Hosanna To The Son Of David!

Feature 1 – September 2023 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Hosanna To The Son Of David!

Picture the Lord Jesus and His disciples on the Mount of Olives, a mountain ridge just east of the city of Jerusalem. He had sent two disciples to get a donkey’s colt from a nearby village, and now, surrounded by a great crowd, He slowly rode that colt down toward the city. Suddenly one person called out, “Hosanna!” Another responded, “Hosanna!” – and then another, and soon the entire multitude was shouting for joy: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the L ORD ! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mt. 21:9 NKJV ).

What a scene that must have been! Perhaps we can hear, in a sense, the echoing sound as the multitude rejoiced because of the wonderful works they had seen (Lk. 19:37)! Yet those events also stirred up questions in Jerusalem, where many observed what was happening and wondered, “Who is this?” (Mt. 21:10).

It is thrilling to read about the overflowing emotion of the crowd on that occasion (commonly called “Palm Sunday”). Yet, perhaps, we have the same questions: Who is this? What does it mean that “Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth” (v.11) is also the Son of David? It turns out that this is a most important question. Indeed, as we ask the question, “Who is this Son of David?” we will find many reasons to praise the Lord ourselves.

History
The phrase “son of David” occurs in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament it always refers to Solomon or one of the other natural sons of King David. By the New Testament era the term took on a much different meaning. For example, in Mark 12:35 the Lord Jesus said, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?” This shows that the scribes, who were educated in the Jewish law and Scriptures, equated the title “Son of David” with the Christ, the Messiah. They did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but their understanding of the term was nevertheless important. The parallel passage in Matthew 22 shows the Pharisees accepted this teaching as well. As He spoke to them, the Lord asked, “‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?’ They said to Him, ‘The Son of David’” (v.42).

As mentioned earlier, there are no references in the Old Testament which call the Messiah the “Son of David” in those exact words. Therefore, a Bible reader might ask, “Where did the scribes and Pharisees get that thought?” The answer is: God gave a very rich supply of promises which connected the Messiah’s lineage with the house of David. A passage in 2 Samuel 7 is an excellent starting point for this declaration. There, God promised that David’s son would be the one to build the temple. This was a reference to Solomon; but God added, “I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (v.13), which implies a King much greater than Solomon was also in view.

Other prophetic references amplified this understanding. In Psalm 132 God affirmed His promise to David: “I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body … their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore” (vv.11-12). A few verses later we read that the “horn of David” would grow and the Anointed One, the Messiah, would “flourish” (vv.17-18).

In Isaiah 9 the coming one would be called “Mighty God” and would sit “upon the throne of David” (vv.6-7). God promised in Isaiah 11 that a Branch would grow from the roots of Jesse, David’s father. Then in Jeremiah 23 God declared He would “raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper” (v.5). God confirmed this “Branch of righteousness” would bring the certainty that “David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel” (33:15,17).

These and other prophetic references show God always had in view a continuation of David’s throne, not merely in a human way but in a messianic sense. The great King yet to come, God’s Anointed, would finally rule in righteousness and restore the nation’s relationship with God. Moreover, that King would be from the offspring of David. It is not difficult to see then why the scribes and Pharisees understood the title “Son of David” to be a messianic term.1

Arrival
For the Jewish nation, though, it was one thing to believe that Christ, the Son of David, would one day come, and it was another thing to recognize Him when He arrived! However, the followers of the Lord Jesus saw and believed the truth about Him. He was indeed that promised Messiah, the royal Ruler who by right would sit on David’s throne.

In the New Testament the term “Son of David” is found exclusively in the Gospels. It is used 14 times – double perfection! – in reference to the Lord Jesus.2k Remember, in the Bible the number seven speaks of perfection or completeness. While all three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) refer to Him as “Son of David,” this royal perspective is especially the theme of Matthew. There the Lord is introduced in the very first verse as “Jesus Christ, the Son of David.” We might remember that Matthew had once worked for the Roman government as a tax collector; but then, when the Lord walked past his tax table and said, “Follow Me,” Matthew “left all, rose up, and followed Him” (Mt. 9:9; Lk. 5:27-28). Matthew came to know a Master who possessed greater authority than that of Caesar. It is therefore very fitting that Matthew is the one whom the Holy Spirit used to write the gospel of the King, the Son of David.

Matthew records seven different occasions when the people considered whether Jesus was in fact the Son of David. The first two are in relation to His miraculous acts of power. In Matthew 9 two blind men sought Him for mercy and healing, calling upon Him as the “Son of David” (v.27). Matthew 12 tells about how He healed a man who was blind, mute and demon-possessed. The crowds asked, “Could this be the Son of David?” (v.23). They knew that the coming Son of David would be the Messiah and that He would perform acts of power and deliverance (compare Isa. 29:18-19, 35:4-5, 61:1). Matthew’s gospel shows that the people detected these evidences of God’s royal presence and authority among them.

Very significantly, Matthew 12 is also the chapter in which the leaders of the people rejected that authority. When the Pharisees heard the multitudes speak that way, they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons” (v.24). It was a terrible moment in the nation’s history. First, their statement is full of contempt. The word “fellow” is printed in italics in the New King James Version, showing that the Pharisees did not say that word. They simply called Jesus “this one” in an attempt to belittle Him and detract from any thought of His authority.

Further, although the miracle of healing could not be denied, the Pharisees attributed it to Satan’s power. Not only was their claim completely illogical, as the Lord explained (vv.25-27), but in making such a statement they brought their own condemnation upon themselves. They had rejected the work of God and blasphemed against the Holy Spirit (vv.28-32). From that time on, only His true followers would be considered His brethren (vv.46-50).

