Matthew 22:42-45 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

What think ye of Christ?— The Pharisees having, in the course of our Lord's ministry, proposed sundry difficult questions to him, with a view to try his prophetical gifts; he, in his turn, now that a body of them was gathered together, thought fit to make trial of their skill in the sacred writings. For this purpose, he publicly asked their opinion of a difficulty concerning the Messiah's pedigree, arising from Psalms 110. The doctors, it seems, did not in general look for any thing in their Messiah more excellent than the most exalted perfections of human nature; for, though they called him the Son of God, they had no notion that he was God, and so could offer no solution of the difficulty. Yet the latter question might have shewed them their error: for, if Messiah was to be only a secularprince, as they supposed, ruling the men of his own time, he never could have been called Lord by persons who died before he was born; far less would so mighty a king as David, who also was his progenitor, have called him Lord. Wherefore, since he rules over, not the common dead only of former ages, but even over the kings from whom he was himself descended, and his kingdom comprehends the men of all countries and times, past, present, and to come, the doctors, if they had thought accurately upon the subject, should have expected in their Messiah a king different from all other kings whatsoever. Besides, he is to sit at God's right hand; till his enemies are made the footstool of his feet; made thoroughlysubject unto him. Numbers of Christ's enemies are subjected to him in this life; and they who will not bow to him willingly, shall, like the rebellious subjects of other kingdoms, be reduced by punishment. Being constituted universal judge, all, whether friends or enemies, shall appear before his tribunal, where, by the highest exercise of kingly power, he shall doom each to his unchangeable state. See Macknight. We may observe, that our Lord always takes it for granted, in his arguments with the Jews, that the writers of the Old Testament were under such an extraordinaryguidance of the Holy Spirit, as to express themselves with the strictest propriety on all occasions; How then doth David in spirit, &c. Matthew 22:43 comp. John 10:35. And I look upon this, says Dr. Doddridge, as no contemptible argument for the inspiration of the New Testament; for we can never think the apostles of Christ to have been less assisted by the Divine Spirit in their writings, when they were in other respects so much more powerfully endued with it.