2 Thess 2, The King Who Gave Himself to His Enemies.Thursday August 17, 2023
Neither the King nor the kingdom were in any way defeated by their rejection. Their realization on earth were only postponed to a second advent of Christ.
Mat 21:43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.”
The owner of the vineyard sent His beloved Son to the vine-growers and they killed Him. Still, Israel will receive the fulfillment of God’s covenants – after a 7 year Tribulation.
While we live in the times of the Gentiles, as believers, it is for us to know and love and worship our King, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to become like Him in every aspect of life.
The leaders plotted to trap Jesus in His words. It backfired. Then He became the questioner.
He gets right to the point – the essence of the true King, the Messiah, whom He was now publicly claiming to be.
Mat 22:41-42 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: 42 "What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?" They said to Him, "The son of David."
Without hesitation they reply, “The son of David.”
Jer 23:5 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land.”
Then Jesus refers to Psa 110.
Mat 22:43-45 He said to them, "Then how does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying,
44 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET"'?
45 "If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his son?"
“Whose son is He?” Is He the Son of David, or is He the Son of God?
David’s Son and David’s Lord = Son of David, Son of God.
If David calls Him lord, He is clearly the Son of someone far superior to David.
The first “Lord” is Yahweh. Who is the second “Lord?” He sits at the right hand of YHWH.
The Son of David would have to be more than mere mortal.
And also, we see that there is something very wrong with the world, with mankind. Why does the Son of David, Son of God have enemies? Why does He have to claim victory over them?
This passage is about who He is (2 natures) and also about His victory over His enemies.
Peter would reveal to them at Pentecost that for Jesus to sit at the right hand of the Father, He would have to be resurrected bodily.
It would not be a spirit of Christ that sat on the throne of heaven, but a real man who was God.
Act 2:34-36 "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:
'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, 35 UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."'
36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified."
“Both Lord and Christ – this Jesus” = the eternal Son of God, the Messiah (anointed Savior), and Son of David.
The Scriptures represent Christ as eternally the Son of God by eternal generation (paradoxical terms). Unique to Him are the concepts of eternal sonship and generation. The Father and Son are words that describe their eternal relationship.
Father and Son Joh 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,”
Gal 4:4 God sent forth His Son, born of a woman
Heb 10:5 A body You have prepared for Me.
This important relationship would manifest a plan of redemption that would hinge on the free-will decision of man to accept or deny the Son. And He who denies the Son denies the Father.
1Jo 2:18-24 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
There are many who deny the true identity of the Son. They are rulers and they are the common people.
Isa 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
He alone is the hero, the judge, the champion giant-killer, the only one to fight and beat death, hell and the devils, and at last, one day He will come to lay claim to all who are His.
Psa 110 shows us two persons in one. The suffering Savior and the conquering Savior.
Psa 22:1-2 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. 2 O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest.
In the eternal decree of God, the Son was meant to be King, Savior, and Judge.
Psa 2 Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!"
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, 6 "But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain."
7 "I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. 9 'You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.'"
10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. 11 Worship the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling. 12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!
What is prophesied is the victory through the Son.
He wasn’t born of the virgin to become the Son of God, but was born into this world because He was the Son of God.
But what lies ahead of the Son of God and Son of David from Mat 22, is not a triumphant reign over God’s people but rejection by them, not a royal throne but a humiliating execution.
Jesus would allow Himself to be crucified, offering up Himself as our High Priest. He is fully human. He is David’s Son and so heir to the throne.
To His true interpretation to Psa 110, no one was able to answer Him.
Mat 22:46 No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.
Thus our Lord laid clearly before the rulers of Israel His claim of Messianic Deity, for which He would be put to death.
Mat 26:59-68 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. 60 They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, 61 and said, "This man stated, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.'" 62 The high priest stood up and said to Him, "Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?" 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God." 64 Jesus said to him, "You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."
65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; 66 what do you think?" They answered, "He deserves death!"
67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, 68 and said, "Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?"
Love your King. Worship Him.
What is your relationship to the kingdom of this world in light of Him?
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