The Gospel of Jesus Christ (13) Jesus Christ, the Descendant of David

​“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:31-33)
 
Review
We’ve been talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the last two sermons, we talked about His earthly life.
 
One of the most amazing truths we find in the Bible is that the Son of God, who was the word of God through which all things were created, came to the world in human form. We call it the incarnation of Jesus.
 
Jesus had an earthly life just like us. He too was born a baby. But there was a fundamental difference between His birth and our births.
 
The gospels of Matthew and Luke testify to the great truth that He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit without a human biological father. We call this the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. This event is important in understanding the essence of the gospel. We talked about three facts we know from Jesus’ virgin birth.
 
First, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ allows us to realize that our salvation comes from the Lord. Jesus’ birth didn’t just randomly happen. It was repeatedly promised and written about in the Holy Scriptures long before it actually took place, which means that it was carefully planned by God and fulfilled at the exact time that He set.
 
As the angel Gabriel told Joseph, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said….” (Mt 1:21-22)
 
So, we see God’s divine plan and providence and His sovereignty over our salvation through the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. It is a great reminder that salvation is the work of God Himself, not our work.
 
Second, the virgin birth of Jesus allows us to understand how it’s possible for Him to be fully God and fully human at the same time.
 
The story wasn’t written to emphasize how Jesus is different from us. The focus of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ lies in how the two natures—human and divine—perfectly coexist in Jesus. From the fact that He was born to a human mother, we know that He was fully human like us. But, at the same time, Jesus being conceived by the Holy Spirit without a human father shows that He was fully divine, the Son of God.
 
And the fact that Jesus is fully God and fully human is important in our salvation because it allows us to understand how He’s able to mediate between us and God and reconcile us with Him. The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is God’s wisdom and power which makes it possible for Him to be with us, which is evident in Jesus’ other name ‘Immanuel,’ which means ‘God with us.’
 
Third, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ shows us how He could be sinless, unlike all other human beings. The first representative of human beings is Adam. Because he disobeyed God, sin and death came to all people.
 
But Jesus wasn’t from Adam because He didn’t have a biological father. That was God’s way to show us His sinlessness. This is also very important in understanding salvation. Because Jesus was sinless, His sacrifice on the cross could perfectly wash away sin. And because He was the new representative of human beings as the Son of God, the effect of the atonement could reach all people on earth.
 
These are the great truths we know from the virgin birth of Jesus Christ and they tell us why His name is the only way, truth, and life through which we can be saved.
 
Jesus, the Descendant of David
Now, let’s move on to the next part of Jesus’ earthly life. When the apostle Paul introduced the gospel in the book of Romans, he emphasized that Jesus was a descendant of David. Paul said,
 
“Regarding his Son… his earthly life was a descendant of David” (Rom 1:3)
 
This sentence may make us wonder because we just talked about Jesus not having a biological father even though Joseph accepted Him as his son.
 
Then, why did Paul say that Jesus was a descendant of David? What did he want to emphasize by saying that? Why is it important that Jesus is a descendant of David?
 
Jesus had to be a descendant of David to fulfill God’s word because the meaning of being a descendent of David is to be an eternal king, not only the king of Israel, but also of the whole world and of the kingdom of God.
 
When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to inform her of her pregnancy through the Holy Spirit, he told her,
 
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:31-33)
 
Here, Jacob’s descendants don’t just refer to the physical descendants of Abraham, but to all those who would be justified by faith in Jesus. Paul said in Gal 3,
 
 “Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham… those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” (Gl 3:7, 8)
 
So, if we have faith in Jesus, we are also blessed along with Abraham, and we become his descendants spiritually no matter what ethnicity we are. It means that we become God’s people whom our Lord Jesus Christ reigns over in His kingdom forever with the heavenly authority given by God.
 
“The Son of David”
So today, we’ll explore the meaning of Jesus being the Son of David, along with its theological importance when it comes to the gospel.
 
