Why Was Jesus Called The Son of David?
Jesus is a Man of many names. Aside from being the Son of God and the Son of Man, He is also called the "Son of David." Why is this so?
Power of names
Names are very powerful. The Bible gives us various examples of people whose names spoke a lot about them.
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For examples, we read in Genesis 3:20 that Adam called his wife "Eve" because she was the "mother of all the living." Rightly so, for all men are their descendants, being the first couple on earth. In Genesis 17:5, we find God changing Abram's name to "Abraham" because he will be the father of many nations, beginning with Isaac.
These examples simply show us that names represent the identity, character, and destiny of a person that carries them. First Samuel 25:25 tells us rightly,
"For as his name is, so is he."
It is from this background that we understand one important reason why Jesus was called the Son of David.
The Beloved Reigning King
Jesus' designation as the Son of David carries with it various meanings. For starters, that reference simply points out Jesus' very lineage: He was a descendant of King David (see Matthew 1:1-16). Christ Jesus had Israel's most-loved king as His human ancestor. Of course, being called the Son of David meant that.
Another reason why Jesus was called that way is because it's a title for the promised Messiah, the Righteous King who will rule over God's people in victory over the enemy. God promised David that the Messiah would be his Descendant:
"When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up after you an offspring from your body, and I will establish his rule. He will build a house for My name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me. When he goes astray, I will correct him with the rod of men and afflictions of the sons of men. My commitment will not abandon him, as I removed it from Saul, whom I deposed before you. Your house and dominion will endure before Me forever, and your throne will be established by the Lord forever." (2 Samuel 7:12-16)
From these we see that the Son of God and the Son of Man is also the Son of David.
Some more reasons
We also see certain similarities between the Lord Jesus and David. Here are some of them.
1) Jesus is after God's own heart
Like David, Jesus was bent on doing everything that pleased God. He is a Man after God's own heart, just like David was (see 1 Samuel 13:14).
2) He is the Shepherd of God's people
We read that before he became king, David was a mere shepherd boy who took care of his father's sheep (see 1 Samuel 16:11). Jesus Christ Himself is the Great Shepherd who takes care of His Father's sheep – us (see Hebrews 13:20; John 10:14). David rescued his sheep from the paws of the bear and from the jaws of the lion (see 1 Samuel 17:34-37). Jesus rescued us all from the paws of the devil and the jaws of sin (1 John 3:8; Colossians 1:13) and continues to Shepherd us.
