Son of David

From BibleWiki

One of the titles of the Messiah.

Messianic Title

"The Annointed of the Lord" was a title given mainly to David and the royal line that descended from him (but compare also Cyrus).

After the overthrow of the monarchy by Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar this title took on a specific meaning as the final Jewish king who would bring about the Kingdom of heaven by subjecting all foreign nations to Israel and YHWH - the conquering Messiah.

The Qumran community similarly awaited the "branch of David" who would overthrow the Romans. (4Q285)

Identification with Jesus

This title was used for Jesus on several occasions, mostly by strangers, and generally in the context of healing acts, identifying him with another of the Messianic hopes: that of a miracle worker.

Matthew opens his gospel by explicitly referring to Jesus as the Son of David (Mt 1:1) and showing his royal lineage as proof the he was indeed a direct descendant of David, in keeping with the promise that the Messiah would be of this line.

Sources

• The Changing Faces of Jesus, Gaza Vermes, London, 2000