Was Jesus a king literally or spiritually?
“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.” – 2 Samuel 7:12
God promised that David would always have an heir on the throne (2 Samuel 7:12-13; Psalm 89:3-4; Isaiah 11:1). Imagine how shocking it would have been when the gospel writers applied this promise to a peasant carpenter.
The New Testament begins with Matthew listing David before Abraham, showing his importance as king of the Jews.
The Gentile Luke said that God would give Jesus the throne of David (Luke 1:32).
In Peter’s first sermon, he reminded the audience that Jesus was David’s heir (Acts 2:30).
The apostle Paul mentioned Jesus was David’s descendent in both the beginning of Romans (1:3-4) and in his last book written (2 Timothy 2:8).
John affirms Jesus as a descendant of David in the book of Revelation (5:5) and Jesus himself agreed (Revelation 22:16).
Yet, Jesus did not assert his kingship while on earth. The rightful heir to the throne would be anointed by God without ever asking to be and would be installed in God’s timing rather than through his own campaigning.
David was anointed king years before actually sitting on the throne. He was rejected and maligned, abused and attacked, until Saul’s self-destruction inaugurated David’s rule over Isreal.
So, too, for Jesus: suffering was the prelude to enthronement, because he did not assert his rule (Philippians 2:9-11).
