Jesus; Our Glorious King and Priest
Psalm 110:1-7
April 27-28, 2024
Psalm 110, one of David's psalms, it tells us very clearly that David wrote this psalm. Most biblical scholars consider this psalm to be the crowning glory of all the psalms. I know, I've been saying there's a lot of great psalms, but this one is the crowning glory of the psalms. Without question, this psalm is the most quoted of all the psalms in the New Testament. It touches on the greatest depths of spiritual meaning. It is the deep end of the Psalms. It goes into a great depth of spiritual meaning, yet it reaches to the greatest heights of majesty and glory.
Jesus Himself quoted this psalm and powerfully demonstrated that this psalm was all about Him. Now, that in and of itself makes it the crowning glory of the psalms. The early church, this was like a foundation stone of their understanding to proclaim that Jesus is our glorious king and priest. Which was very interesting, and many people don't consider that aspect. Of course, we know Jesus is proclaimed as the great king. The Scripture in Psalm 110 and many other places describe amazingly that a great king will arise.
It speaks prophetically of the latter days. That a great king will arise, return of that great king to rule and reign over the nations of the world and to set right all that is wrong in this world. To which we would say, "Oh Lord Jesus come quickly, because this is a messed up world." It describes that coming king and messiah, who would not only be a great king, but a high priest. Again, this is a very important and interesting understanding. Now, in the history of Israel, in the times of kings and priests, no one person could hold both office of priest and king. Because priests came from the tribe of Levi, and kings came from the tribe of Judah and so, no one person could be both king and priest.
Yet, here it describes Jesus as both king and priest. In what aspect is He a priest? First, it tells us that He is a priest, not according to that of Levi but that He is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek, which itself is a great and deep understanding but in what way is He a priest? What did priests do? Priests would offer sacrifices for sin and atonement and they would be that which would intercede between God and men. Jesus did the same. Jesus offered a sacrifice for sin, for transgressions, for iniquities. He was the intercession between man and God but He did not offer the blood of bulls and goats. He offered Himself and He was the great king who was also the great high priest.
Here it is. It speaks of a king so great that David himself calls Him, My Lord. Who is this great king that David would call Him, My Lord? The one who sits at the right hand of the throne of the Almighty. It is really an amazing, deep, glorious psalm. It is the deepest of the Psalms. Interestingly, if Psalm 110 is the deep end of the Old Testament and the deep end of the Psalms, then Hebrews is the deep end of the New Testament. You got to know, Hebrews is amazing. Romans, Hebrews, the deepest of the books but I submit to you that Psalm 110 is the main theme that runs through the book of Hebrews. It is such a great and deep understanding.
I. David’s Lord Sits at the Right Hand of the Almighty
Let's read it. Psalm 110. Psalm of David. We begin in verse 1. "Thou, Lord, says to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." Now here, again, we want to understand the Hebrew a bit because that is very important. Whenever you see the word, Lord, in all caps, it is the name of God. Very important here. God has a personal name. Yahweh, Yehovah, Jehovah. However, you say. It is that name, personal name of God. God has a name. We can refer to Him as God or Lord or Almighty but He has a name. Like you have a name. You have a personal name. I have a personal name.
My name is Richard. Don't call me that. That's what my mother called me when I was in trouble but God also has a personal name. David refers to Him by person. Yahweh says to my Adonai, David has a Lord. David was the great king but he says prophetically, by the Spirit, "Yahweh the Almighty says to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. And Yahweh will stretch forth my Lord, your strong scepter from Zion, saying, rule in the midst of your enemies. And your people, O my Lord, will volunteer freely in the day of your power in holy array from the womb of the dawn or from the birth of the dawn, and your youth are to you like the dew of the morning."
Oh, that is a glorious verse. Then he says, "And Yahweh the Lord has sworn and will not change His mind that you," David says, "My Lord, you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. And the Lord is at your right hand and He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath and He will judge among the nations and He will fill them with corpses and He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. And then He will drink of the brook by the wayside and therefore He will lift up His head." Seven verses of a glorious, depth-filled, splendor-filled psalm.
