Son Of David

by TERRELL, J. D. | Category: Names And Titles Of The Lord Jesus | May 2005

Having considered the titles 'Son of God' and 'Son of Man', we now come to a very interesting title of the Lord's Sonship, namely, 'Son of David'. If, as we saw, the name Son of God was outstandingly God's name for His Son; and Son of Man the Lord's name for Himself, then Son of David was predominantly the Jews' name for Jesus. Not that the title was first applied in Scripture by the Jewish people of His day. Indeed, His lineage through David was specified as clearly at the annunciation by the angel Gabriel as was the name Son of God. Gabriel said to Mary '"He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David"'. When Matthew came in due course to write his gospel narrative, he opened it with, 'The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David'.

Still, it is usually from the lips of the Jewish people with whom the Lord Jesus came in contact, that we have Him described as 'Son of David'. We can easily forget what a heroic figure of history King David was to the Jews. So much so that, after the sacking of Jerusalem in AD 70, two Roman emperors, fearful of a resurgence of Jewish nationalism, ordered the destruction of all direct descendants of David - shades of the slaughter of the innocents by Herod at the time of the Lord's nativity. It was during the first century before His birth that Jewish poets first directly called the expected Messiah, Son of David. So the linkage of this title with the anticipated Messiah was already established in Jewish thought when the Lord Jesus came among them. On the last great day of the Feast of Tabernacles, as recounted in John chapter 7, some people out of the crowd said, '"Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"' (John 7:42).

Furthermore, the writings of the ancient Hebrew prophets, linking Messiah to the family of David, were familiar to educated Jews. Jeremiah spoke of the Lord raising up a righteous Branch for David, and of David never lacking a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel (Jer.23:5; 33:17). So did Amos, Ezekiel and Zechariah, while Hosea spoke of the day when Israel would return and 'seek the Lord their God and David their king' (Hosea 3:5). But it is Isaiah who provides perhaps the most striking prophecy in chapter 9 verses 6, 7. There we have the Messianic prediction of the Child born and the Son given. And the government will be upon His shoulder '... Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom'. But the extent to which the Jewish people of His own day perceived Him as the Son of David, is shown by the way many who were healed spoke of Him.

In Matthew 9:27-28 we read of two blind men who followed Jesus crying out, '"Son of David, have mercy on us!"' What is even more surprising and gratifying is the response of the men when the Lord challenged, '"Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord,"' was their short, direct answer, adding to their understanding of His Messiahship, faith in His divine authority as Lord. Little wonder that the Master immediately touched their eyes saying, '"According to your faith let it be to you"'. A very similar occasion recurred later outside Jericho with two blind men addressing the Lord in identical terms and receiving the same desired blessing (Mat.20:29-34). Another individual, who acknowledged Christ as Son of David, was the Syro-Phoenician woman whose daughter was healed. Again, her address was, '"O Lord, Son of David"' (Mat.15:22) recognising the Messianic significance of the Name.

Then there was wider discussion of the matter when a blind and mute man was restored. We read, 'And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"' (Mat.12:23). And when the time came for the triumphal entry into Jerusalem in fulfilment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9, 'Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' Hosanna in the highest!"' This, we read, was repeated in the Temple. How gratifying it must have been for the Lord Jesus to hear such acknowledgement by the common people who heard Him gladly. And how sad that their voice of praise was so soon to be silenced, and drowned by shouts of, 'Crucify!'

TERRELL, J. D. | May 2005
Names And Titles Of The Lord Jesus