Luke 20:41-44 Meaning: How Can Christ Be David’s Son and David’s Lord?
41He said to them, “Why do they say that the Christ is David’s son?
42David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,
43until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.”’
44“David therefore calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”
41And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David’s son?
42And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
43Till I make thine enemies thy footstool.
44David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?
41And he said unto them, How say they that the Christ is David’s son?
42For David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
43Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.
44David therefore calleth him Lord, and how is he his son?
41And he said unto them, `How do they say the Christ to be son of David,
42and David himself saith in the Book of Psalms, The Lord said to my lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
43till I shall make thine enemies thy footstool;
44David, then, doth call him lord, and how is he his son?'
41And he said to them, How do they say that the Christ is David's son,
42and David himself says in the book of Psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand
43until I put thine enemies [as] footstool of thy feet?
44David therefore calls him Lord, and how is he his son?
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus asks how the Messiah can be both David’s descendant and David’s Lord. This passage reveals Christ’s full humanity and full divinity.
Context
Jesus had just answered the Sadducees about the resurrection, and even the scribes commended Him. After that, no one dared to ask Him anything. So Jesus took the lead. He turned to the crowd and asked them a question about the Christ, the Messiah they all expected. He pointed to Psalm 110, a psalm everyone agreed was about the coming King. But Jesus used it to push them further. He wanted them to see that the Messiah is not just a son of David, but something more. This is the moment Jesus pressed His opponents to reconsider who He really is.
Key Words
Three words in this passage open up who Jesus is. The word Christ (christos) means “anointed one.” Everyone knew the Christ would come from David’s family. But Jesus asks why they stop there. David himself calls this coming King Lord (kurios). That is the same Greek word used for God in the Old Testament. David would never call his own descendant “my Lord” unless that descendant was somehow greater than him, even divine.
Then there is son (huios). Jesus does not deny that the Christ is David’s son. That is clearly taught in Scripture. But He shows that sonship is not the whole story. The Christ is also Lord, seated at God’s right hand, with all enemies under His feet. That is the full picture of who Jesus is.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen this passage as a key to understanding Jesus’ identity. The early church fathers pointed to it as evidence that Christ is both fully human and fully divine. The Jamison-Fausset-Brown Commentary states that the difficulty can only be solved by “the higher and lower, the divine and human natures of our Lord.” The Cambridge Bible notes that the Jews universally regarded Psalm 110 as Messianic, but they never accepted the implication that the Messiah would be greater than David. Historic Christian teaching holds that Jesus is the Son of David according to the flesh and the Lord of David according to His divine nature.
A common misunderstanding
Some think Jesus is rejecting the title “Son of David.” In fact, He is not denying it. He is expanding it. The Messiah is indeed David’s son, but He is also David’s Lord. That means He is both fully human and fully divine. The Jewish leaders had narrowed their expectation to a merely human king, and Jesus challenged them to see the bigger picture.
Living This Out
This week, you may face a situation where you need Jesus to be both near and powerful. When you struggle with something very human, exhaustion, disappointment, a broken relationship, remember that the Son of David knows what it is like to be human. He walked this ground. When you face something too big for you, injustice, fear of the future, a battle with sin, remember that the Lord of David sits at God’s right hand with all authority. You can bring both needs to the same Person. He is your brother and your King.
Main takeaway: Jesus Christ is both the Son of David, fully human, and the Lord of David, fully divine.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus asked a question that made people think. He said the Messiah is both David's son and David's Lord. That is like saying your dad is both your father and your king. Jesus is like that, He is our brother and our King.
For ages 9, 12
The Jewish people expected the Messiah to be a great king like David. But Jesus showed them that the Messiah is even greater. David called the Messiah “Lord,” which means the Messiah is God himself. So Jesus is both a real human being from David’s family and the eternal Son of God. That is why He could save us from our sins and rule forever.
Questions People Ask
Is Jesus denying that He is the Son of David here?
No, He is not denying it. He is asking how the Messiah can be both David's son and David's Lord. The answer is that the Messiah is both fully human, descended from David, and fully divine, which is why David calls Him 'Lord.'
What does 'The Lord said to my Lord' in Psalm 110:1 mean?
In the original Hebrew, the first word 'Lord' (YHWH) refers to God the Father. The second 'my Lord' (Adonai) refers to the Messiah. David is saying that God the Father spoke to the Messiah, inviting Him to sit at His right hand. This shows the Messiah is greater than David.
Why does Jesus quote Psalm 110 to the Pharisees?
The Jews universally accepted Psalm 110 as a Messianic psalm. Jesus uses their own Scripture to show that the Messiah is not merely a human descendant of David but is also David's Lord. This challenged their limited expectations and pointed to His own divine identity.
How does this passage show that Jesus is God?
David calls the Messiah 'Lord,' using a title for God. Jesus then asks how the Messiah can be both David's son and David's Lord. The only solution is that the Messiah shares in God's nature while also being truly human. This is a key biblical foundation for the doctrine of the incarnation.
Where else in the Gospels does Jesus ask this question?
This same question appears in Matthew 22:41-46 and Mark 12:35-37. In each account, Jesus is in the temple during the final week before His crucifixion, and the question leaves His opponents unable to answer.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study