Much for us to take hold of and apply to our lives starting with this. That David's Lord, we must see that David's Lord sits at the right hand of the Almighty. "Yahweh says to my Adonai, Sit at my right hand." Now, David calls Him Lord. Who is David speaking of? In Matthew 22, this comes into the story. Matthew 22, the Jewish leaders were plotting together how they might trap Jesus in what He said. They were wanting to lay traps. They challenged Jesus with difficult, deep conundrums hoping that they could trap Him, in His own words. That somehow He would accuse Himself by falling into their trap.
Question upon question, they pressed Jesus but answer after answer, He answered profoundly. Then when that was finished, He said, "Now it's my turn. I have a question for you," and there Psalm 110 comes to bear. Let's see the story. Matthew 22:16-17, it says, "The Pharisees sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, 'Now teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth and defer to no one, for you are not partial to any.'" That is what you call the setup. They're setting Him up.
We know you're truthful. We know you teach the way of God in truth, and that you defer to no one, and that you are not partial to any, so, tell us, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay tax to Caesar or not? They did it. They got Him. No matter what He says, they got Him. If He says, "Yes, it's lawful to pay tax," all the people hated the Roman tax and they would have been against Jesus but if He says, "No," the Herodians would have turned Him in and the Romans would have ended this whole thing. They got Him.
They are so good. They are so clever. They got Him. If He says, yes, He's done. If He says, no, He's done. They got Him but Jesus, perceiving their malice, said, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used to pay this tax." They brought Him a denarius. He said, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said, "Caesar's." Matthew 22:21. He said to them, "Then render unto Caesar the things which were Caesar's, and render unto God the things that are God's." And upon hearing this, they were amazed." Then the Sadducees decided their turn had come. The Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection challenged Jesus with a question, a conundrum regarding the resurrection that they hoped that Jesus would be caught in this conundrum of a question and that Jesus would be made foolish. Jesus answered their question profoundly and then answered, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures nor do you know the power of God.
Then the Pharisees decided it was their turn. The Pharisees were constantly debating about which of the Jewish laws were weightier and heavier than others. There were 100s and 100s of Jewish laws and they were debating, great divisions of debate between them about which law was weightier and heavier than the other one. They debated endlessly over this. They said, "Now teacher, which one is the greatest of all the laws?" Jesus amazed the crowds again when He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. And the second one is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
All other laws rest on these two commandments." Again, the crowd was amazed. Then Jesus says, "Now it's my turn. Now I ask you a question." Matthew 22:42-46, "What do you think about the Messiah, the Christ? Whose Son is He?" They said to Him, "The Son of David." Right. Correct. He said to them, "How then does David in the spirit call him Lord saying, 'The Lord says to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I put your enemies beneath your feet.' If David then calls Him Lord, how is He his son?" It says, "No one was able to answer Him a word." Then I love this part. "Nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question." I think we're done with these questions.
A. David’s Lord is my King
Who was this Lord? David had a Lord. Who was this Lord? Who was this that David was referring to? Yahweh the great Almighty says to my Adonai, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." Who was this Lord? I submit to you that David's Lord is my King. David's Lord is my King who is the great King over all the earth. See this question, "Who is this?" Jesus says. This is the greatest question. Perhaps the greatest question in the entire Bible. David was the King. There was no one greater than David in all of Israel. Yet David says, He is my Lord.
Everyone understood that the coming Messiah would be called the Son of David, but David says, "No, this one is greater than I. I call Him Lord." Then God the Almighty then gives the greatest honor possible when he says to David's Lord, "Sit at my right hand." To sit at the right hand of the Almighty is to sit on level with Him. To sit on a throne, level, sit on my right hand. Jesus is declaring to all men everywhere that the Messiah is not just a political figure or a military commander. That was what they expected. When the great Messiah comes, He will restore the kingdom. He will bring back the glory of the kingdom and He will come as a military commander and a great political figure.
