You remember that the people and children called out to the Lord Jesus as He rode up the streets to the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”
The children who shouted those words, knew the meaning better than we: they had been told such a great King would come, and they knew the promises of Him in the writings God had given; and the words they said were from a psalm, which they sang as we do hymns: “Hosanna” meant, “Save, O Lord, we beseech.” Psalms 118:2525Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. (Psalm 118:25).
They knew David had been a great king of their nation, and that God had sent a prophet to tell him one from his family, called his “seed”, meaning heir or descendent, should be King forever (2 Sam. 7:12,16,1712And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. (2 Samuel 7:12)
16And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. 17According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David. (2 Samuel 7:16‑17)).
That was why the people called their great King to come, “Son of David”.
It was written this One should come a child (Isa. 9:66For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)), so when Jesus was born where David had lived, and his mother was of a family of the descennts of David, and the angel declared Him to be the chosen One, the “Christ” (Luke 2:1111For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)), those who knew the promise, believed the Holy One had come.
There were men who wanted to prove Him false, and He asked them of the promise to David, for them to think of what had been written. He said, “How say they that Christ (the King expected) is David’s son?”
“David therefore calleth Him Lord, how is He then his son?”
The men could not answer the question of Jesus; if they had read the scriptures with interest to learn, they would have known that David fully believed the promise that an heir of his should be King forever, but One far different from all others, that He would be holy and his Lord.
This teaches us all the greatness of the Lord Jesus, Whom we do not now speak often of as “Son of David”, but as our Lord and Saviour, because He is waiting for people to trust Him, and be saved from their sins. But it is good for us to know those promises which were fulfilled in Him, so we know that all will come true, and He will some day as surely rule; then all the earth Is give Him honor.
ML 12/16/1945