The next use of the term “Son of David” is in Matthew 15. There a Gentile woman called upon Him because her daughter needed deliverance from a demon. However, that title does not belong to the Gentiles. As Son of David, the Lord Jesus is King of the Jews,3 not the Gentiles, and therefore He did not answer her at first. Nevertheless, when the woman worshiped Him simply as Lord, He responded in mercy, healed the daughter and commended the mother’s great faith (vv.21-28).

Further Testimony
Matthew’s four other references to Christ as the Son of David are clustered together near the end of the Lord’s life. As He went toward Jerusalem, two blind men repeatedly cried out to Him, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” (20:31). It’s interesting that this account is the Lord’s third healing of blind men in His character as Son of David (note Mt. 9, 12, 21:14).

Another intriguing point as to this instance is that in Mark and Luke, only one blind person is mentioned: the man Bartimaeus (Mk. 10:47; Lk.18:39). This is no contradiction with Matthew’s account of two blind men. It is possible Bartimaeus would have been more well-known to the readers of Mark and Luke, so they focused on him even though a second blind man was healed as well. Or, perhaps the Holy Spirit led Matthew to include both men because of the gospel’s emphasis on a Jewish audience, since according to the law of Moses there should always be two or three witnesses, not just one (Dt. 19:15).4 Whatever the reason, we can be sure that the Spirit of God has recorded the truth in all cases.

Then we come to the Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, considered earlier (Mt. 21:9). What a grand scene it was when the crowds called to Him, “Hosanna!” meaning, “Save us now!” Indeed, He was there to save them – although it would be by the means of the cross and not by imposing His royal authority at that time. Yet, it was appropriate for the people to give Him such acclaim. Luke’s gospel tells us the Pharisees objected to the Lord even accepting that kingly title. “Rebuke Your disciples!” they demanded; but He replied that even “the stones” would have called out if the people had been silent (19:39-40).

Matthew then records a uniquely tender moment. Soon after entering Jerusalem, the Lord cleansed the temple by driving out the merchants and money changers. There, the blind and the lame came to be healed by Him, and the children surrounded Him, calling out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (21:15). What an attractive temple scene! The Lord in His authority had driven out all that was unclean, but He mercifully received those who may have seemed weak and insignificant. Again the powerful and influential leaders of the nation rejected His authority, for the priests and scribes were indignant when they heard the term “Son of David” applied to Jesus; yet He confirmed that these little ones were offering perfect praise (vv.15-16).

We come to a final confrontation with the Jewish leaders in Matthew 22. A day or two after the events of the previous chapter, the Lord returned to the temple and asked the Pharisees a question: “‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?’ They said to Him, ‘The Son of David’” (v.42). Their reply was correct as far as it went. Even though they did not believe Jesus was the Christ, they acknowledged that the Messiah would be called David’s Son. However, their interpretation was incomplete, and the Lord Jesus forced them to reconsider it. He pointed out that, in Psalm 110:1, David called the Messiah “my Lord.” Then He pressed the point home: “If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” (v.45). This is in keeping with the prophecy of Isaiah 11, where the Messiah was not only the Branch of Jesse but also the Root of Jesse (vv.1,10). The Son of David is also the glorious Lord and Master!

It is striking that the Lord Jesus waited until this point in His ministry to ask the Pharisees this question. Also, it was the last time His title as Son of David would be presented during His earthly life, and by that point they could have considered many testimonies of His royal claims. The Pharisees had every reason to recognize the truth of who He was. However, they turned His true claim into a false accusation against Him, telling the Roman governor that He was a threat to Caesar (Lk. 23:2). This was pure envy on their part (Mt. 27:18), for those leaders cared only about their place and nation (Jn. 11:48). Their rejection displays the only possible outcome when people close their eyes to the glory and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, His glory shines even when it is rejected!

Our Present Opportunity
Believers today have been joined together from every nation, and therefore our relationship with the Lord does not rest upon His role as the Son of David over the house of Israel. However, we can still appreciate that aspect of His glory. In the final chapter of Revelation the Lord Jesus declared, “I am the Root and the Offspring of David” (22:16). Remember, Isaiah’s prophecy described Him first as the Branch and then the Root (Isa. 11:1,10), but for us in the New Testament era, He is first presented as the Root. He is indeed before all things.

Like the Pharisees, those who seek power and influence in this world will still turn aside from Christ’s rule in their hearts. May our example instead be that of Matthew: Let us abandon every lesser authority, yield our allegiance to Christ and follow Him.

ENDNOTES
1. Some historical writings outside of the Bible also show the development of Jewish thought on this subject. For example, there is an ancient book of poetry called the “Psalms Of Solomon,” believed by scholars to have been composed in the mid-1st century B.C. by one or more God-fearing Jewish authors. One of those poems contains a reference to the coming King who would reign over Israel, calling that ruler “the son of David” as well as “the Messiah.” While not a divinely-inspired text, this reference shows that the term “son of David” was specifically used as a messianic title even before the New Testament era. [Source: The Psalms Of Solomon. See also “The Expectation Of The Future In The Psalms Of Solomon,” by M. de Jonge (1989)]
2. In addition to the 14 verses about Christ as Son of David, two other references can be found: one regarding Joseph, the husband of Mary (Mt. 1:20); and another regarding Nathan, one of the natural sons of King David (Lk. 3:31).
3. The term “King of the Jews” also has special significance in Matthew’s gospel. Although all four gospels mention that title in connection with the Lord’s trial and crucifixion, only Matthew introduces the phrase “King of the Jews” from the beginning of His life on earth (Mt. 2:2).
4. This may also be the reason why Matthew presents two demon-possessed men who lived in tombs near the Sea of Galilee, whereas Mark and Luke only mention one (Mt. 8:28; Mk.5:2; Lk. 8:27).

By Stephen Campbell