Jesus does not fit into the box of their expectations very well. Jesus does not fit into the box of many people's expectations very well. He's far greater. He's far more. He's far greater than all. Oh, Jesus is that great King who will rule the nations of the world. It prophetically speaks of it even here. That in the latter day when that great King comes, He will set foot in the Mount of Olives. He will establish his throne in Jerusalem, Yerushalayim, and there from that place, He will rule the nations of the world. Yes, He is that great King, but He tells us that He is the priest because He didn't come only to rule. He came to offer a sacrifice. An offering for sin. To be a priest. To fulfill Isaiah 53.
For Isaiah 53 stands there as a cornerstone also to declare who this Messiah will be. It says in Isaiah 53 that He will be pierced for our transgressions. That He will be crushed for our iniquities. That the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him. That He would be scourged, whipped. Scourged. By His scourging, we are healed and our iniquities fell upon Him. Their expectation is that He would be the great King. To come as a military commander but Jesus came to be not only King but priest. To fulfill Isaiah 53. To be scourged. Jesus did not fit into their box of expectations. Oh no, He was much, much more.
He didn't come just to defeat Rome. Rome would fall on its own. He came to defeat sin. He came to defeat death. He came to be the great priest who would make the greatest offering the world has ever known. He would offer himself. Jesus doesn't fit into the box of many people's expectations even today. They like a tame Jesus that gave gentle sayings, but Jesus came to overturn their religion, confront their hypocrisy. To make declarations that only He who sits on the right hand of the throne of God can make. "I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. No man comes to the Father but by me." Amen. Let's give the Lord praise.
That is a powerful statement, but that's not very inclusive. That's not even politically correct. Of course, if Jesus sits on the right hand of the Almighty, of course, He is the way and the truth and the life. Of course, no man comes to the Father but by Me. Who else sits at the right hand of the Almighty? Is there another one? No. He and He alone sits at the right hand. Jesus came to overturn the tables of their religion, to confront their hypocrisy, and then to declare that which only can be declared by the one who sits on the right hand of the Almighty. He said the Great I am statement.
Remember God has a name. A personal name but it has a meaning. YHVH, Jehovah means the great I am. I am that I am. And all that I am I will be to you. "I am", Jesus said. Saying that which only the one who sits on the right hand of the Almighty can say. I am the bread of life. I am the living water. Before Abraham was I am. I am the light of the world. I am the good shepherd. I am the true vine. I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even if he dies.
B. Time to choose sides
He was scourged for our iniquities. He was crushed for our sins. He was buried on a borrowed tomb and raised from the dead on the third day and then He sat down at the right hand of the Father until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. Amen. Sure, let's give the Lord praise. That is the declaration of Psalm 110. Then it says in verse 3, something amazing. "Your people will volunteer freely in the day of your power in holy array from the birth of the dawn." Oh, I love that verse. Your people will volunteer freely. It means when you see the great king, when you see the king in all of his majesty, there is a part of your soul that says "He is my king. I bow my knee before the majesty of the Almighty."
In other words, there comes a time to choose sides. There comes a time to choose. There comes a time to make your allegiance known. He is my lord, He is my king and He is my priest. There comes a time to choose. Reminds me of Isaiah. In Isaiah 6, it describes that this prophet was given to see the Lord. It says sitting on a throne high and lifted up with the train of Israel, filling the temple, and the angels before the throne were calling out to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of His glory." Then Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send?"
Isaiah seeing the Lord high and lifted up and the train of Israel filling the temple said, "Here I am, send me." There comes a time to declare your allegiance, your heart after the great king. Matthew 12. Just after speaking of the kingdom of God and the nature of spiritual warfare, Jesus made another one of those amazing, powerful declarations in Matthew 12:28-30, where He says, "If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then this kingdom of God has come upon you. He who is not with me is against me. He who does not gather with me scatters."
