Of David. A psalm.
The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of your enemies!” Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb.
The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high. (Psalm 110:1-7 NIV)
Do you know which verse from the Old Testament is quoted most often in the New Testament? I think you know that the Bible has two parts to it, right? The Old Testament was written before Jesus was born. The New Testament was written after Jesus was born. Often, the New Testament quotes the most important parts of the Old Testament to show how Jesus fulfilled God’s Word. So, do you know which verse from the Old Testament is quoted most often in the New Testament? It might surprise you. It’s this one: “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” That verse is quoted or referred to more than a dozen times in the New Testament. It must be an important verse from God’s Word!
But what does it mean? Listen again: “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” Those words were written by King David. David was the greatest king that the Israelites ever had. In this verse, David describes a conversation from the “LORD,” with all capital letters. That’s the Bible’s special name for God. God himself is talking. Yet, “the LORD says to my Lord.” God the LORD was talking to David’s Lord. Got it? No! Hold on… David was the greatest king. Other than God, who was David’s Lord? It’s kind of a head-scratcher. How did this verse end up being quoted so often in the New Testament?
Because it was Jesus’ favorite verse. During Holy Week, the Jewish leaders like the Pharisees asked Jesus a bunch of questions to try to trap him.Did it work?Of course not!So, Jesus finally turned to them and asked his own question: “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied.He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” ‘If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” No one could say a word in reply” (Matthew 22:42-46). Jesus used this verse to silence his enemies.
Here’s why: When King David said, “The LORD says to my Lord”, who is the “my Lord”? It’s the Messiah. It’s the Savior. It’s Jesus! David recognized something: One of his descendants, one of David’s sons, would also be David’s Lord. That’s strange. For moms and dads here today, how many of you call your son, “My lord”? None, I hope! But David recognized something: This future descendant—this future Son—wasn’t just going to be David’s Son. Whose Son was he going to be? God’s Son, equal to God himself. This little verse teaches something profound about Jesus. Jesus is David’s Son, but he’s greater than David, because Jesus is God himself.
Here’s what God the Father said to God the Son, even before Jesus was born: “The LORD says to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” Can you see why Jesus loved this verse? What does it say about Jesus? He’s King! Jesus is the King who sits on his throne at God’s right hand, and everyone and everything is his footstool. That’s the message of Ascension Day. That’s what Jesus went to heaven to do. Rule all things! Everything —absolutely everything—is under Jesus’ feet. Even great King David said, “He is my Lord!”
Do we? Do we go through life saying, “Jesus is my Lord!” I hope so. But I’m afraid we often forget that. We often forget that Jesus is our Lord. Some days, we think, “I’m king!,” don’t we? We selfishly focus our lives on getting our way. Does that ever happen to you? I bet it does. Who wants to be a footstool? I don’t! I want to be king! Don’t you? I even heard that in a sermon once. The pastor’s theme was: “God has put everything under your feet.” Not under Jesus’ feet. Under your feet! Isn’t that what we want to hear? “I don’t need a king. I’ve got one. Me!”
Except, on other days, we think, “No one’s king.” The chaos of our world fills us with despair and hopelessness and worry and anxiety. Don’t we bounce back and forth between these two sinful options? “I’m king. Life should go my way. I’ve got this under control.” To, “No one’s king. This is a disaster. No one is in control!” Back to, “I’m king. People should listen to me…” To, “What is going on? Everything is falling apart…” Do you notice how both sins go together? The more I proudly think I’m in control, the more anxious and fearful I am. Selfishness doesn’t lead to joy. It leads to worry and fear. You and I make pretty bad lords. Would you agree?
Then, don’t forget Ascension Day. Don’t forget the most quoted verse of the whole Old Testament: “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” Who really is King? Jesus. Who really is our Lord? Jesus. Everything is just a footstool for his feet. Do you hear of wars and rumors of wars? They are under Jesus’ feet. Jesus is my Lord! Is your heart filled with frustrations and fears? They are under Jesus’ feet. Jesus is my Lord! Are you plagued by sin and guilt? Even those sins are under Jesus’ feet. Jesus is my Lord! Life on earth often doesn’t make sense. The bad guys often seem to win. But you know the real story: Jesus won! Jesus came to earth to save us, and then he returned to heaven to rule for us. Who’s in charge? My Lord. Who’s in control? My Lord. Jesus is my Lord. Got it?
King David wrote some powerful phrases about his Lord—Jesus. “The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of your enemies!’” What does God the Father say to Jesus? Rule! “Rule in the midst of your enemies!” “The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.” What a King! After the election later this year, do you know who’s going to be Lord? Jesus. After all the wars shake out, do you know who’s going to be Lord? Jesus. No matter what happens in your life this week or this month or this year, do you know who’s going to be Lord? Jesus can’t lose. He crushes his enemies! Jesus is my Lord.
