Scriptures: Jeremiah 30:4-11, Acts 2:25-35, Luke 24:44, Psalm 16:10, 34:19, 41:9, Matthew 1.
God promised King David that he would always have a descendent upon the throne over God’s covenant people. Matthew 1 gives us the genealogy of Jesus, confirming he’s a descendant of King David. We established in a previous lesson that this forever king comes from the stump of Jesse, King David’s father, implying that the Anointed One (Messiah) would be not only a descendant of David but a new David. God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah of the final restoration of Israel at the end of the age, saying, “They will serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them” (Jeremiah 30:9). Jesus is not only a physical descendent of David but the new David who brings a new kind of kingdom.
Jesus hinted at the Messiah being more than merely an earthly descendent of David when he provoked his disciples to look deeper by asking, “Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David?42 David himself declares in the Book of Psalms: ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand 43 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ 44 David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?” (Luke 20:41-44). Jesus often quoted David, and his life was interconnected with David’s Psalms. These clues in scripture are given to help those who have eyes to see to connect the dots that when the prophetic scriptures talk about the coming David they are talking about Jesus.
In Acts 2, Peter cites Psalm 16 in reference to Jesus’ death and resurrection: “You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay” (Psalm 16:10). Clearly David died, so he was not speaking of himself but the Anointed One to come. In the Psalms it is often unclear when David is speaking about himself or prophesying of the coming “David,” but Peter refers to David as a prophet, so we not only read the Psalms as poetry of David’s life but prophesy of the Anointed One’s life. After his resurrection, Jesus explained, “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (Luke 24:44). What was written about Jesus in the Psalms?
John’s gospel highlights prophetic psalms like Psalm 34:19, which speaks of God protecting the bones of the righteous so that they’re not broken. Normally, during a crucifixion a person’s bones are broken to speed up the process of dying, but when they came to Jesus to break his bones, they found him already dead (John 19:33-36). Psalm 41:9 says, “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.” In John 13:18-26 Jesus explicitly explains that he is sharing bread with Judas, his betrayer, “to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me’” (John 13:18). By highlighting the fulfillment of these psalms, John is declaring that Jesus is not just the son of David, but the David who is to come.
Jesus intentionally fulfilled passages in the Psalms and aligned his life to David’s. When Jesus and his disciples took heads of grain to eat, violating the Sabbath laws about working, he justified his actions using an illustration from David’s life when David ate the bread that was only intended for the priests. In so doing, he claimed the authority and anointing of David. Jesus not only fulfilled prophetic passages from the Psalms, but his trials on the way to becoming King mirror David’s experiences.
- David was first a shepherd, then emerged later as a warrior and king. Jesus came first as a Shepherd to lead the lost sheep of Israel back to God, but when he returns, he will be revealed as the Lord of Heaven’s Armies who wins God’s battles and is crowned King.
- David was anointed, then pursued by jealous King Saul who tried to kill him. King Herod tried to kill Jesus soon after he was born because he didn’t want his throne threatened.
- While being hunted by Saul, David moved from place to place with his “mighty men.” 2 Samuel 2:22 tells us, “All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander.” Jesus moved from place to place with his disciples, evading several attempts to kill him. He was a friend of sinners and was followed by the discontented.
- David’s reign as king came in stages. He was first ruler over only the tribe of Judah before he became ruler over all Israel 7 years later. Presently, Jesus rules over a spiritual kingdom made up of believers who follow him. When Jesus returns, at the end of the final set of 7 years prophesied in Daniel 9, he will regather the lost tribes of Israel that were scattered among the Gentiles and rule over the whole nation of Israel as well as the whole world.
- David was a warrior who defended Israel against her enemies. Jesus will return as the Lord of Heaven’s Armies to defend Israel from her enemies. While David killed the giant Goliath with a single stone, Jesus will destroy his enemies with the breath of his mouth (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
- David brought the ark of the covenant back to Israel and established the Levitical worship of the Lord in the tabernacle. Jesus brought a new covenant through his shed blood and the gift of the Holy Spirit who enables us to worship God in spirit and in truth as a kingdom of priests.
- David was not allowed to build the temple because it was to be built by his son, but he paid for the site of the temple. The first temple was built by David’s son, Solomon, and the final temple will be built by the Son of David, Jesus. Jesus paid the price for God to make his dwelling in the hearts of believers who are in covenant with him through Jesus.
Why does all this matter? Why would Jesus go to such great lengths to prove that he is the David to come? God qualified Jesus to rule the earth by allowing him to go through the same trials as David. Samuel declares that David is a man after God’s own heart. He was beloved by the poor and outcasts of society. David wasn’t perfect, but he foreshadowed the Anointed One to come who would shepherd God’s people, fight and win God’s battles, lead God’s people in humility, bring God’s presence back to his people, lead them in worship, and establish God’s permanent dwelling place with his people. Jesus is not only a man after God’s own heart, but the perfect representation of God’s heart. He is every good thing David was and more! He is the perfect leader who will establish God’s kingdom on the earth forever. Most importantly, however, Jesus is proof that God keeps his promises.
“The Lord swore an oath to David, a sure oath he will not revoke: ‘One of your own descendants I will place on your throne. 12 If your sons keep my covenant and the statutes I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for ever and ever.’ 13 For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying, 14 ‘This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired It’” (Psalm 132:11-14). If God raised up one of David’s descendants, he will keep his promise to raise us up with him when he returns. Jesus will rule from Zion in fulfillment of all God’s promises to Israel and to us.
Response:
Jesus, I exalt you as the perfect leader over Israel and the perfect leader of my life. Just as David shepherded the sheep and protected them, you lead me and protect me. You are loving toward those who are discouraged and give us courage as we follow you. You choose to remember David’s heart and honor him, in spite of his failings, and I thank you for your grace and mercy toward me. Thank you for keeping your covenant with David to put a righteous ruler on his throne forever. You, Jesus, are that ruler. May your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
