In Matthew 22.41-45 Jesus poses a paradoxical question based upon an Old Testament passage written by King David which everyone agreed was prophetic of the coming Messiah (Christ).

Psalm 110.1-4  The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

The Pharisees rightly concluded that the Messiah must be a son of David [John 7.42]. However, they had no idea how David could rightly call his own son "Lord."  If Jesus the Christ [ “Christ” is Greek for the Hebrew “Messiah” meaning “Anointed One”] is only a created being--a genetic son of David--he couldn't and wouldn't.  David, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, could only give him that title if he really was God!  See all of Hebrews 7 to establish that this “priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” is really Jesus--by the power of HIS OWN ENDLESS LIFE.

The majority of Jesus' confrontations with the Pharisees centered around whether he was indeed the promised Messiah, and whether he was God in the flesh

Jesus said and did what he did to establish his credentials as Israel’s true Messiah.  The Pharisees would not accept this because they were anticipating a political leader overthrow Roman rule. They wouldn't accept it--but they couldn’t miss the point Jesus was making--Jesus was claiming to be both Messiah and God:

John 10.31-33  Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?  We are not stoning you for any of these, replied the Jews, but for BLASPHEMY, because you, a mere man, CLAIM TO BE GOD.

Jesus’s midnight trial centered on WHO he was--not what he had done.  He was crucified, not for any acts he performed, but because he claimed to be God.

Mark 14.61-64  But he held his peace, and answered nothing.  Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, ‘Art thou the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the Blessed?’  And Jesus said, ‘I AM: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.’  Then the high priest rent his clothes, and said, ‘What need we any further witnesses?  Ye have heard the BLASPHEMY: what think ye?’  And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. 

In John 10.30-33 Jesus claimed equality with the Father, ’I and my Father are one.’  The Jews took up stones again to stone him, and Jesus answered them:

John 10:34  Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?’  The Jews answered him, saying, ‘For a good work we stone thee not; but for BLASPHEMY; and because thou, being a man, MAKEST THYSELF GOD.’”

When Jesus claimed he was “one” with the Father he didn't mean he and the Father were "one person."  The Greek “hen” (translated as "one") means “one essence or the same nature”.  The Jews who heard him understood exactly who Jesus was claiming to be—that's the reason they wanted to stone him.

In John 5.17,18 Jesus said,

John 5.17,18  My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.’  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, MAKING HIMSELF EQUAL WITH GOD.

Jesus justified his healing on the Sabbath by placing his own “work” on par with the works of God.  No religious Jew would have addressed God as “my” (personal) father.  Although they occasionally said “our” (corporate or national) father—they qualified that phrase with “in heaven.”  God was not their father individually; when Jesus claimed this special relationship with deity they were not thinking Jesus was claiming to be a descendant of God--they instantly knew he was claiming equal identity with God!

In the same chapter, Jesus claimed that he was due the honor reserved only for God: 

John 5.23 & 24  That all men should honor the Son, EVEN AS THEY HONOR THE FATHER.  He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father.

 Failure to love and respect Jesus is exactly the same as failing to love and respect Jehovah God.

Jesus claimed that to know him was the same as knowing God: 

John 8.19 Then said they unto him, ‘Where is thy Father?’  Jesus answered, ‘Ye neither know me, nor my Father:  if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.'

Jesus claimed whoever sees him has seen the Father. 

John 14.9 Jesus saith unto him, ‘Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?  HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER….’”

Jesus also accepted worship and adoration reserved only for God.  In Matthew 8.2 the leper adored him.  In John 9.35-39, the man born blind falls prostrate and adores him; the disciples adored him in Matthew 14.33 saying, “Indeed thou art the Son of God.”  Finally, Thomas acknowledges Jesus as “MY LORD AND MY GOD!” 

Jesus accepted their worship—but since only God is worthy of worship, how good could Jesus have been in accepting their worship if he were not really God with us?  how could Jesus present himself equal with Jehovah?  How could he claim such a close identity with God that was to know him was to know God and to see him was to see God?  How could he claim oneness with God no other human had?  How could he claim--when his life was on the line--to be God?  He must have been either a liar, or self-deceived, or who he repeatedly presented himself to be--Jehovah God.