Son of David | Carolyn E. Jacobs

King David had a lot of sons. A LOT of sons if you consider that, in Hebrew, all his male descendants were simply his “sons.” But referring to someone as “son of David” had special significance. He was the heir to David’s throne.

King David wanted to build a temple for Yahweh, but the prophet Nathan had some bad news. God wouldn’t allow David to build it. However, his son Solomon would. In that passage, things take an unexpected turn.

“Moreover, I tell you that the LORD will build a house for you. When your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up one of your descendants after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My lovingkindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.”

– 1 Chronicles 17:10ff-14

We’re not talking about Solomon anymore, are we?

This Son of David is the Son of God. Yahweh would be the Father of the Son of David and establish His throne forever.

This Son of David has Yahweh for His Father.

Let that sink in.

A dozen times in the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, all acknowledged him as the son of David, the rightful heir to David’s throne. All means all–Jesus’s followers, those who sought miracles from Him, the crowds who came to hear Him, and even His enemies–the chief priests, scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees.

King Jehoiachin, taken into captivity in Babylon in 597 BC, was the last rightful king of Israel to sit on the throne. For six centuries, Israel had not governed themselves. But the Jews also knew a Branch would spring from the root of Jesse.

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,

And a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.

2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him,

The spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The spirit of counsel and strength,

The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

3 And He will delight in the fear of the LORD,

And He will not judge by what His eyes see,

Nor make decisions by what His ears hear;

4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor,

And decide with fairness for the humble of the earth;

And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,

And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.

5 Also righteousness will be the belt around His hips,

And faithfulness the belt around His waist. – Isaiah 11:1-5

From Scripture, they knew that the Messiah would be the Son of David. He would rule His People. From Daniel, they knew the timing was right. They were looking for His appearing. But Jesus wasn’t what the religious leaders or the zealots expected – at all!

They weren’t expecting the Son of David to be the Son of God. The leaders sought an earthly kingdom, but Jesus established an eternal one.