In the foregoing messages of The Conclusion of the New Testament, we covered seven persons: God, Christ, the Spirit, the believers, the church, the kingdom, and the New Jerusalem. Beginning with this message, we will consider another matter-Christ as our experience, enjoyment, and expression. In the New Testament there are more than three hundred aspects of the experience, enjoyment, and expression of Christ. We look to the Lord that, as we study all these aspects, He will bring us into the excellency of the knowledge of Christ (Phil. 3:8). In this excellency of the knowledge of Christ, we will surely enter into the rich experience and enjoyment of Him. Then we will have the expression of Him on earth in His recovery.
We begin with the experience and enjoyment of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew.
The New Testament opens with these words: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matt. 1:1). In this verse there are two titles of Christ: Son of David and Son of Abraham. It is significant that the very first verse of the New Testament mentions these two titles.
If we know the New Testament as a whole, we will realize that the entire New Testament is wrapped up with these two titles. In Revelation 22:16 the Lord Jesus refers to Himself as “the Root and the Offspring of David.” In His divinity, Christ is the “Root of David,” his source; in His humanity, He is the “Offspring of David,” his issue. Hence, He is the Lord of David as the Root, and He is also the seed, the branch, of David as the Offspring (Matt. 22:42-45; Rom. 1:3; Jer. 23:5). We may now experience, enjoy, and express Him as such a One.
We may think that Matthew 1:1 is simply a revelation telling us how Christ came into mankind through being the Son of Abraham and the Son of David. However, the titles Son of David and Son of Abraham are not just for us to know the revelation concerning Christ’s person. These titles are for us to experience, enjoy, and express Christ.
Christ is the Son of David (Matt. 9:27; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9). Solomon, the son of David, was a type of Christ in three main aspects. First, he was a type of Christ inheriting the kingdom (2 Sam. 7:12b, 13b; Jer. 23:5; Luke 1:32-33). Second, Solomon had wisdom and spoke the word of wisdom. In Matthew 12 Christ, the greater Solomon (v. 42), also had wisdom and spoke the word of wisdom. Third, Solomon built the temple of God (2 Sam. 7:13a). As the Son of David, Christ builds up God’s temple, the church.
The Son of David signifies the kingdom. Christ, the Son of David, is the King, the Ruler. As the Son of David, Christ brings us into the kingdom of the heavens (Matt. 5:3).
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