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Matthew 22:34-46 says, “The Pharisees, when they heard that He had muzzled the Sadducees, gathered themselves together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus questioned them, saying, What do you think concerning the Christ? Whose son is He? They said to Him, David’s. He said to them, How then does David in spirit call Him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies underneath Your feet’? If then David calls Him Lord, how is He his son? And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone from that day dare to question Him anymore.” We will pay special attention to the question in verse 42, “What do you think concerning the Christ?”
Before the Lord Jesus was crucified, He was tested and examined for four days in Jerusalem by people of high social status. These people included the Pharisees, patriotic Jews who were zealous for morality and ethics; the Sadducees, modernist Jews who advocated reform; and the Herodians, Jews who supported the Roman Empire. In addition to these three groups there were the priests who served God, the elders who were the rulers, and the scribes who understood the Scriptures. Before the Lord’s death the Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, priests, elders, and scribes attacked Him with their questions so that they might find reason to accuse Him (21:23-27; 22:15-40). Their questions were of four categories: politics (vv. 15-22), religion (21:23-27), belief (22:23-33), and interpretation of the law (vv. 34-40). These four categories represent all the questions of the Jewish society at the time of the Lord Jesus.
Our Lord is infinitely wise. No question could muzzle Him. The Lord’s replies to the four major questions demonstrate His extraordinary wisdom. The people who wanted to ensnare Him could find no loophole as a reason to accuse or condemn Him. The Lord’s replies rendered them speechless; they were defeated and brought down by the Lord Jesus. After the Lord Jesus answered their questions, these people of high standing were muzzled and had no more questions.
The Lord Jesus, however, asked them a question. This question was related to Christ and can be considered the question of questions. The Lord Jesus asked, “What do you think concerning the Christ?” The Lord was truly wise. Man cared for politics, religion, belief, and the interpretation of the law instead of Christ. This is still the case with the people in the world today. Experts of every field, including politics, religion, science, sociology, economics, and history, study many issues, but they neglect the question concerning Christ. The Lord Jesus asked the Jews, “What do you think concerning the Christ?”
Unbelievers are not the only ones who neglect the Lord Jesus; it is easy for Christians to neglect Him. Every believer has many unresolved questions. These questions concern parents, children, spouses, education, work, and daily necessities. There may be many questions, but the true question is “What do you think concerning the Christ?” What do you know concerning Him? What is your relationship with Him? Does He have any ground in you? If we have Christ as our answer, all our questions will be solved. We must bear in mind that the question of questions is: “What do you think concerning the Christ?” This is the central question of human life.
Human life is like a ship at sea. At the center of every ship is a tall mast. The mast is not only for hanging sails; it is the stabilizing center of the ship. A ship without a mast will rock violently when hit by winds and waves. But a ship with a tall mast is more stable. Human life is like a ship drifting at sea without a stabilizing center. All men, regardless of their nationality, religion, wealth, social status, or education, are drifting about aimlessly. Some people think that education will give them a goal in life. However, I have met excellent scholars who were still depressed after gaining education. Other people think that fortune will give them security in life, but wealthy people are still empty and depressed and are also anxious concerning their wealth. Still others think that politics will gain them respect. But even if they were to become president, it would be for only a few years, during which they would be troubled daily by national affairs. Human life without a mast is a matter of drifting. Christ is the mast of human life. The question of questions that the Lord Jesus asked means that people who have Christ have a stabilizing center in their human life. This also applies to us Christians. Christ, and nothing else, is our base, support, and comfort. Even if we have studied and understand every issue, we are adrift if we do not know the Lord sufficiently. Only the Lord is the center of our life.
The words that the Lord Jesus spoke in the Gospels are simple, but they are wise, rich, and deep. For example, He said, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall by no means hunger, and he who believes into Me shall by no means ever thirst” (John 6:35). These words are simple, but this is a tremendous statement. A small man by the name of Jesus Christ can cause people all over the world and throughout the ages to hunger no more and to thirst no more. This word is too great and too high. Who could utter such a word? Could Socrates, Confucius, or any sage say this? The Lord’s words are simple yet deep, high, and profound in significance. How can He be our bread of life? How can we drink of Him? This is truly a mystery.
The Lord said, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (8:12). His words are not abstract, confusing, or incomprehensible, like those of philosophers. The words of the Lord Jesus are simple and easy to understand; even children can understand His words. Yet His words are high, mysterious, rich, deep, and have a profound significance. He is the bread of life. He is the water of life. He is the light of life. These are tremendous statements. Who besides Christ could utter such words?
The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians were wise in their own eyes and wanted to confuse the Lord Jesus, but their questions were insignificant to Him. Instead, in Matthew 22:42 He used simple words to ask them questions concerning the mystery of the universe: “What do you think concerning the Christ? Whose son is He?” The Pharisees thought they knew the Scriptures and answered, “David’s,” so the Lord Jesus said, “How then does David in spirit call Him Lord?” (vv. 42-43). How can a father call his son Lord? How could David call his descendant Lord? The Lord’s question baffled the Pharisees. As a result, “no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone from that day dare to question Him anymore” (v. 46). No one dared to question the Lord Jesus, because those who do not know Christ do not understand human life. Anyone who does not know Christ does not know the heavens, the earth, or human life. Even a renowned scholar who does not know Christ is unclear concerning human life.
