Chapter 27: The New Kingdom
UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES
1. The Son of David (pp. 474–476)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Read Christ’s encounter with the Syro-Phoenician woman (Mt 15:23–28)
and then write a response to the following question:
How did Christ seem to treat the Syro-Phoenician woman?
Briefly share responses.
1. The Son of David (pp. 474–476)
BASIC QUESTION
What does the title Son of David mean for St. Matthew?
KEY IDEA
St. Matthew wanted to show Jesus is the Anointed Son of David,
prophesied by Jacob and Samuel, who established a universal kingdom; in
St. Matthew’s Gospel, this was first recognized by the Syro-Phoenician
woman and then by Simon Peter.
1. The Son of David (pp. 474–476)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
In Jacob’s prophecy, to what does he comes (cf. Gn 49:10) refer?
He comes refers to the man who is to come and to whom the ruler’s staff (scepter)
belongs. He will rule not only Israel but the peoples, that is, all the nations.
What is the difference between the scope of David’s and Christ’s
kingdoms?
David ruled a small empire in the Middle East whereas Christ’s reign is unlimited.
What is the relationship between the Prophet Samuel’s prophecy to King
David and the Archangel Gabriel’s prophecy to the Blessed Virgin Mary?
The Prophet Samuel said God will give King David’s offspring an eternal rule. The
Archangel Gabriel said God will give the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Son, who is a
descendant of David, an everlasting kingdom.
1. The Son of David (pp. 474–476)
GUIDED EXERCISE
To understand the Archangel Gabriel’s words, write a paraphrase of Luke
1:32–33.
1. The Son of David (pp. 474–476)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
According to St. Matthew, what is the most important thing to know
about Christ?
He is the climax of God’s plan of salvation, fulfilling all the promises God
had made to Abraham and David.
Why is the title Son of David so important to St. Matthew?
St. Matthew wanted to show the Kingdom of Heaven has replaced that of
Israel.
Why would St. Matthew’s Jewish readers likely have had difficulty to
understand the nature of the kingdom Christ established?
Most Jews of Christ’s time expected a king who would restore Israel, a little
kingdom at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, rather than one who
would rule all the nations and have members the world over.
1. The Son of David (pp. 474–476)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
How would Jews of Christ’s time have looked on the Syro-Phoenician
woman?
She was a descendant of the Canaanites, who time and again seduced Israel into
idolatry that included human sacrifice and ritual prostitution. The woman would
have represented the people the Jews hated the most.
Why was Christ so seemingly harsh toward the woman?
Christ tested the woman’s faith by adopting the traditional Jewish attitude toward a
Canaanite.
What did the Syro-Phoenician woman recognize about Christ not even his
Apostles had realized?
She realized the blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven are for the Gentiles, even the
Canaanites. Moreover, she recognized Christ is the Son of David and called him
Lord.
1. The Son of David (pp. 474–476)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Work with a partner to summarize the meaning of St. Peter’s confession at
Cæsarea Philippi.
GUIDED EXERCISE
A think / pair / share using the following prompt:
Explain what the title Son of David meant to the Jews.
1. The Son of David (pp. 474–476)
CLOSURE
Write a paragraph explaining the most important thing you learned in this
lesson.
Briefly share responses.
1. The Son of David (pp. 474–476)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Study Questions 1–7 (p. 485)
Practical Exercise 1 (p. 486)
Workbook Questions 1–10
Read “The Riddle: How Can David’s Son Be David’s Lord?”
(pp. 477–479)
1. The Son of David (pp. 474–476)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Repeat the Anticipatory Set of this lesson and write about insights you have
gained from the episode with the Syro-Phoenician woman.
2. David’s Son and Lord (pp. 477–479)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Opening Prayer incorporating Psalm 2, a Messianic psalm the Church has
always prayed.
2. David’s Son and Lord (pp. 477–479)
BASIC QUESTIONS
How did Christ silence the Pharisees?
What was the thesis of St. Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost?
How can the Messiah be both David’s son and his Lord?
KEY IDEAS
Christ stopped the Pharisees from trying to trap him with questions
when he asked them how David could call the Messiah both his son and
his Lord.
St. Peter’s first sermon showed Christ, the very Person his audience had
recently had a hand in crucifying, was raised from the dead, fulfilling the
prophecy God would not abandon his soul to Hades nor let his Holy One
see corruption.
David called the Messiah both his son and his Lord because Christ is
both a descendant of David and the preexisting Son of God, thus David’s
Lord.
2. David’s Son and Lord (pp. 477–479)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Review point 1 (p. 478), and do a think / pair / share using the following
question:
According to the Prophet Joel, what are the last days?
2. David’s Son and Lord (pp. 477–479)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What question could the Pharisees not answer?
How can the Anointed One be both David’s son and David’s Lord (cf. Ps 110)?
