Why Is Jesus Called The Son Of David?

Why Is Jesus Called The Son Of David?

Like the New Testament, verses describe Jesus as “the son of David.” But the question arises, how can Jesus be the child of David since David lived about 1000 years from Jesus? The answer is that Christ (Christ) fulfills the prophecy for the descendants of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16). Jesus was the promised Messiah, which meant that he came from the line of David. Matthew 1 provides genealogical evidence that Jesus, in His humanity, was a direct descendant of David through Joseph, Jesus’ legal father. The genealogy in Luke chapter 3 refers to Jesus’ lineage as coming from his mother, Mary. Jesus is a descendant of David, by Joseph’s adoption, and by the blood of Mary. Although Christ is referred to as the child of David, it refers to the Messianic title made about him in the Old Testament.

Jesus has been addressed many times as “Lord, son of David” by people who wanted to receive his mercy or healing by faith. A woman whose daughter was harassed by a demon (Matthew 15:22), two blind men sitting by the side of the road (Matthew 20:30), and the blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:47) all called the children of David. Addressing him, he called for help. The titles of honor he bestowed upon them express their faith in him. Calling him “Lord” is an expression of the meaning of his divinity, rule, and power, and by calling him “Son of David,” they were professing him as their Christ.

The Pharisees also understood what this meant when they heard people saying that they were calling Jesus “the son of David.” But unlike those who called on him in faith, they were so blind in their pride and in their understanding of the Scriptures that they could not see what the blind beggar had seen—that it was here. The Christ stood whom they had been waiting for in their lives for centuries. They hated Christ because he could not give them the respect they thought they should have. Therefore, when they heard that the people were crying out to Jesus as their Savior, they were filled with anger (Matthew 21:15) and conspired to destroy him (Luke 19:47).

Jesus surprised the scribes and Pharisees by asking them to explain the title’s meaning. How can it be that Christ is the Son of David when David himself refers to him as “my Lord” (Mark 12:35-37)? No doubt, the teachers of the Law have an answer to this question. Thus, Jesus revealed the Jewish leaders’ incompetence as teachers and their ignorance of distancing themselves too far from what the Old Testament taught about the true nature of Christ. Was.

Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God and the only way for the world’s salvation (Acts 4:12) is a child of David, both physically and spiritually.

Also Know About: Is God And Jesus The Same Person?

Son Of David

Because Jesus Christ is the most influential figure in human history, it is no surprise that his name has become ubiquitous over the centuries. In cultures worldwide, people know who Jesus is and have been changed by what he has done.

Yet it is a mild surprise to see that his name did not always refer to Jesus in the New Testament. Many times, people use specific titles in context.

One of those titles is “son of David.”

Here is an example:

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, accompanied by a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (meaning “son of Timaeus”), was begging by the side of the road. When he learned his name was Jesus of Nazareth, He began to cry, “Jesus Son of David, I beg you to forgive me!

48 Many punished him and told him to keep quiet, but he cried even more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Mark 10:46-48

There are many other examples of people using this language about Jesus. Which begs the question: why did they do this?

An Important Ancestor

The simple answer is that King David—one of the most important people in Jewish history—was one of Jesus’ ancestors. Scripture clarifies the genealogy of Jesus in the first chapter of Matthew (see v. 6). As such, the term “son of David” simply meant that Jesus was a descendant of David’s royal line.

This was a common way of speaking in the ancient world. We can see similar language used to describe Joseph, who was Jesus’ earthly father:

20 But when he believed 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, for the one who is pregnant in her is blessed by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son. You will also be able to He is Jesus because he can keep his people from their mistakes.

Neither Joseph nor Jesus was the literal child of David. But then, it was common practice to use the words “son” and “daughter” to show an ancestral relationship.

Nevertheless, there is a difference between the angel’s use of the word “son of David” to describe Jesus and the blind man’s use of the term “son of David.” In particular, the description of the blind man was a title, which is why “son” is capitalized in our modern translations.

A Title For The Messiah

In Jesus’ day, the term “Son of David” was a title for the Messiah—the long-awaited religious king who was once and for all secure victory for God’s people. And the reason for this word has everything to do with David.

Specifically, God promised David that one of his descendants would be the Messiah who would reign as the head of God’s kingdom forever:

The Lord tells them that Lord himself will build a home for you 12 When your days are done, and you can rest with your ancestral ancestors, I will establish a home for you. Your offspring will succeed me, based on my blood and body. I will also establish his kingdom. 13. He will construct an abode for me, and I will take the reign of his kingdom forever.

I will be his father, and he will be my Son. When he is wrong, If he does, then I punish him with a rod guarded by men, with a slant protruding from human hands. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him because I took it away from Saul, whom I have taken away from you. It was removed from the front. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure before me forever; your throne will be established forever.'” 2 Samuel 7:11-16

David ruled as the king of Israel some 1000 years before the time of Jesus. Thus it is no surprise that the Jewish populace became acquainted with the prophecy throughout the years. They longed for the Messiah to come to restore the fate of Israel and knew that the Messiah would come from the line of David.

For all of these reasons, the phrase “son of David” became an apt title in the name of the Messiah. While David was an earthly king who advanced the kingdom of Israel in his day, the Messiah would reign forever.

Other Christian prophecies in the Old Testament made it clear that the Messiah would heal the sick, help the blind see, and let the lame walk. Therefore, the term “son of David” had a specific connection to healing miracles.

We can see that connection at work in this incident from the opening portion of Jesus’ public ministry:

22 Then they brought him to a demonic man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him so that he could both talk and see. 23 Everyone was amazed and said, “Could this be the son of David?” Matthew 12:22-23 (emphasis added)

The rest of the gospel, along with the rest, showed that the answer to that question was a definite “yes.”

Who Is Absalom In The Bible? Son Of King David

In the Bible, Absalom was the Son of King David. Like his father, he was handsome and charismatic, and his sad story tells that he tried to change God’s plan.

If Jesus Was The Son Of David, How Could He Be The Son Of God?

Jesus asked religious leaders a question to help them see that it was the Messiah who was saying, “What do you think of Christ? Whose child is he? They said to him, David’s. He asked them, then why does David in spirit call him Lord? that the Lord, said to my Lord; Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet. Well, when David calls him Lord, why is he his Son? No one could say a thing in reply to him; But from that day on no one dared to ask him anything again” (Matthew 22:42-46).

In other words, Jesus said, if David refers to the Messiah as “Lord,” implying that the Messiah is greater than David himself, then how can the Messiah also be David’s “son” and thus be younger than David? ? The only possible answer to Jesus’ question is that the person who was to come as the Messiah must have existed on this earth before His incarnation. As David’s “Lord,” the Messiah was the Son of God; As the “son” of David, the Messiah was the Son of man through David’s lineage (Matthew 1:1).

Unfortunately, the Jewish leaders were unwilling to answer this question because they cherished misconceptions about the Messiah (Luke 4:19). They could not answer this question without acknowledging that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, the Son of God. In asking this question, Jesus was trying to allow the Pharisees and scribes to imagine the main purpose of his mission on earth, to understand that this question would lead them to salvation. By his mercy, he was trying to give them another chance before it was too late. But he refused to accept her.

Jesus mourned his opponents and said, “Jerusalem, O Jerusalem; You who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you, How many times have I wished that I should gather your children together as a hen gathers her young under her wings? But you didn’t want to. Behold, your house is left desolate for you” (Matthew 23:37-38). God looks upon all the lost with tender compassion (Luke 15:7) and is reluctant to leave them on their wicked paths (Ezekiel 18:23; 1 Timothy 2:4) but respects their choices.