There comes a time to choose. There comes a time to declare your allegiance. There comes a time to say, "God, in all your majesty, you are amazing. I bow my knee, I come, I volunteer. I love you. It is the honor of my life to bow the knee before the Almighty." We read recently last week in Psalm 103, a very similar declaration in verses 19 and 22, where it says, "The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all. Bless the Lord all your works of His in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul."
There comes a time to declare, to choose, to bow the knee. It's like what Joshua said to Israel when he was at the end of his life and he gathered all Israel together, "Choose you this day whom you'll serve." There comes a time to choose. He says, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." How many would say the same? We will serve the Lord. Let's give the Lord praise praise. See, I love verse 3, "Your people will volunteer freely in the day of your power, in the holy array at the birth of the dawn. Those who freely come or those who say, 'It is the honor of my life to bow the knee before the great king. He is my Lord and He is my king.'" Then it says, "He is my priest."
II. He is the Priest Who Makes Souls Right with God
A very deep and important understanding. Many people don't consider the aspect that Jesus is a priest, but He is the priest who makes souls right with God. Verse 4. "The Lord has sworn it and will not change his mind." You ought a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." Anyone who desires to have their soul made right with God must know that God has made a way through that which our great high priests did when He offered himself. Priests make offerings for sin and atonement and intercede between man and God.
A. He is the priest who offered Himself
This Jesus did when He offered Himself on the cross.
He made a way. Anyone who wants their soul right with God must know that God has made a way through that great high priest who made an offering for their sin when He offered Himself. In other words, Jesus is the priest who offered Himself. See, under the Old Testament law, the Levitical priest would offer sacrifices and offerings, but they were only a symbol. They were only a shadow of something far greater. They were only symbols and therefore only symbolically effective. Only shadows. There was something far greater.
Hebrews Chapter 10. Now Hebrews Chapter 10, I have to tell you is amazing. Hebrews is amazing, I know. The whole Bible is amazing, but Hebrews is amazing. I tell you, Hebrews is amazing and Hebrews Chapter 10 is really amazing. You have to read it, but when you read it, you'll see Psalm 110, you'll see all about the great king who is the priest. Notice it says in Hebrews 10:1-3, "For the law, since it is only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things can never by the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, they can never make perfect those who draw near, for in those sacrifices, there is the reminder of sins year by year.
For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." They offered the blood of bulls and goats, which could never take away sins because it was only a shadow, only a symbol of that which was to come, something far, far greater. Jesus came as the one who would offer a great offering for sin and atonement, and that offering was His own blood. He offered Himself as payment for our sins and payment in full.
It tells us in Hebrews 10:11-14, "Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins, but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God waiting from that time onward until his enemies be made a footstool for his feet." Psalm 110, "For by one offering, He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified by it." He is that great high priest who made an offering for sin and He offered Himself. He has made a way for sinners to be made right with God.
B. Draw near by a new a living way
Sinners can now draw near to the throne of the Almighty. Therefore, it tells us, "Draw near." If God has made a way for sinners to draw near, then sinners ought to draw near. "Draw near," He says, "by a new and living way." See, this is now where Psalm 110 must become personal. Psalm 110 reveals some of the greatest, deepest truths known to man and our response to it must be personal. That is my Lord. That is my king, and that is my priest who made a way for sinners to have a beautiful relationship to the Almighty. God has made a way because of that great high priest that sinners can have a beautiful relationship to the Almighty.
Therefore enter in, but He says, "When you enter in, draw near with confidence." That's amazing that sinners can draw near to the Almighty with confidence. "Draw near," He says, "with a sincere heart in full assurance of our faith." Notice Hebrews 10:19-23, "Since therefore brethren, we have this confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, then by this new and living way, enter in. He inaugurated this way for us through the veil that is His flesh, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of our faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for He who promised is faithful." You can have confidence. Sinners can draw near into the throne of the Almighty, and with your own eyes, you'll behold the glory of His majesty. Sinners can draw near with confidence. Why? Because He has removed the stain of your sin and He has removed the shame of your sin. Anyone who has faltered, anyone who has sinned greatly and deeply knows shame.
