The Pharisees had gathered close about Jesus as He answered the question of the scribe. Now turning He put a question to them: "What think ye of Christ? whose son is He?" This question was designed to test their belief concerning the Messiah,--to show whether they regarded Him simply as a man or as the Son of God. A chorus of voices answered, "The Son of David." This was the title which prophecy had given to the Messiah. When Jesus revealed His divinity by His mighty miracles, when He healed the sick and raised the dead, the people had inquired among themselves, "Is not this the Son of David?" The Syrophoenician woman, blind Bartimaeus, and many others had cried to Him for help, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David." Matt. 15:22. While riding into Jerusalem He had been hailed with the 609 joyful shout, "Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord." Matt. 21:9. And the little children in the temple had that day echoed the glad ascription. But many who called Jesus the Son of David did not recognize His divinity. They did not understand that the Son of David was also the Son of God.

Farisæerne havde forsamlet sig tæt omkring Jesus, medens han besvarede den skriftkloges spørgsmål. Nu vendte han sig om og rettede et spørgsmål til dem. "Hvad mener I om Kristus? Hvis søn er han?" Det var hensigten med dette spørgsmål at prøve deres tro med hensyn til Messias, at få dem til at vise, om de udelukkende betragtede ham som et menneske eller som Guds Søn. Et kor af stemmer svarede: "Davids søn!" Dette var den betegnelse, som profetierne havde brugt om Messias. Da Jesus åbenbarede sin guddommelighed ved sine mægtige undergerninger, da han helbredte de syge og oprejste de døde, havde folket spurgt hinanden: "Mon han dog ikke er Davidssønnen?" Den syriskfønikiske kvinde, den blinde Bartimæus og mange andre havde råbt til ham for at få hjælp: "Herre, Davids søn forbarm dig over mig!" Matt. 15,22. Da han red ind i Jerusalem, var han blevet hilst med dette glade råb: "Hosianna Davids søn! velsignet være han, som kommer, i Herrens navn!" Matt. 21,9. Og de små børn i templet havde gentaget denne glade tiltaleform. Men mange af dem, der kaldte Jesus Davids søn, erkendte ikke hans guddommelige væsen. De forstod ikke, at Davids søn også var Guds Søn.