Michael Youssef - Jesus Reigns
Last message from Psalm 2. We looked and saw how God, a thousand years before Christ, revealed the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and we saw the function and the role of each member of the Trinity in Psalm chapter 2. And here, 1000 years before the first Christmas, in Psalm 110, God reveals to us Jesus as reigning and ruling supreme over the universe. Jesus with his ruling power over the world. In Psalm 110, again, like Psalm 2, is one of the greatest prophetic Messianic prophecy of all of the Old Testament. In fact, Psalm 110 is the most directly quoted, at least 27 times in the New Testament. It is quoted by Mark, and Luke, and Acts, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, Hebrews, 1 Peter, all quoting Psalm 110. And Psalm 110 is all about the divine power of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's all about his kingly power, it is all about his high priestly power, it's all about his judicial power, it's all about his power of intercession. It's about the vastness of his power over the universe, even now as we're sitting in this place.
Now, there is no psalm or passage in the Old Testament that clearly spells the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ like Psalm 110. I wanna give you a 30-second history lesson, okay? Thirty seconds, literally, thirty seconds. If you blink, you're gonna miss it. God said to David, King David of Israel, through the prophet Nathan who came to deliver God's message to him, that God's will have his descendant to permanently sit on the throne of Israel. In other words, the Messiah will be a descendant of David, the physical descendants of David. Here in Psalm 110, God, the Holy Spirit, directly spoke to David as he was putting down pen to paper on Psalm 110. And he said that, "Your son is not gonna only be the son of David, but he's gonna be the Son of God," the God-man Jesus.
David sees Jesus who is a physical descendant of his from the tribe of Judah, to be far greater than King David himself. He's far greater. That's why he calls him Lord. God the Father told God the Son to sit at his right hand until he makes all of his enemies to be his footstool. Ah, this is not the Jesus that the masses want to believe in. This is not the Jesus who is welcome in the halls of power. This is not the Jesus that the masses really want to submit to. In Matthew 22, the Lord Jesus Christ himself applied the words of the Psalmist to his life, saying that after he pays for the wages of our sins on the cross, he will be enthroned in heaven.
And beloved, this is where Jesus is right now. He's reigning and ruling over the rim of the universe. Even though they cannot see it with their physical eyes. Even though they do not acknowledge it now, even though they cannot accept it now. But for those of us through the eyes of faith, we know that his power is supreme, that his word is final, that his sovereignty is a reality and his authority is indisputable. Now, you have to understand, in the ancient world, when there are kings, basically supreme kings, when they throw a banquet, when they give a big banquet as you read sometimes in the Old Testament, Cyrus of Persia and others, and you see it.
Whenever they threw a big banquet, whoever sits at the right hand of the king is the most honored guest. He's not only the honored person, but it is the most significant seat, but it's not only the most significant seat, it's the most privileged place. But that seat only is occupied by someone who has all of the king's authority. It is occupied by someone who has all of the king's power. He is the one who carries the signet ring for the king. In other words, he will make all the decisions and the king, basically, blesses it. When Jesus walked the streets of our earth, he was scorned and reviled. He was harassed and taunted. He was mocked and rejected. He was arrested and unjustly tried in a kangaroo court. He was betrayed by his friends. He was forsaken by his disciples.
And when he hung on that cross, at that very moment everyone thought, "It's over. It's over". They thought their dreams were shattered. They thought their hope was dead. But thousand years before Christ was born in Bethlehem, God told us that when you see that happen, it's not over. It's not over. And thus, he rose from the dead on the third day, and 40 days later, after his Resurrection, he was ascended into heaven and there when he got to heaven, God the Father said, "Son, welcome home. Welcome home. Sit at my right-hand side until I make your enemies to be your footstool".
