The Son of David -- WAS He... or IS He...?

Have you believed Jesus *WAS* perhaps a powerful man and a wise man; perhaps even a Godly man protected by God? Are all of your thoughts about Jesus regarding what Jesus *WAS* in the flesh, or *WAS* in the past?   Or, do you consider and believe what Jesus *IS*, right now? *WAS* He a good guy, or *IS* He at the right hand of God? That's a major difference, really. Do you believe Jesus *WAS* many things... or do you believe He *IS* many things?  Did God raise Him from the dead; if so, where did He go? Did Jesus speak some good things then, back when He was alive, or is He speaking in the present while being alive right now?  What do you believe about Jesus being the "Son of David"?

If you read though the Gospels you will notice that Jesus is sometimes referred to as the son of David (Matthew 9:27-31, for example). Both Matthew and Luke give us the genealogy of Jesus (Luke 3:23–38 and Matthew 1:1–17) showing us that He is a direct descendant of David. It was understood by the Jews and should be understood by us that the Messiah would be a descendant of David. Jesus is called the son of David because He was a descendant of David. But David would have had many descendants, Jesus just being one of them.

Being a descendant of David alone did not make you The Son of David, of course.  What did it really take to be the Son of David?  It was being the Son of God, as Jesus claimed to be.  The blind Pharisees were looking for man... a man's man (not a Godman), descended from David and raised up by God to be given special protection by God; perhaps much like David, conquering armies, ruling, and reigning. Someone who, coming from the righteous bloodline of most Jewish of Jews, would establish them as a powerful rule on Earth. But, they were missing a huge part of the puzzle. Is that what it meant to be the Son of David? Jesus says otherwise. Jesus says it's much deeper than that... and much more spiritual, powerful, and eternal. Here is a discussion between Jesus and some Pharisees regarding this.

Matthew 22:41-44

⁴¹ While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴² “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
“The son of David,” they replied.

⁴³ He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

⁴⁴ “‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet.”’

⁴⁵ If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”

⁴⁶ No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Who is Jesus to you? Jesus asks how can the Messiah be merely David's son, if David calls Him Lord? These Pharisees were still just looking at the physical; looking for a strong man descended from king David, who could lead them into battle and conquer the nations of this world--as in days of old. Jesus points out that the Son of David must be more than this--much more--because David calls Him, the Messiah, "Lord". How can a person, who comes after David, be called Lord by David? That is of course, unless this Messiah was before David and above David. The Messiah Who comes after David as "The Son of David" must actually be *before David*.  That's what Jesus is saying here.

Jesus is pointing out here that there is more going on than just being related as a blood descendant of David; something they had not or would not consider.  God was doing something new that had never been done before.  The Messiah would be much more than a man of flesh and blood, or even a prophet. The Messiah would supersede time and authority in any normal way of decent they thought of or had seen previously.  He would not just be a man... but much more.  David called Him Lord... and this perplexed those whose minds were not actually tuned in to the spiritual truth God's Word reveals.  God in the flesh would come, bear our burdens and take away our sins.

Isaiah 29:13-19

¹³ Therefore the Lord said:

“Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths
And honor Me with their lips,
But have removed their hearts far from Me,
And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
¹⁴ Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work
Among this people,
A marvelous work and a wonder;
For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.”

¹⁵ Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord,
And their works are in the dark;
They say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?”
¹⁶ Surely you have things turned around!
Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay;
For shall the thing made say of him who made it,
“He did not make me”?
Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it,
“He has no understanding”?

¹⁷ Is it not yet a very little while
Till Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field,
And the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest?
¹⁸ In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book,
And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.
¹⁹ The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord,
And the poor among men shall rejoice
In the Holy One of Israel.

 

Acts 2:29-39

²⁹ “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,  ³¹ he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. ³² This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. ³³ Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

³⁴ “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
³⁵ Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’

³⁶ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
³⁸ Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

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If Jesus was just a good guy, descended from a king who once was, but is no more... then we are without Hope. He is dead, and gone.  Let us move on, to the next man or woman who can provide us with the words that move us for today.  On the other hand, if Jesus right now IS and WAS and IS TO COME, then that's an entirely different Son of David.  The Words He spoke are eternal, they are THE Words of Life, and they are good for every day past, present, and future.