In the Bible, we find many cases in which people call Jesus ‘the Son of David.’
 
When Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching people, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing disease and sickness, news about Him spread quickly and soon large crowds started to follow Him. And they often called Jesus the Son of David.
 
Mt 9:26 says, “As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
 
Mt 15:22 says, “A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly” (Mt 15:22).
 
The most dramatic use of the phrase "Son of David" was when Jesus went into Jerusalem on a donkey.
 
Mt 21:8-9 says,
“A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Mt 21:8-9).
 
This is how the large crowds in Jerusalem fervently welcomed Jesus when He entered the city. What’s important here is what they called Jesus. They shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David”.
 
So, why did these people call Jesus “the Son of David” and what did they imply by doing so? That’s the question I want us to think about today. The bottom line is that ‘the Son of David’ refers to the Messiah promised in the Old Testament.
 
Son of David: The Messiah
One day, while Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, He asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David?” (Mk 12:35).
 
The teachers of the law at that time taught that the Messiah was the Son of David. They likely said that the Messiah would come according to God’s promise in the Old Testament and that the Messiah would be a son of David. So, why did they teach that?
 
The basic meaning of ‘Messiah’ is the one who is anointed. In the Bible, three groups of people were anointed—kings, priests, and prophets. Among the three, the term “Messiah” specifically refers to the king who would be anointed by God because it was often used along with David, who is considered the greatest king in the history of Israel.
 
Here are some Bible verses that predicted that the Messiah would come as a descendant of David.
 
First, Isaiah 9:6-7 says,
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this” (Is 9:6-7)
 
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God said, “The days are coming, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior” (Jr 23:5-6).
 
Micah 5:2-3, which is considered to be one of the most important Messiah prophecies, says,
 
 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites” (Mc 5:2-3).
 
Even though the name ‘David’ doesn’t appear here in this verse, we can find a strong connection between this prophecy and David, since Bethlehem was known for being David’s hometown. So, all the Jews likely thought of David when they read this verse.
 
These verses predicted that the Messiah, the anointed eternal King, would be a descendant of David. That’s the Messiah that the Israelites longed for for a long time.
 
And, finally, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Even though He didn’t have a biological father, Joseph, one of David’s descendants, decided to accept Him as his son.
 
When Jesus was thirty years old, He started performing miracles. With his great power, Jesus healed many people and cast out demons. And with His wonderful wisdom, Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom of heaven and taught people God’s word. What He taught and how He taught was unheard of by the Jews of that time.
 
That’s the reason many people thought that Jesus was the Messiah whom God had promised to send in the Old Testament and who would restore the kingdom of Israel. That’s why a lot of Jews fervently welcomed Jesus, waving palm branches in the air and shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
 
Then, we should also consider why the Bible says that the Messiah will come as a descendant of David.
 
 As you may know, Israel had three kings before it was split into two kingdoms. David was the second king of Israel.
 
He was an excellent king. Even though David made mistakes and committed some very cruel sins, he never gave up seeking the Lord and always came back to Him, repenting of his sins.
 
David did a lot of things while he was king of Israel, but his greatest achievement was that he laid the foundation for the construction of the temple of God.
 
One day, having in mind to build a temple for the Lord, David called the prophet Nathan and said, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent” (2 Sm 7:2).
 
Until that time, the temple of God hadn't been built yet and God’s presence was still in a tent. David felt bad about that so he wanted to build a temple. He told what was in his heart to Nathan and that night God spoke to Nathan. 2 Sm 7:5-7 says,
 
 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” (2 Sm 7:5-7).
 
God added,
“When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’” (2Sm 7:12,13, 16)
 
These verses are very important in understanding the meaning of ‘the son of David’. David wanted to build a house of God, and God was really pleased. So God made David a promise that He would establish the throne of David’s kingdom forever. This covenant is called “the Davidic Covenant,” and it is considered one of the most important covenants in the Bible.
 
