Would anybody like to discuss the Bible?
Mathew 1:1 says, This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
It goes on to connect multiple generations of Abraham and David to Christ. But a question might be asked… Is there a deeper meaning behind why Christ is called the Son of David? Is there more significance to the phrase than what we commonly acknowledge?
The obvious reason why we connect Christ with David is because God promised David that one of his descendants would establish a Kingdom forever. As the follow passage says.
2 Samuel 7: 12-17
12 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me[a]; your throne will be established forever.’”
Now if we look at the Old Testament stories and prophecies we can find all kinds of parallels between them and the coming of Christ.
Notice how Mathew calls Christ the Son of Abraham in Mathew 1:1. Is this just to have a family connection? Or is there more to it?
Abraham and his wife Sarah had what many would call an impossible birth. God gave them a child in their old age, and he was called Isaac. And when the child came to be a certain age, God told Abraham to sacrifice him. And then stopped the sacrifice just before Abraham went through with it.
Why? Any of it? Why is it significant? Christ, born from an impossible birth. Sacrificed by his Father. That is a parallel.
Was God perhaps doing more than testing Abraham through this. Was this event prophetic too? God often uses the lives of people to symbolise something else. A message to Israel, a prophecy… There is meaning everywhere.
And… This is the real discussion… Is Christ called the Son of David for a similar reason?
Did you know that David had a son named Absalom? Spoilers- He kills his half brother, who raped his sister. And then plots to take over the Kingdom from David. And right off the bat you are probably thinking this guy’s life has nothing to do with Jesus…
But it does…
No, you might counter. Solomon was the son that succeeds David. Solomon was a Great and Wise King… Solomon is mentioned in Mathew’s lineage for Christ… All true.
But… Do you know the story of Absalom?
It is a story about reconcilliation between a father and a son.
It is a story about a Father trying to save his son from sin and death.
It is a story about a son who rides a mule to his place of death, where he dies hanging from a tree, pierced by a spear.
The whole story is covered in 2 Samuel Chapters 13-18. If you would like to discuss the topic with us please read the chapters.
David was a man after God’s own heart…
What does this story tell us about God, if anything?
Why is this story important enough that Christ’s death parallels it? Or is it a coincidence?
Does the phrase “Son of David” allude to Absalom?