See, the Jesus of whom Psalm 110 speak is the resurrected, ascended, glorified, soon-coming judge Jesus. Every human being, every human being on the face of the earth, can make one of two choices. Only one of two choices. You don't have a third option. Only two. You can know him now as your Lord and Savior and friend, or you risk, for all of eternity, become his footstool. That's the choice. That's the choice every human being has. Look with me please at verses 2 and 3. "The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion". That's where it started, but it's gonna extend throughout the universe. "You will rule in the midst of your enemies. The troops," that's your troops, "will be willing," say that with me. "Will be willing". "Will be willing in the day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you'll receive the dew of your youth".
This is a picture of how kings ruled in the past. Kings do not stand up and make pronouncements like we have a speech, a president will give a speech. No, no. Sovereigns, when they make a pronouncement, when they're announcing the rule, when they're making big decisions, they sit down. And that is why God the Father said to God the Son, "Sit at my right hand," because that's from where you're gonna exercise power. That's from where you're gonna exercise your sovereignty. That's from where you're gonna announce and you're going to rule and you're going to heal and you're going to touch and you're going to change and transform lives. Before Christ and after Christ, the glorified Messiah Jesus sits down. The glorified Messiah Jesus is expanding his kingdom all over the globe, all over the globe. How? Through his willing servants. His willing servants. Through his willing children, through his willing soldiers of the cross.
That's you and me. That's you and me. That's how he was gonna extend his rule, through you and me, sharing Christ with neighbors and friends. That's how this prophecy is fulfilled, in you and in me. Question: how is he ruling now? Right now, while he's ruling on the rim of the universe, he's also ruling in the hearts of his children. If Jesus is not ruling in your heart, you have not accepted him as Savior and Lord yet. He rules in the hearts of his children while they're living in enemies' territories. The subjects of the King are living in enemies' territories, being faithful and working to extend his kingdom. They are willing servants.
Please don't miss what I'm gonna tell you. Don't miss what I'm gonna tell you. The greatest contrast between earthly king, earthly rulers, in relationship to their subject with the King Jesus, the King of heaven, is this: Earthly rulers and earthly kings have geographical boundaries. This is the territory of my country. But Christ does not. King Jesus has no boundaries. Earthly rulers lead their subject to war so that they can extend their territories. King Jesus does not. Earthly rulers kill their enemies. Not King Jesus. He invites his enemies to come and believe in him. The Psalmist said, "Jesus rules in the midst of his enemies". In the midst of his enemies' territories, he is reigning and ruling.
Christians are hated and persecuted and killed in the land of despots. Because they are despots, they do not want their subjects' primary allegiance to King Jesus. They want it to be to them. And here is the irony. Here's the irony. Listen carefully. Jesus's followers are the most law-abiding people. They're the most law-abiding citizens. Jesus's followers are those who pray for the leaders and the rulers. Oh, but they will never ever bow the knee to anyone other than King Jesus. Jesus prayed that they'll be in the world, but not of it. We are called upon to be there. Don't abdicate. Don't abdicate, where God has called you to be. We are called upon to love those who call themselves enemies of God. We are called upon to pray for those who call themselves to be enemies of Jesus. We are called upon to persuade the enemies of God to turn to him, to believe in him, and to be blessed by him.
And furthermore, we must do all of that willingly, as the prophecy said, willingly. Not under compulsion. We said, "Oh, I've got to do this. I guess it's my duty to do it". No, no, no, no, no. You do it with joy. Here again, look at it in the text: "Your troops will be willing". Say that with me. "Your..." Not conscripted. Not conscripted. Willing. The question is this: Are you a willing soldier? Are you a willing subject? Have you ever presented yourself to the Lord and says, "Lord Jesus, I'm reporting for duty. I'm reporting for duty. Here I am. Use me". The average person says, "Lord, here I am. Send my sister". "Here I am, send me. Send me. Regardless of the cost of discipleship, send me". But Jesus does not only have kingly power as he sits on the throne on the right hand of the Father, but secondly, he has high priestly power. High priestly power.
