{"id":628,"date":"2021-03-24T22:23:30","date_gmt":"2021-03-24T22:23:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thespiritsearches.com\/?p=628"},"modified":"2021-06-10T14:42:18","modified_gmt":"2021-06-10T14:42:18","slug":"jesus-the-son-of-david-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thespiritsearches.com\/jesus-the-son-of-david-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Jesus the “Son of David” Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Throughout the New Testament we see many references to Jesus being called \u201cthe son of David\u201d<\/em>. In fact, the very first verse of the New Testament says this: \u201cThe book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, <\/em>the son of David<\/em><\/strong>,\u2026\u201d<\/em> (Matthew 1:1<\/strong>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n But why exactly did Matthew, the author of the book that bears his name, feel it was necessary to begin his Gospel account by making this declaration? What’s the significance of Jesus as \u201cthe son of David\u201d<\/em>? And why does it matter whose son He was? <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the Old Testament, the Messiah would be a descendant (son) of King David. The title <\/strong>\u201cson of David\u201d<\/em><\/strong> was messianic in nature, and was often used to refer to the Savior who was promised to the Jewish people throughout the Scriptures. Thus, when people called Jesus the <\/strong>\u201cson of David\u201d<\/em><\/strong>, what they were truly saying is that He was the promised Messiah.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Because the Jewish people knew the Savior would come from King David, Matthew immediately connects the dots between Jesus and the King by providing His genealogy, thus substantiating his claim that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah). By doing so, Matthew could indeed prove that Jesus was qualified to be the Messiah (because He was a descendant of David), while using the rest of his Gospel account to provide infallible proof of this claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But in order to fully understand the significance of the title \u201cson of David\u201d<\/em>, we have to take a closer look at the Old Testament, starting with the book of Genesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Throughout the Old Testament we see numerous references to a coming Savior or Messiah. The first mention of this future Savior comes from Genesis 3:15, <\/strong>although somewhat obscurely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.\u201d<\/em><\/p>Genesis 3:15<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Here God is pronouncing judgement upon the serpent (aka the Devil) for deceiving Eve, which resulted in the Fall of Man. At first glance and without proper context, it’s difficult to see how one can find the promise of a Savior in this verse. However, when we view this verse in light of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, things begin to make more sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In short, this passage refers to the defeat of Satan by Jesus\u2019s redemptive work on the cross. A few clues inform us of this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, take notice of the language God uses here. He says He will put enmity \u201cbetween your offspring and HER offspring\u201d<\/em>, or, as the KJV<\/strong> puts it, \u201cbetween thy seed and HER SEED\u201d<\/em>. Traditionally, when it comes to reproduction, the male is responsible for the \u201cseed\u201d, not the woman. But we know that Jesus was born of a virgin with no male involvement at all, making Him the product of the woman’s \u201cseed\u201d, as referred to here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, we have the reference to the serpent’s bruised head with the heel of the woman’s seed being bruised. Jesus, as the seed of the woman, received the \u201cbruised heel\u201d<\/em>, that is, a wound He recovered from. He died on the cross (bruised heel) but He recovered from this wound in that He was resurrected from the dead. Satan, on the other hand, received a death blow (bruised head) in that his kingdom was destroyed and the kingdom of God established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.”<\/p>John 12:31<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n This passage is the first promise of redemption in Scripture, and points to a future Messiah. It\u2019s not until much later, however, that we learn that this Messiah would be a descendant of King David. But long before King David was even born, the prophet Moses spoke of the future Messiah as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Roughly 1400 years<\/strong> before the time of Christ, and 400 years<\/strong> before the anointing of King David by Samuel (See Bible Timeline Here<\/strong><\/a>), Moses had this to say of the future Messiah: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers\u2014it is to him you shall listen\u2014 <\/em>…<\/em><\/strong>I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.\u201d <\/em><\/p>Deuteronomy 18:15, 18<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Now just to be fair, this passage has a context to it outside of the future Messiah. Moses had just commanded the Israelites not to inquire of one who \u201cpractices divination, or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whosoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord.\u201d <\/em>(Deuteronomy 18:10<\/strong>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n It was in regards to whom the Israelites were not to listen to that Moses told them who they should listen to – the prophet that was like him, who was a fellow Israelite, who would proclaim to them all that the Lord had commanded. Moses then gives instructions for how to tell whether or not a prophet was truly of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if you say in your heart, \u2018How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?\u2019\u2014 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. <\/em><\/p>Deuteronomy 18:21-22<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n So then the immediate context of this passage is that of Moses declaring that God would communicate to His people through a line of prophets that He Himself would raise up. The greater context of the passage is that of a future Messiah who would serve as the ultimate Prophet of God, which was fulfilled through Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We know this to be true by the New Testament records that confirm that Jesus was, in fact, the One of whom Moses wrote. We see this specifically in two New Testament passages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Deuteronomy<\/strong> we\u2019ll jump to 1 Samuel 16<\/strong> where we\u2019re first introduced to David. It’s here that we learn that David was a shepherd, the youngest of 8 brothers, and that God had chosen him to be king over Israel because of the purity of his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When they came, he (Samuel) looked on Eliab and thought, \u201cSurely the LORD\u2019s anointed is before him.\u201d But the LORD said to Samuel, \u201cDo not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but <\/em>the LORD looks on the heart<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d <\/em><\/p>1 Samuel 16:6-7<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Fast forward to 2 Samuel 7<\/strong> and we see the promise God made to David that his throne would last forever, and that one of his descendants would sit upon that throne. It’s from this very passage of Scripture that the title \u201cson of David\u201d<\/em> originates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.\u2019\u201d In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.<\/em><\/p>2 Samuel 7:12-17<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n As with the passage from Deuteronomy, there are multiple contexts to this passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The immediate context is that of David\u2019s literal son who would later build a house for the Lord. We know this to be King Solomon who took the throne after the death of David and did, in fact, build the Temple that is here referred to. The greater context of this passage is that of David\u2019s throne being established forever, that is, that one of his descendants would always rule over Israel. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Promise of a Savior<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Prophecy of Moses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Promise to David<\/h2>\n\n\n\n