Except, is that a good thing? Is it really a good thing that Jesus is Lord? Is it really a good thing that Jesus is going to crush his enemies? At first, it sounds great, but then you start to think about it. Who are Jesus’ enemies? Wicked people. Evil people. Sinful people. Huh. Who is like that? All those bad people out there! Yes, that’s true. Who else is like that? You. Me. If the Lord Jesus is going to crush his enemies, who deserves to be crushed? Us. If the Lord Jesus is going to trample all who do evil, what do we deserve for our sins? To be trampled under his feet. Maybe this “Jesus is my Lord” thing isn’t so great after all. It’s scary! What will Lord Jesus do to us?
Except, we’re not done. There’s a second great prophecy about Jesus in this same psalm. It’s even more surprising than the first: “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’” Remember who is talking to whom in this psalm? God the Father is talking with Jesus before he was born on earth. The Father already told Jesus that he would put all his enemies under his feet. But the Father says something unexpected: “You are a priest forever.” Our Lord—Christ the King—isn’t just a King. He is a Priest.
In the Old Testament, do you know how many priests were kings? Just one: Melchizedek. Have you heard that name before? Way back in the days of Abraham, we hear about a mysterious man named Melchizedek who was both a “priest of God Most High” and the “king of Jerusalem” at the same time (Genesis 14:18). He’s the only one—the only person in the Bible to be a king and a priest at the same time. Until… Jesus. David’s future Son and Lord who would be God himself wouldn’t just over the whole universe, he would also be a Priest forever, like Melchizedek was.
Do you know why that’s such good news? Well, what does a priest do? Sacrifice. Sacrifice for sins. What did Jesus do? He sacrificed for our sins. What did he sacrifice? Himself. Once and for all on the cross. The One who rules all things as King is also the One who sacrificed himself for us. What a combination! If Jesus were only a King, he would terrify us. By nature, we are his enemies. How could we survive his rule? But Jesus isn’t only our King. He is also our great High Priest. As our high priest, he offered himself to pay for our sins. To forgive us. To save us!
Because our biggest problem isn’t really our enemies. You know that, right? Our biggest problem isn’t the government or a coworker or tornadoes… What is it? Our sins. So what did Jesus do? He took them away. And all this was written down in God’s Word long before Jesus was ever born. “The LORD says to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” … “You are a priest forever…” Can you see how important these verses are? Can you see why Christians latched on to them? Can you see why they are referred to more than any other verses in the Old Testament? Our Lord Jesus is our King and our Priest forever.
On Mother’s Day, I think the message of Ascension Day is just what moms need to hear. As I watch moms, it seems like moms—more than anyone else—feel responsible for everything. You feel like you’re the one who needs to make sure everything goes well. Is that true? Everything seems to come back to you, right? Life for a mom becomes this endless cycle of, “I need to… I need to… I need to…” So much pressure. So much responsibility. So you feel anxious. Worried. Does that describe you? Do you hear what Jesus is saying to you? “I am the King. You can let it all go. It’s in my hands. All of it! Actually, it’s under my feet. All of it!” You are not responsible for everything. Who is? Jesus. Don’t worry. It’s okay if you’re not in control. Trust in the Lord!
That goes for something else too: Guilt. Mom guilt is a real thing, isn’t it? As good of a mom as you’ve tried to be, you know that you haven’t been perfect. You see all the things you’ve missed. All the opportunities that are gone. All the things you could or should have said or done. And you feel guilty. Do you hear what Jesus is saying to you? “I am your Priest. I’ve forgiven you. In my eyes, you are perfect and holy and pure.” You don’t have to live with guilt. Jesus was perfect for you. Jesus takes what you do and makes it good. Do you see what Jesus’ ascension means?
All that is wrapped up in two words: “My Lord.” People debate what King David understood with those words. Did David really understand all that his Lord—his Son and Savior—would do? We can’t answer that for King David. But we can answer that for you and me. Who rules? My Lord. Who’s in control? My Lord. Who died for me? My Lord. Who forgave me? My Lord. Who loves me? My Lord. Jesus is my Lord. Can you say that with me? “Jesus is my Lord.” What a statement! So much is wrapped up in two words: “My Lord.” “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” King Jesus is my Lord!
(To listen to this sermon on my Upside-Down Savior podcast, please click HERE. To watch this sermon on my Upside-Down Savior YouTube channel, please click on the link below.)
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