Listen:  140.2

The answer to your question is a definite “YES,” for Jesus was born a Jew and when He returns to earth to set up His kingdom He will take the throne as a Jew, as the “son of David.” You may recall that shortly after God anointed David to be the King of Israel, He made a covenant with him in which He promised David a kingdom that would last forever. Let’s read 2 Samuel 7:12-13, “And when thy days are fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” In this covenant, David was promised a son who would build God’s temple and that this son’s throne would be established forever. This was partially fulfilled in David’s son, Solomon. But the Lord went on to say in verses 16-17, “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever.” This promise went beyond Solomon and would include all of David’s descendants that sat upon his throne, but it would find its final fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

When Jesus Christ was born he was called the “son of David.” Matthew 1:1 starts out with these marvelous words “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David…” During the Lord’s earthly ministry he was often referred to as the “son of David” by those who had faith to recognize Him as the promised King of Israel. One such example is found in Matthew 9:27 which reads, “And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.” Even the enemies of Jesus Christ realized that the Messiah of Israel would be the “son of David.” Consider the following exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees in Matthew 22:41-46, “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.” The Pharisees were well-versed in the Old Testament and knew that the prophets had predicted their Messiah would come from the line of David. What they didn’t know was that the Christ would also be the Lord of glory. The Lord masterfully quoted Psalm 110:1 where David, by faith, acknowledged that his son was also his Lord. As GOD he was David’s Lord; as MAN he was David’s son. This wonderful truth that the son of David would be both God and man is seen clearly in Romans 1:3, “Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.” In Romans 9:4-5 the apostle Paul, in speaking of the blessings of the Jews, declared the same truth, “Who are Israelites…and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.”

After Jesus died and rose again He took His place at the right hand of God, as we just saw from Psalm 110:1. Soon He will rise from His Father’s throne, subdue His enemies, and take His rightful place on His own throne. Matthew 25:31 speaks of this glorious event, “When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.”  The promise to David will be realized! The long-awaited kingdom will be established! The Messiah will sit on His throne and rule forever! Psalm 72:8 says, “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” He is still Jewish and will reign over Israel as the “son of David,” but His dominion will extend “from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth” and thus He will reign over all men. His name will still be Jesus, for Philippians 2:10-11 assures us “That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow…and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” When He walked this earth He was the lowly Jew from Nazareth who was, according to Isaiah 53:3, “…despised and rejected of men.” But when He assumes “the throne of His glory,” He will finally receive the universal homage and praise that He so richly deserves!  (140.2)  (DO)