About thirty years ago a sister brought me to see the mayor of Tientsin, whose wife and two children met with us. He was a very established and powerful political figure, but he was seriously ill and bedridden. According to my sense within, I said to him, “If a person does not know the Lord, if he does not know Christ, he is most pitiful. The Lord Jesus is the light of the world; he who follows Him shall by no means walk in darkness. He who does not have the Lord Jesus has no light, and he who has no light is in darkness.” This man said humbly, “Indeed, it is as if I am lost in life, and I do not know what course to take. It is as if I have gone astray, and I do not know where I am going.” I told him, “You have fame, status, wealth, and a good family. Yet you are still missing the center of your life, which is Christ. Once you have Christ, everything will be clear and bright to you. Once you know Christ, you will know the meaning of the universe and where you are going.” This is true not only for unbelievers but even for Christians. A person can be a Christian, but if he does not love the Lord or give the Lord ground in him, he is living foolishly.
There is a God in this universe, and this God is Christ. Christ is the true God who created the universe and all things. There is a genuine and proper man in this universe, and this man is Christ. No one is as genuine or proper as the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the true God and a real man. He has the divine life and nature, and He also has the human life and nature. As the son of David, Jesus Christ is man, and as the Lord of David, He is God. We must know that our Lord is both God and man. He has the divine nature and the human nature. We are saved, but who is Christ to us? What ground does He have in our hearts, and what effect does He have in our lives? May we see that Christ is the mystery of the universe; He is the mingling of God and man. Before Christ was born, God was in the heavens, and man was on the earth; God and man were not mingled together. Now there is One who was tested and who was found in fashion as a man but who was God. This wonderful One is the mingling of God and man. He is the manifestation and expression of God. Through His humanity God is manifested in man and expressed through man. This is the Christian faith.
The Christian faith has everything to do with God and man. The characteristic of Christians is that they have God within them. Genuine Christians are filled with God. Those who do not have God within them are false Christians; they are not orthodox Christians. A person may know Christ doctrinally but not experientially; he does not have a revelation concerning Christ, nor has he gained Christ. A person who sees that the Christ who indwells him is the great and unlimited God will be enlarged. Those who have the revelation of Christ are broad. Young believers may be lively and exuberant, but they need to express the greatness of Christ. This greatness is God. A young brother may be unassuming, but the great God dwells in him. If this brother knows that the Christ who dwells in him is the God of the universe, he will not put on a long face when things do not go his way or when he is offended. Instead, he would be willing to forgive, forget, and forbear offenses, and he would not be discouraged by problems. If we truly know that Christ is God and that He dwells in us, we will not focus on offenses. Those who can forgive, forbear, and cover others are broad, but those who hold grudges and are easily offended are narrow because they do not know the indwelling Christ.
Some saints consider their houses or their wealth to be as dear as their life. This indicates that they do not know Christ adequately. If a brother knows that Christ is God living in him, an expensive house would not mean anything to him nor would gold. A broad person has Christ. The apostle Paul counted the knowledge of Christ Jesus as excellent; hence, he was broad, and nothing earthly could touch him. Paul says that he suffered the loss of all things and counted them as refuse that he might gain Christ (Phil. 3:8). The narrower a person is, the more he cares about how he is treated and about his possessions. An excellent house would not have touched the apostle Paul’s heart. Do we live like those who have Christ dwelling in them? When we are full of the element of Christ, we will be broad and weighty. If we lack the element of Christ, we will be narrow and lightweight.
Christ is not only God; He is also man. No one is as great or as lowly as Christ. If we are short of Christ, we will be neither broad nor lowly. Suppose four brothers serve together. Who would take the lead to be humble? I am afraid that no one would want to be the first to humble himself. However, the Lord Jesus is the great God, yet He humbled Himself and became a man (2:6-7). He could lay aside His outer garments, gird Himself with a towel, wash the disciples’ feet, and wipe them with the towel with which He was girded (John 13:4-5). When the disciples argued with one another concerning who was greater, the Lord said, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35). When James and John asked the Lord to grant them to sit one on His right and one on His left in His glory, the Lord said, “You know that those who are esteemed as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you shall be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many” (10:42-45). The principle in the Bible is that the one being served is small, but the one serving is great. The Christ within us is both God and man so that we can be normal human beings who express God. If we know the Christ who is in us, we will be broad and humble. We can be as low as dust and not be concerned with how we are treated. We will be humble, lowly, and willing to serve others, because the lowly Christ is in us.
The Christian life should express Christ. We can be as broad as the great God and as humble and low as a proper man. If we have been graced by the Lord, nothing on earth will affect us. It will not matter whether we receive a part of the family inheritance, because the Christ within us is great and transcendent. We can also humble ourselves to serve in a lowly way, because we have Christ within us. Such is the living of ones who experience the deep work of the cross. They are touched by Christ, not by any problem.
Christ is God; therefore, people should see the greatness of God in us. Christ is also man; therefore, people should also see the lowliness of man in us. This is to live Christ out. Such a living brings in the one accord and produces the reality of the church.
Before the Lord Jesus died, the disciples argued concerning who was greatest (Luke 22:24). They did not have the one accord, nor did they have the reality of the church. It was not until Christ entered into them that they began to know Christ. At Pentecost Peter was filled with God and spoke the word of God with boldness (Acts 2:14-40). Peter was great, fearing no one and nothing. However, he was also so small and lowly that he could coordinate with the brothers. Thus, the disciples had the one accord and the reality of the church.
Because Christ is in us, we should be so broad that we have nothing to argue about and have no need to argue. We should also be so small that there is nothing we cannot accommodate and no one with whom we cannot coordinate. People in the world contend in order to be great, and no one is willing to be small or lowly. Instead, their living shows that they are quite narrow. As those who have Christ, we should not be such. We should be broad and lowly. If we have unresolved problems, we need to know Christ more. “What do you think concerning the Christ?” He is God, the Lord of David, and He is also a man, the son of David. If we know and experience Him, we will be both broad and lowly. No one among us would assume to be greater than others; rather, we would be full of grace and express the great, extraordinary, and transcendent God in all things. We would also be small, humble, accommodating, and able to serve one another. This is the living of Christians who express God, and this is the practical church life.
