Journeys of a Former Firebrand

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Psalm 110:1 (NASB 95): 1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

Have you ever competed at work for a job promotion? I have to confess, since I’m a pastor, it’s been a while since I’ve had to do that. In fact, I haven’t had to do anything like that since before I was in college. That was about twenty-five years ago!

Other than the obvious fact that I’m…um…old…I remember the stress of hoping for a promotion and a raise at work. I remember the hard work that went into achieving that accomplishment and how refreshing it was actually accomplishing it.

Well, what we have before us today is, indeed, the greatest work related accomplishment in the universe. Of course, even though this is the Old Testament, this speaks of Christ in a very special way.

Christ Himself used this as a proof of His divinity, and that is certainly a very important point. But I’d like to look at it in a little deeper way — as the greatest promotion ever given, and how all this fits into the concept of Christ’s divinity and humanity.

1. A descendent of David would get a massive promotion.

I’ve always wondered what David was thinking when he wrote things like this. I’ve wondered if he had any clue that the Holy Spirit used these opportunities and him to bring those of David’s time and ours, the inspired word of God.

Whatever the case, it’s clear that’s what this is. What’s even clearer is that this verse speaks of the Messiah. We know that because Christ applied it to Himself in Matthew 22:44 as he vocally sparred with His “favorite” group of people, the religious leaders. Needless to say, Christ’s biggest critics weren’t impressed.

The point to the verse above and how Christ applied it is simply this: the Messiah would not only be God’s rep but would also rule with full authority from God. The right hand is the place of authority, and even the rabbis believed that the Messiah would reign with authority from God Himself.

The Messiah would get a job upgrade from the greatest boss in the universe.

2. That massive promotion would seat the Messiah right next to God.

Yet there’s a deeper understanding here. Rabbinical teaching explained that the Messiah would be the son of David. In other words, he would be a man. The biggest problem is this verse clearly explains that the Messiah would also reign in the place of God. In other words, the Messiah would be God.

No one sits on the throne of heaven other than God. This person Psalm 110 speaks of sits right next to God. Yet the religious leaders and teachers throughout Israel’s history saw the Messiah as a man from the lineage of David.

They didn’t even try to resolve it. They just went on with life as if this paradox didn’t exist!

When Jesus, the real-deal Messiah, came knocking, He challenged them on this with this verse. They had no answer.

3. That massive promotion was simply a matter of semantics.

Don’t let your head swoon over the term “semantics.” All I mean by that is that this promotion given to Jesus, the Messiah, wasn’t just something that belonged to Him but was something He earned.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That means He is the eternal Son from before the world began. As John states in chapter one verse three of his gospel, “He made all things.” That means Christ isn’t a created being otherwise he couldn’t have “made all things.”

This all leads to one conclusion: Christ deserved to rule in heaven.

Yet we’re told Jesus would receive a promotion. Does this means Jesus isn’t the eternal Son? If this were simply an upgrade from an inferior position, how could Jesus be the eternal Son?

The answer is simple. Jesus is the perfect combination of the line of David, making Him David’s son, with that of the divine essence, the second Person of the Godhead, the eternal Son. It could be said that Jesus is both the son of David and the Son of God.

That means the God-Man Jesus Christ would take His rightful seat beside God on the throne as the eternal Son but would also take His seat at the right hand of the Father for the first time as the son of David. The name that is above every other name is no longer just the eternal Son. Now it’s Jesus, the God-Man. 100% God and 100% man.

And that God man gave us a bit of a promotion as well when He died on a cross, giving us His righteousness and declaring us holy through His name if we trust in Him. I hope you trust in Him. It’s the most important decision you will ever make.