And, as God promised, He kept David’s descendants on the throne. After David died, his son Solomon succeeded him on the throne. Solomon was a good king like his father at first. He sought a discerning heart to distinguish between right and wrong in order to rule over God’s people, and God gave him wisdom. Moreover, he finished building the temple of the Lord.
 
However, he ended up falling into the sin of idolatry because his wives from other nations turned his heart after other gods. 1 Kg 11:6-8 says,
 
“Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done. On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods” (1Kg 11:6-8)
 
However, even though Solomon did many evil things before God, God didn’t dethrone him because He remembered the covenant He made with Solomon's father David.
 
As a consequence of Solomon’s evil idolatry, Israel ended up being divided into two nations—the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.
 
But, even after Israel was divided into two nations, God faithfully kept the covenant He had made with David. Both nations had 19 kings each, but unlike the northern kingdom of Israel which had different dynasties, all the kings of southern Judah were descendants of David. That’s how God faithfully kept the covenant He made with David.
 
However, what God really meant when He told David, “your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever’” (2Sm 7: 16), wasn’t about David’s biological descendants or the kingdom of Israel.
 
What God had in mind was that He would send His own Son as a descendant of David who would take care of His people with His heart and rule the kingdom of God as an everlasting king. As God said through the prophet Ezekiel,
 
“I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.” (Ezk 34:23-24)
 
 “David my servant will be their prince forever… I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Ezk 37:25-27)
 
This is the meaning of Jesus being the Son of David. It means that He was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament that God promised to send to be with His people, take care of them, and rule over them forever with His justice and righteousness.
 
That’s what we must remember when it comes to who Jesus is. Even though He came to the world in the form of a servant to pay the ransom for our sins, when He returns, He will come back as the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and the mighty Judge.
 
Jesus is Christ. The name Jesus emphasizes His role in saving people from their sins, but ‘Christ’, which is ‘the Messiah’ in Greek, allows us to know that He is the King and the Lord of everything. We shouldn’t separate these two. If you accept Jesus as your Savior, you must also acknowledge Him as your King and Lord.
 
There will come a time when He comes back with His heavenly dignity and glory. On that day, He will bring the kingdom of God, and we will be with Him forever.
 
Our God, who faithfully and completely fulfilled all the prophecies about the Messiah to come in the Old Testament, is still working toward His promise. And He will never stop until He fulfills every promise He made. God knows everything and has the power to do all things. He will keep His promise to come back and bring us to His kingdom.
 
Until that day comes, we should keep our faith in Jesus, professing that He is not only our Savior but our Lord, and make every effort to live out the truth by following our Lord’s will for us no matter what comes our way.
 
I hope that God opens the hearts of every one of us here so that we can truly acknowledge Jesus as our Savior and our Lord and so that we can continue to keep our faith by living for Him and giving Him all the glory until He returns.
 
Let’s pray.
 
[Prayer]
Dear God, we thank You for giving us this precious opportunity to think about and know who Your Son Jesus Christ is through Your word.
 
We thank You for every promise You’ve made and fulfilled regarding the Messiah. We profess that Jesus Christ is the Son of David whom You sent to save us and rule over us with His justice and righteousness. We thank You for Your faithfulness and zeal for us.
 
Now Lord, we want to stand firmly on the foundation of the truth of Jesus Christ. Reveal to us who He truly is so that we may have stronger faith in Him and follow Him. We profess that Jesus is Christ. We proclaim that He is not only our Savior but also our Lord.
 
Help us keep our faith in Him and give us the courage and strength to follow Jesus’ way until He returns and brings us to Your kingdom.
 
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, we pray. Amen.
 
[Reflection Questions]
1. Who do you think Jesus is? Is He both Savior and Lord to you? Do you think it is possible to accept Him only as Savior and not as Lord? Why do you think it is important to acknowledge Jesus as not only ‘the Lamb of God’ but also ‘the Son of David’?