What were some of the challenges St. Peter faced during his sermon at
Pentecost?
Some of the hearers thought the Apostles were drunk, and some had earlier
turned against Christ and demanded his Crucifixion. Some looked down on the
Apostles because they were from Galilee.
How did St. Peter explain the behavior of the Apostles and disciples on
the day of Pentecost?
He explained the prophecy of Joel had been fulfilled: these are the “last days”
in which God was pouring out his Spirit on the sons and daughters of Israel
(cf. 2:28–32).
2. David’s Son and Lord (pp. 477–479)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
In Psalm 16 (cf. point 4, p. 479), who is the speaker who said, “I saw the
Lord always before me...”?
It is David’s son, the Christ.
What two things will God not allow to happen to the Son of David according
to Psalm 16?
God will not abandon the Son of David to Hades nor allow his body to see
corruption.
Extension: This is a reference to Christ’s descent into Hades, where he was not
abandoned but only remained a short time, and his Resurrection on the third day.
What is the answer to the riddle of David’s son and Lord?
St. Peter explained David called his son my Lord because the Son of David is also
the Son of God.
2. David’s Son and Lord (pp. 477–479)
GUIDED EXERCISE
To understand Psalm 16, imagine Christ praying the excerpt under point 4
(p. 479) in the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest.
Then write a paraphrase of the excerpt in the persona of Christ.
2. David’s Son and Lord (pp. 477–479)
CLOSURE
Write a paragraph summarizing the content of St. Peter’s sermon on the
day of Pentecost.
2. David’s Son and Lord (pp. 477–479)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Study Questions 8–11 (p. 485)
Practical Exercise 2 (p. 486)
Workbook Questions 11–12
Read “The Church Perfectly Fulfills the Davidic Covenant” through
“The Davidic Covenant: Three Secondary Features” (pp. 480–483)
2. David’s Son and Lord (pp. 477–479)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Work with a partner to try to talk through anything that did not seem to
make sense in this lesson.
Share some results with the class.
3. The Church Fulfills the Davidic
Covenant (pp. 480–483)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Review the Graphic Organizer from Chapter 10 (p. 196) about God’s lavish
promises to David and his son.
3. The Church Fulfills the Davidic
Covenant (pp. 480–483)
BASIC QUESTIONS
 What is the New Israel?
 How does the Church fulfill the features of the Davidic Covenant?
KEY IDEAS
 The New Israel is the Church, the community of all believers in Christ.
 The Church contains within herself all the features of the Davidic
Covenant.
3. The Church Fulfills the Davidic
Covenant (pp. 480–483)
GRAPHIC
ORGANIZER
Complete the
following table to
organize the seven
primary features of
the Davidic
Covenant fulfilled
in the Church (pp.
480–481).
Seven Primary Features of the Davidic Covenant Fulfilled
Feature of the Davidic Covenant
Fulfilled in Christ and the Church
Kingdom – David’s son will rule a great
kingdom.
Dynasty – The covenant is made with David’s
dynasty forever.
God’s own Son: The Anointed (“Christ,”
“Messiah”) Son of David is adopted as God’s
Son.
Unlimited – The covenant is unlimited in time
and space.
Jerusalem – Mt. Zion eclipses Mt. Sinai,
making Jerusalem the spiritual center of the
world.
Temple – All the people in the world were
invited to worship the God of Israel in the
Temple in Jerusalem.
Wisdom: Instead of the particular, Mosaic
Law for Israel alone, David’s son would
provide a Law for every Adam — a Law for
all people — based on wisdom.
3. The Church Fulfills the Davidic
Covenant (pp. 480–483)
3. The Church Fulfills the Davidic
Covenant (pp. 480–483)
GUIDED EXERCISE
A paragraph shrink on “The thank-offering...” (p. 482).
3. The Church Fulfills the Davidic
Covenant (pp. 480–483)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
In the Church, who is the queen mother?
The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, is the queen mother.
How can it be known St. Peter is the prime minister in the New
Covenant?
According to Isaiah 22, the prime minister (chief steward) of the royal
government received the key of the house of David to open and shut
exclusively. Christ gave St. Peter the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven with
the power to bind and loose.
What is the thank-offering in the Church?
It is the Eucharist.
3. The Church Fulfills the Davidic
Covenant (pp. 480–483)
CLOSURE
Free write for five minutes about Christ and the Church having fulfilled
the features of the Davidic Covenant.
3. The Church Fulfills the Davidic
Covenant (pp. 480–483)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Study Questions 12–15 (p. 485)
Practical Exercise 3 (p. 486)
Workbook Questions 13–17
3. The Church Fulfills the Davidic
Covenant (pp. 480–483)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
The thesis of this chapter: “Christ has founded a new kingdom.”
Write a paragraph describing the King and his kingdom.
The End