On This Day: When the Word Turns the Tables

“Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians… (Jesus answered their question) When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

“The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question… (Jesus answered their question) And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

“But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him… (Jesus answered their question).

“Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, ‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?’ They said to him, ‘The son of David.’ He said to them, ‘How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

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

If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?’ And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.” (Matthew 22:15-46)

 

   This morning my focus was on the bigger picture of Jesus facing opposition while in the temple. First the Pharisees sent their disciples to try trapping Jesus in his words. Then the Sadducees gave it a go. Then the Pharisees sent one of their lawyers instead of one of their disciples. 

   However, the big-picture focus was on how skillfully Jesus answered their questions of entrapment, and then turned the tables on his opponents by asking them “What do you think about the Christ?” (Matthew 22:41ff). 

   What hit me was that this is the real question. The opponents were trying to “entangle him in his words”. There was nothing wrong with this in one sense since God has always wanted his people to test teachers to be sure they are from God. But the divine focus was on Jesus as the Christ because, when people misunderstand what was written about the Christ, they mistake what they are looking for in his coming. 

   There was something in this that simply drove home that everything is about what people think of the Christ. We may not be able to stand up to strategic questions aimed at trapping us in something we say. I know I can’t keep up to debates on words, meanings and doctrines. 

   But I do know I can keep telling people about Jesus and seeking to keep making him known from his word. Jesus said that his sheep will hear his voice and follow him, so let’s keep sharing his words with everyone. We never know when Jesus’ invitation, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear,” is fulfilled right before our eyes.

 

© 2024 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8

Email: in2freedom@gmail.com

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.)