Jesus was asking the Pharisees, “How could David call one of his descendants Lord”? How indeed could a descendant of the house of Jesse (1 Samuel 16:1; 1 Samuel 17:12; Matthew 1:6-15) be considered “divine” (or “Lord”)? David in speaking was guided by the Holy Spirit (Mark 12:36). Luke adds (Luke 20:42) that it was “in the book of Psalms” that David called him "Lord" (Psalm 110:1).
Jesus then quotes from Psalm 110:1 and applies the language to David and says that he spoke by the Holy Spirit and called the Messiah “Lord” (vs. 45). It seems in order to further confuse these Pharisees that Jesus added another question, “If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?” (vs. 45).
This question placed the Pharisees in a quandary. They could not correctly answer without acknowledging the fact that while the Messiah was "human" as descended from David, He was also “divine” as the Messiah sent of God (Matthew 10:40; Luke 10:16; John 5:23; John 13:20; John 15:21).
Christ wanted the Pharisees to acknowledge two things:
1) That Christ’s royalty is not on earth, but in heaven! (Psalm 110:1; Mark 16:19; Acts 7:55-56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3,13; Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 10:12; Hebrews 12:2; Hebrews 1 Peter 3:21-22; 1 Corinthians 15:24-25).
2) That the Messiah on earth was to have a twofold nature – fleshly and divine (Isaiah 53; John 1:14; Romans 1:3; Gal. 4:4; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 2:14-18; Hebrews 4:14-15; Hebrews 7:26).
The Bible records that “no one was able to answer him a word” (Matthew 22:46 ESV). It is not recorded that they even “attempted” to answer. They did not ask him any more questions; this closed His debate with them! He had answered and confounded the various sects of the Jews by asking and answering questions. They had all failed “to catch him in his words” (Mark 12:13). All they could now do to Jesus was to resort to violence. This they did by bringing Jesus before their judgment seat (Matthew 26; Matthew 27).
—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets
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