Sermon for MHBC (9 January 2022). You can watch or listen on Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, or our website. Live at 11:00am on Sundays. Also available as a podcast here or by searching “Monument Heights Baptist Church” in your favorite podcast app.
This psalm is the most frequently used psalm in the NT. It is always about Christ. Luther called it the “main psalm to deal with our dear Lord Jesus Christ.”
Let me draw your attention to the structure of the psalm. Verse 1 records God’s speech and so does v. 4. Those two verses—where God speaks—mark the two sections of the psalm.
You probably notice a problem presented by the text in v. 1. “Until I make your enemies your footstool.” The problem is that enemies still exist. Jesus’s kingship has not been finalized here in this world. Even though he is at the right hand of the Father, sitting on his throne, this world remains in the grip of Satan.
Transparency International is a non-profit group that seeks to expose the corruption in the world by giving a voice to those who are victims of corruption. They maintain a corruption index, which is a map of the world ranking each country on levels of corruption. Dark red indicates the highest level of corruption. In 2016, Transparency International ranked Somalia the most corrupt country in the world. Somalia is a country on the horn of Africa. You might recall some of its history. The major factor was the failed partnership between Somaliland and Somalia, leading to a devastating civil war in 1991. I can’t comment on all the political issues, but just consider the devastation. The dictator of Somalia bombed Somaliland relentlessly, destroying over 90 percent of the cities. In one major city of 70k people, just seven homes still had roofs. In 1992, 350k Somalis died of disease and starvation.
Now if that happens in our world how can we say Jesus is on the throne? How can we read and pray and sing a psalm like this? What sort of hope is there in such hopeless situations? What does it mean to say Jesus is on the throne?
I want to suggest three ways that this psalm points us to hope in Jesus’s kingship.
1. The promise is certain.
Notice again in v. 1: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” This is an ongoing project, but it’s certain. There’s no doubt that it will happen. Verse 4: “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind.” Again, it’s absolutely certain. Verse 5: “The Lord will shatter kings.” Verse 6: “The Lord will execute judgment.” Verse 7: “He will lift up his head.” This phrase “lift up his head” means he will be victorious. This drinking from the brook could mean a couple of things, but it probably has the idea of finding refreshment after a battle. The Lord will do all these things.
Now on what basis can we count on these words to be true? What gives us certainty? The basis of our certainty, as Christians, is the empty grave. If Jesus did not rise, we have no hope. But if Jesus is alive, then we are certain he will come again. Does the living Jesus make a difference in the way you live today? Does he give you the assurance to carry on in this life? “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow. Because he lives, all fear is gone.”
ILLUS: It is this certainty that drove the early disciples to give their lives away. It is this certainty that is sustaining this very day our brothers and sisters in China. Christianity has exploded in China in recent years. In the last few years, the government has been arresting Christians. One pastor who was arrested back in 2018 had prepared a statement to be released if and when he was arrested. In the letter, he wrote, “As a pastor of a Christian church, I must denounce this wickedness openly and severely. The calling that I have received requires me to use non-violent methods to disobey those human laws that disobey the Bible and God.”[1] Here is a man who recognizes the certainty of the promises and the hope of the empty grave.
2. The priest is forever.
Notice v. 4: “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Melchizedek is a mysterious character in the OT, but he’s a priest-king. That’s unique. Priest and king are typically separate offices. A priest-king not only rules, but he serves. Jesus acts as our priest when he dies in our place, doing once for all what we could never do. Our sins and guilt are forgiven not on the basis of our good works or remorse, but on the basis of his priestly sacrifice. And more than that, we are set free. The cords of Hell that enslave us are loosed. We are awakened from death and made alive to spiritual things. What does it mean to be made alive?
To be made alive means that our corrupt nature is being put to death and our eyes are opened to the things of God. We always express our outrage at such extreme stories. How could anyone possibly be so cruel? But we really shouldn’t be surprised. The cruelty in the world comes from the same place in our heart that causes us to refuse forgiveness to a family member or friend; that causes us to ridicule the poor and suffering; that causes us to despise the mentally ill. Such corruption shouldn’t surprise us because if we look in the mirror long enough, we will see it staring back at us. Until we feel the full weight of that, the gospel will never be good news. To be made alive means to see things differently. That’s because the Spirit of God is poured out on us. For Jesus to be our priest-king means we are cleansed and now we can receive the Spirit of God. That means we have a new nature, allowing us to do good works for the glory of God. This is all possible because Jesus is at the right hand of God.
Furthermore, Jesus being a priest forever means that right now he stands in heaven interceding for us who depend on him. Our sin and shame does not condemn us. Our guilt will not have the final say. Satan has no accusations to make against us. We don’t rely on our good works or how sorry we feel. The priest intercedes and pleads for us every day. And guess what? The priest always finds favor before the Father. The hymn “Before the Throne of God” puts it this way:
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea,
a great High Priest, whose name is Love
who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
my name is written on His heart;
I know that while in heav’n He stands
no tongue can bid me thence depart.
When our guilt and shame threaten to crush us, we must look to Jesus, our eternal priest, and we will not be disappointed.
3. The king is coming.
We’ve already seen the certainty of the promise. So this point is more about our response to the king coming. This calls for faith. When Scripture calls us to respond to the good news of Jesus, it tells us to repent and believe. That means that we turn from other kings and kingdoms and turn to the coming king. We put our hope and our trust in him. This is why good works always follow upon genuine faith. Genuine faith is nothing less than trust and dependence.
The king calls us to live the values of his kingdom now. In the face of darkness and hopelessness, we live the values of light and hopefulness. This is why Jesus says things like, “When someone strikes you on the cheek, don’t retaliate, but offer them the other.” Or, why the NT letters repeatedly say, “Don’t repay evil for evil.” These aren’t ways to earn salvation, but they are ways to experience God’s kingdom now. They reflect the values of God’s kingdom.
Notice that in vv. 5–6, King Jesus will bring justice to the world. He will set the wrongs right. Injustices and corruptions will not prevail. But that means we must live justly and righteously now in order to reflect the kingdom and to learn to live in the kingdom.
Now this talk of the king coming to execute judgment among the nations is both fearful and incredibly hopeful. It is fearful for those who refuse to embrace the king, who insist on living the way they’ve always lived, reaching for the good life as our world defines it. It is fearful for those who call themselves Christians but have no intentions of following Jesus. It is fearful for those who have other kings and allegiances. The Lord will shatter those false kings. He will destroy those who oppose him. There is great urgency here. We must repent and embrace the king because he is coming.
For those who do embrace the king, nothing could be more hopeful. This world is not our home and all the suffering and pain and evil only serves to remind us that this is not how things are supposed to be. The world is not governed by the king yet. But he’s coming, and we must not lose hope. It won’t be long. We keep doing the king’s work even in the face of pain and sorrow and adversity because that work will not be lost. Every good deed, every effort at righteousness and justice, every concern for the least of these, every effort toward holiness, will be an area where the returning king will smile and say, “My people have been faithful here.” May we be faithful here at MHBC. Let us watch, for the true king is coming.
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-46588650