The Lord said to my lord,
“Sit here at my right side
until I put your enemies under your feet.”
From Zion the Lord will extend your royal power.
“Rule over your enemies,” he says.
On the day you fight your enemies,
your people will volunteer.
Like the dew of early morning
your young men will come to you on the sacred hills.
The Lord made a solemn promise and will not take it back:
“You will be a priest forever
in the priestly order of Melchizedek.” (Good News Translation)
This is the most quoted psalm in the New Testament (twenty-four times) with the reason being that the apostles discerned Jesus as the messianic ruler of Psalm 110. The author of Hebrews purposed to highlight the superiority of Jesus Christ over everyone and everything. So, he went to this psalm, and used it early in his letter for the beginning of his argument:
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So, he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs….
But about the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
He also says,
“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.”
To which of the angels did God ever say,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet”? (Hebrews 1:1-13, NIV)
In Christianity, Jesus is the ultimate Mediator between God and humanity. Neither angel nor any other human can fill such a role. The author of Hebrews wanted to make it clear that Jesus is the rightful Ruler of all creation.
Christ’s authority is far and above all others. So, Christians are never defenseless in this world. Believers have a caring mediator, and a powerful sovereign, knowing that Jesus has the authority to back up his words of love and assurance toward us.
Jesus has the unique combination of being both a king and a priest; he intercedes for us and provides us with compassionate leadership. Again, in the middle of his argument, the author of Hebrews used Psalm 110 to emphasize this:
Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. Therefore, he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.
In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.”
And he says in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.”
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:1-10, NIV)
Christ demonstrated and proved that he is qualified to be the rightful priest and king because of his obedient suffering. Therefore, Jesus is perfectly suited and able to help us. He is neither a detached nor an aloof priestly king.
The Lord Jesus knows exactly what it’s like to be a human in this broken and fallen world. Such divine empathy translates into solid emotional and spiritual support because, as the Christian tradition holds, Jesus has taken care of the sin issue once for all through the Cross.
The Messiah’s enemies – whose eventual and final defeat is certain – are not Gentile kingdoms or human institutions. Christ’s ultimate foes are the hostile and evil principalities and powers of this dark world, including death itself. The universal reign of Jesus, the exalted Son of David, brings deliverance from guilt, shame, and injustice as the unique God-Man.
In this unabashed Christian view of Psalm 110, Jesus is our perfected high priest who is able for all time to save those who approach God, since he always lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). The appropriate response to such a great king and priest is submissive loyalty and eternal praise.
O Lord our God: Reign in power over us, through your Son, Jesus Christ – for he is exalted over all governments and authorities, all ideologies and creeds, and all human hearts and souls. King Jesus: Be enthroned in our lives, in all people everywhere, as our mediator and atoning sacrifice. Spirit of God: Reign in power over us through Jesus Christ and give us the victory over all the enemies of our souls, within and without, for the glory of your Name. Amen.
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 