Matthew 1:1
This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:Luke 1:29-33
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 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.”Matthew 21:9-11
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!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
In the Old Testament, there are three figures who particularly stand out: Abraham, Moses, and David. We have already seen how Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham through whom blessing will come, and how Jesus is the prophet foretold by Moses. Now we see that Jesus is also the son of David. But why is that so important? What does that mean?
David was the epitome of an example for all the kings of Israel. He was a man after God’s own heart (I Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22). In fact, God made him an incredible promise. He promised David that his son would sit on this throne—forever (II Sam. 7:11-16)! And we see that after Solomon, the line of kings of Judah is an unbroken line of succession from David’s family. Even after the destruction of Jerusalem and the taking of Judah into captivity in Babylon, we see David’s descendant Jehoiachin being elevated above the other kings of captive peoples (II Kings 25:27-30).
But here’s the problem, as we’ve seen before: David, Solomon, and Jehoiachin all were sinners, and all died. How can God keep his promise? Look at Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus; you see both David and Jehoiachin (called “Jeconiah”). Jesus is the descendant of David. Notice the angel’s promise to Mary, that Jesus will inherit the throne of his father David and will reign forever (see also Isaiah 9:7). Hear the crowd on Palm Sunday as they shout “Hosanna” to Jesus, and call him the Son of David. Finally, rejoice and wonder as the risen Jesus proclaims himself to be the offspring of David.
Amazing! God has done it again! He has kept his promise, and the Son of David sits on the throne, not of Israel, but of the universe, and not for a lifetime, but for eternity. Will you bow and worship this king, this promised Son of David, this beloved of his Father, who sits enthroned over all of heaven and earth? “Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King.” (James Montgomery)
Lo, within a manger lies
He who built the starry skies:
He who, throned in height sublime,
Sits amid the cherubim. Hail, thou ever blessed morn!
Hail, redemption’s happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
(Edward Caswall)