Shame is a deep, dark place hidden within the soul. Shame isn't agony within. I'm so ashamed, but He says, "Sinners can draw near because He has made a way for sitters to have their sins paid in full. Washed so that God will remove the stain and God will remove the shame." When we were growing up, when we were kids, we used to pick berries every summer. Other kids got to pick berries just for fun apparently, but we were very poor. We had deep poverty and so we had to pick berries all summer long.
I know. You can always tell the ones who picked berries all summer long because when they came back to school, their fingers were stained. Those berries will stain your fingers, and no matter washing and no matter what you did, you could not get rid of those stains. I was so ashamed of my poverty. I was so ashamed of my stains because everybody knew, "Oh, I know how you spend your summer." No, they just got to throw berries around and eat them. "Oh, summer. Oh, I know how you spent your summer. Look at your stains." I was so ashamed.
Jeremiah 2:22, it reminds me of that verse. "Although you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your iniquity is before me." God has made a way because the great high priest has washed away the stains. His own blood will wash those stains away and His own blood will remove the shame of it also. It says in Psalm 103, we saw it when we read it last week. It's a great verse. Verses 10 and 12, "He has not dealt with us according to our sins. He has not rewarded us according to our inequities. As far as the east is from the west, has He removed our transgressions from us." He is the great high priest who has made a way for sinners to have a beautiful relationship to the Almighty.
"Make an entering with confidence. Lift up your head," He says to sinners. God has made a way because He is the great high priest who has sacrificed and offered His own blood, and by that blood, He will wash away every stain and He will take away the shame. The great high priest has made a way so that sinners can come into the great throne of the Almighty. With your own eyes, you will see the glory and the majesty of the great king on high. "Lift up your head," He says to sinners, "and enter into a beautiful relationship for He has removed the stains and He has removed the shame."
There comes a time to say, "And that is my Lord and that is my king, and that is my great high priest. I bow my knee for you are worthy. It is the greatest honor of my life to bow my knee for what you have done for me. You are my Lord. You are my king. You are my great high priest, and I bow my knee for you are worthy." You say, "You're Lord, you are king, you're great high priest," then give Him honor. He has made a way. Let's give Him praise. Amen.
He's made a way. He's made a way for sinners to have a beautiful relationship to the Almighty. "But my stains, pastor, you don't understand the stains. I'm so ashamed." Oh, I do understand. I want you to understand that that blood that He shed, He is the great high priest and He has washed it all the way, and He will take away the shame. Lift up your head and draw near to the throne of grace with confidence in full assurance of faith. Let nothing stand between you and the throne of the Almighty because He's made a way. He is my Lord, He is my king, and He's my priest, and I'll bow my knee before the Father.
Let's pray. Lord, we are so thankful. You have shown us the glory of the Great King. David's Lord is my king, but you've also shown us that He's also my priest for He made an offering for sin, my sin, and He's washed the stain of it away. You've taken away my shame. You've allowed me to stand before the throne of the great Almighty. I will see with my own eyes the glory of the majesty on high. Church, how many would make that declaration today, "He is my Lord, He is my king, and He is my priest and I bow my knee. It is the honor of my life to bow my knee for He is worthy. He is my Lord, and He is my king and He is my high priest.
He's made a way for sinners like me to lift up my head in the presence of the Almighty"? How many would just say that to the Lord today as a declaration, "He is my Lord, He is my king, and He is my priest"? Would you just raise your hand as a way of declaring that, "God, I declare my allegiance for you are worthy. I bow my knee and it is the honor of my life to declare it"? We honor you and give you praise and glory. In Jesus' name and everyone said? Amen. Can we give Him praise and glory and honor? Amen.