Look at verses 4, 5, 6, and 7: "The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You're a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.'" Melchizedek was a type of Christ in the Old Testament. When you go home, read Genesis chapter 14. Read about Melchizedek who met Abraham as he coming victoriously from the battle, and then Abraham literally bowed to him and he gives him 10% of his net worth. Not 10% of his income; 10% of his net worth, and he hands it to him. It's not surprising that Jesus said, "Abraham saw my days and rejoiced". And they wanna kill him. He said, "He's not even 50 years old. How can you say Abraham saw your day"?
That's what he's talking about. Melchizedek, Melchizedek, the king of righteousness, the king of righteousness. Here's the amazing thing. Here's the amazing thing in the Old Testament. Back then there was called what we say in America, I don't know about the rest of the world but we call in America separation of powers. Separation of powers. I'm not gonna get into this, but I think the founders got the idea from the Bible. The separation of power was ordained by God in the Old Testament and he said the king must do always do the work of the king, not the priest's job. And the priest must not do the king's job. The priests should do the priestly work, and the kings do the kingly work.
And you remember in the Bible, when dear old King Saul, bless his heart, he just could not wait for Samuel to get here and then he did the work of the priest when he offered sacrifice. And he received the worst of condemnation. His whole family line was cut off. Ah, he mixed the powers. God called him to be king, not the priest. And I'm saying this for a reason. You must understand this. This is unique. This is unique in the Christian faith. But even the high priest in the Old Testament who would go into the holy of holies once a year to offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people, everyone who have sinned right after that day would have to wait another year to know if their sins were forgiven or not. They have waited for a year in guilt and shame and misery, with burdened conscience.
Oh, praise God we live in the New Testament. I don't know about you, I bless God every day that I live in the New Testament. Because now in the New Testament because Jesus is our great High Priest, the King of heaven, our Lord Jesus Christ, our sins can be forgiven the moment we confess and repent. But there's more. There's more. Because our High Priest, who is also King, cannot be changed every few years and in the levitical system the high priest changed every few years. But praise God, our great High Priest does not change. He is forever. He said in the order of Melchizedek, forever, because a decree of God the Father that Jesus is the only one now and forevermore. He's our only, not only King, but the great High Priest.
Melchizedek was called the king of Salem, that is the king of peace. Why? Because he not only represented permanent priesthood, not only represented permanent rule and sovereignty, but he also represented the power of continuous intercession. Continuous intercession. Listen to me. I don't care what background you come from or what denominational background you come from. There is only one intercessor between man and God, and his name is Jesus, the great High Priest. A Pope cannot intercede for you, a saint cannot intercede for you, a priest cannot intercede between you and God. Only the High Priest, King Jesus, can intercede for you in heaven.
You see, Melchizedek was a picture of Jesus. He was a shadow, a foreshadow, of the coming Jesus because Christ is our true High Priest, King of peace. He's the King of peace. Christ, our true intercessor. Nobody else can intercede for you except for Jesus. He paid the price for that ability to stand in the gap between every human being and God the Father. Not only Jesus's kingly power is prophesied, not only Jesus's permanent high priestly intercessor power is prophesied, but Jesus's judiciary power is prophesied. He's the only judge, he's the only judge.
When he sits on the judge's bench on that last day, every human being on the face of the earth are gonna be judged by King Jesus. That is why the apostle Paul in Acts 17, he said, "The time of ignorance God has overlooked, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent, for he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world by this man Jesus whom he raised from the dead". My prayer and the cry of my heart that he may give us the faith, the eyes of faith, to visualize our glorified Jesus, reigning and ruling in heaven right now. My prayer that everyone at the sound of my voice no more see the helpless babe in Bethlehem, no more see the helpless body hanging on the cross.
The apostle Paul said, "We know him after the flesh no more. He's no longer a baby. He's no longer on the cross. He is now the glorified, magnified, reigning and ruling King Jesus". It is my prayer and the prayer of my heart because he is soon-coming judge and you better be on the right side of the judge. What we now try to see with eyes of faith, we will see with our physical eyes.