δαυὶδ εἶναι, huion Dauid einai): This refers to the universally accepted Messianic expectation that the Messiah would be a direct descendant of King David. This understanding was rooted in the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam 7) and numerous prophecies. The question, therefore, confronts a cornerstone of their Messianic theology.
Words-group analysis:
- "How can they say that the Christ is David's Son?": This whole question is designed to prompt a deeper consideration of the Messiah's nature. It implicitly accepts the "Son of David" title but demands an explanation that goes beyond mere human lineage, particularly in light of Old Testament texts that speak of the Messiah's pre-eminence or divine status, like Psalm 110. Jesus is forcing His listeners to reconcile seemingly contradictory prophecies about the Messiah – being both David's son (human, subordinate) and David's Lord (divine, superior).
Luke 20 41 Bonus section
- This question highlights a central Christological dilemma of the time, the full scope of which was largely missed by the Jewish religious leadership: the Messiah was indeed to be a human descendant of David, but He was also much more—He was David’s divine Lord. This points to Jesus’ dual nature, being truly human (Son of David) and truly divine (Lord).
- The use of the word "How" (Πῶς) suggests an epistemological challenge. It's not a question of 'if' but 'how do you explain' this when faced with further Scriptural evidence like Psalm 110. It implies that their current explanation is incomplete or contradictory in the face of all available prophecy.
- This verse is foundational for understanding later New Testament arguments, especially in Acts and Hebrews, that establish Jesus’ ultimate authority and divine status, drawing directly from Old Testament prophecies that puzzled His contemporaries.
Luke 20 41 Commentary
Luke 20:41 serves as a critical pivot point in Jesus' confrontations with the religious leaders in the Temple. Up to this point, they had relentlessly tried to discredit and ensnare Him. Now, Jesus takes control, posing a profound theological question that exposes the limitations and inconsistencies of their Messianic understanding. By asking "How can they say that the Christ is David's Son?", Jesus is not denying the Messiah's human lineage from David, a fact deeply rooted in prophecy and consistently affirmed in the New Testament concerning Himself. Rather, He is challenging the sufficiency of that title to fully encapsulate the Messiah's identity. The common belief in a solely human, Davidic king as the Messiah, while true in part, failed to account for prophecies suggesting the Messiah's divine nature and pre-eminence, as exemplified by Psalm 110:1. This sets the stage for Jesus to unveil the true, dual nature of the Christ – fully human and fully divine – silencing His critics by using their own sacred texts to reveal a deeper, previously overlooked truth about His own person and authority.