|
Portraits of
Jesus |
||
|
The expression Son of David is considered by many to be the most Jewish of all the titles given to Jesus, since it is deeply rooted in Jewish history and tradition.
To the Jews, there would never be a king as great as David, for he was a man after God's own heart, (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). Even the promises which Jehovah made concerning David's kingdom seemed to carry with them the idea of unparalleled greatness. God promised, "Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established forever," (2 Samuel 7:16).
Therefore, the Jews dreamed of a golden age when God would send them the Messiah, whom they believed would be a king who would not only deliver his people, but restore a greatness and a glory to Israel that far exceeded anything ever before experienced.
This was the dream of Isaiah: "Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore," (Isaiah 9:7).
This was also the dream of Jeremiah: "Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land," (Jeremiah 23:5).
This was also the dream of other great prophets of the Old Testament: (Amos 9:11; Zechariah 12:8; Hosea 3:5; and Ezekiel 34:23-24; 37:24).
But the Romans were also well aware of these prophecies. According the historian Eusebius, following the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, the Emperor Vespasian gave orders that all who belonged to the lineage of David should be sought out and destroyed to prevent the royal family from surviving. As late as AD 90, Domitian was still commanding that the descendants of David be found and slain.
However, throughout the New Testament Jesus is frequently referred to as "the Son of David," with particular emphasis being placed upon the fact that he was indeed a physical descendant of Israel's great king. Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ, tracing his ancestry back to David. Luke records the angel's visit to Mary, and the message that the child she carries will bear "the throne of his father David," (Luke 1:32). The apostle Paul mentions the relationship between Jesus Christ and David on two occasions. (Romans 1:3; and 2 Timothy 2:8) And finally, in John's Revelation, Jesus is called, "the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David," (Revelation 5:5); and "the root and offspring of David, the bright morning star," (Revelation 22:16).
Matthew's gospel record is filled with references to Jesus being the Son of David, since his gospel account is perhaps the most Jewish of all: (Matthew 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9,15). In these instances it was common for people to call Jesus the Son of David when they were astonished at his power, or when they desired help from that power for themselves. When they made this claim, they all understood that in calling Jesus the Son of David, they were clearly acknowledging him as the Messiah of Old Testament prophecy, and the one whose throne and kingdom would be forever. |
||
|
|
||