THE UNFOLDING DRAMA OF THE MESSIAH
ROMANS 1:2–7
The gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David … Jesus Christ our Lord
(Romans 1:2–4).
Paul was separated by God for a specific mission: to be an apostle—one commissioned to proclaim the gospel of God. And the first thing Paul tells us about this gospel which he is commissioned to teach is that it is not entirely new. There is a very real sense in which the gospel, in a brief and summary form, was preached by Adam, Abel, Abraham, Moses, and the prophets.
Jesus—the Messiah and Son of David
We find the focal point of that gospel spelled out in verse 3: God’s Son. Jesus is called the Son of God, the Christ, and our Lord. The most frequent title given to Him in the New Testament is the title Christos, or Christ, which means literally “Messiah.” Paul is saying that God spoke through His prophets about the coming of the Messiah and that He would be from the line of David. He would restore the fallen “booth” of David as the Prophet Amos declared (Amos 9:11), so it is important that the Messiah come as a direct descendant of David.
Jesus—Lord over all
Paul goes on to tell us that not only is Jesus the Christ and the direct descendant of David, but He is our Lord. The title Lord is of enormous significance because it is the title ascribed to God in the Old Testament. It is the title kurios which is the Greek form of the Hebrew adonai, meaning “the sovereign One, the One who reigns over us.”
There is a certain sense in which Jesus is the Son of David, that is, according to His human nature. But He is also “the only begotten Son of God, divine in nature. So the Apostle Paul is declaring something about Jesus that is expounded in the gospels, in John’s writings, and in the epistles—that Jesus is not a mere man. He is God in the flesh. He is “the sovereign One, the One who reigns over us.”
CORAM DEO
Consider the significance of Christ’s lordship over your life. In what areas do you resist the rule of God—for example in work responsibilities, service to others, family and personal ethics? Reaffirm your allegiance to Christ as King and renew your commitment to a life of obedience.
WEEKEND