One after another, His opponents had been questioning Jesus (Matthew 22:15-40). Now He turned and questioned them. Matthew Henry puts it this way: "They had put questions to him, one after another, out of the law; but he comes and puts a question to them upon the promise." The first question asks what they think of the Christ, the promised Messiah. The second narrows it to His family line. Barnes says Jesus was asking especially about the Messiah's genealogy. His aim, Barnes says, was "to show them how ignorant they were of their prophecies" and "to bring to their attention the true doctrine respecting the Messiah," that the Messiah would be greater than David.

The Pharisees answered, "The Son of David" (Matthew 22:42). Gill says they said this "directly, without any hesitation," calling it "a generally received notion of their's, and was very right." But Jesus pressed further: "How then doth David in spirit call him Lord?" (Matthew 22:43), quoting Psalm 110:1. Their ready answer could not carry them any further. "No man was able to answer him a word," and from that day no one dared to ask Him any more questions (Matthew 22:46).

"Christ" is the New Testament title for the Messiah, the anointed King God had promised. Some in the crowd at Jerusalem had said He would come from David's family: "Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David?" (John 7:42). Gill notes that in Jewish writings the Messiah is frequently "called by no other name, than the son of David."

This was the last of a series of public tests in the temple. The Pharisees and Herodians asked about tribute to Caesar, the Sadducees about the resurrection, and a lawyer about the great commandment (Matthew 22:15-40). Barnes observes that by now Jesus had confounded the great sects of the Jews.

Jesus asked this question because the answer matters more than any other. Matthew Henry turns it toward every reader: "It behoves us above all things seriously to inquire, What think we of Christ?" The Pharisees knew the right title. What they had not reckoned with was who the Son of David really is.

Matthew's Gospel holds both truths together. Jesus is David's son by birth, and David's Lord by nature. Henry sums it up: "Christ, as God, was David's Root; Christ, as Man, was David's Offspring," pointing to Jesus' own words, "I am the root and the offspring of David" (Revelation 22:16).