“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David…” (Matthew 1:1)
By explicitly stating that Jesus Christ is “the son of David”, Matthew claims that He is the legitimate heir of David’s throne. God had promised to David centuries before that “your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before Me. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16). In Matthew’s days, David’s house had lost its political power. Israel was oppressed by other nations. But people still had hope that one day the promised Messiah from David’s line would come to defeat Israel’s enemies, and to reign in Jerusalem. And Jesus did indeed come, and He is the Heir to David’s throne. But His kingdom is very different from what the people expected. It is not political, but primarily spiritual. As Jesus explained: “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).
Jesus is Lord, and His Kingdom is real. “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” (Philippians 2:9). Do you honor and obey Jesus as your King?