Peace in our times is elusive at best. If we base our peace on ourselves or our circumstances, we will always be chasing something we cannot achieve. This fourth Sunday of Advent has a theme of peace but
“true peace can only be found in our Prince of Peace”
as it is based on Jesus Christ and not on us.
We will study Jesus as the Son of David and as we realize who He is and how that should affect us, we can have real confidence and peace and a right relationship with God. We will look at three areas:
Who is the Son of David?
Jesus Christ is the Son of David
So, what should I do?
9 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!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” (Matthew 21:9-10, NIV)
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15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him (Matthew 21:15-16, NIV).
As an introduction, in Matthew 21:9-10, 15-16 Jesus is coming to Jerusalem in His triumphal entry just before He would later be crucified. The crowds are proclaiming Him as the Son of David. Meanwhile the religious leaders confront Jesus about allowing them to say this.
Jesus not only acknowledges the truth of this but even affirms it by attributing praise to Himself like God gets. What is happening and why? Our study should help us understand.
Who is the Son of David?
Before David lived, Jacob was prophesying about his 12 sons. His 4th son was Judah and received a promise in Genesis 49:10 that the royal line would be though his descendants.
But one King in particular would eventually be the rightful one that would even have the nations obey him. Thus started the anticipation of the ultimate King.
Hundreds of years later in 1 Chronicles 17:10-14,
10 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies.
“ ‘I declare to you that the Lord will build a house for you: 11 When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. 14 I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.’ ” (1 Chronicles 17:10-14, NIV)
the Lord is responding to David, Judah’s first king, who wanted to build a house for the Lord. Instead, God promises 5 things to David about his ultimate Son that would be permanent and eternal. This Son would have a kingdom and be on David’s throne forever.
“He would build a real temple to the Lord that would endure.”
He would be a true Son to the Father. While Solomon was only a shadow of this as he built a physical temple but died, the true Son was still to come.
Isaiah 9:6-7,
6 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.
7 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 (Isaiah 9:6-7, NIV).
a famous Christmas passage, picks up on these themes, which was written 300 years after David. Now we read that this King will be God Himself and that His reign will be one of peace and justice and righteousness that never ends.
Prophecies in the Old Testament are like a drawing of a person and as more detail are filled in, it becomes apparent who this person will be and eventually could only be this person. It points to no one else.
Jesus Christ is the Son of David
A young couple was about to be totally changed. Joseph, engaged to Mary, found out his fiancee was pregnant. As he thought about a private divorce, God informed him in Matthew 1:20-23
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 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.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). (Matthew 1:20-23, NIV).
of who this Child was. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and the Lord Himself, God with us.
“Jesus, meaning the Lord saves,”
would save His people from their sins.
In Luke 1:30-35,
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:30-35).
Mary also had an angel appear and his message was that Jesus would be the fulfillment of all 5 things from 1 Chronicles 17. He was the Expected King who would be the true Son, God Himself, whose throne and kingdom would be forever.
“He would build a true house to the Lord based on Himself.”
Looking back at the Matthew 21 passage, we understand the reactions. The crowds had seen Jesus’ ministry for years and realized He was the real Son of David. The leaders did not believe this but Jesus affirmed His being the Son of David and all that the term means by showing that He was God Himself.
So, what should I do?
We now go to the last book of the Bible to the last chapter to the passage that concludes God’s inspired word.
Revelation 22:12-17 details that Jesus as the Son of David calls people to come to Him.
12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
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.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life (Revelation 22:12-17).
Two groups are mentioned. One group is steeped in wrongdoing and loves it. The other, as dirty as the first group, has washed their filth away and become white in the blood of the Lamb. These have true life. It is a great picture.
“We cannot cleanse ourselves. ”
The Lord’s death for us does this but we must come to Him for this cleansing. In another picture, those who are thirsty are invited to come and drink freely of the water of life. All we need to do is come.
This is our calling as well. If we have not yet had Jesus cleanse us, we can do that now. We come to Him and acknowledge our sinfulness and need. He does the rest and we have life in Him.
If we have been cleansed and forgiven, we can marvel in all He has done and who He is as the ruling Son of David.
His reign puts all that we are going through in the proper context. He rules overall and eventually we will share in His perfect Kingdom. All of this is the best Christmas present we could ever receive.
