Jesus is the true and better David.

Both came from humble beginnings and from families that didn’t see them as they fully were.

David’s own dad thought David’s seven other brothers were more likely to anointed by the prophet and judge, Samuel, as the next King. In similar fashion, Jesus’ own biological brothers, the people who saw Him the most, didn’t believe the words that He spoke despite the life He lived.

David was the king of God’s people, Israel, but Jesus is the King of both Jew and Gentile, Black and White. He has transcended the moral and the immoral, strong and weak, languages and cultures, time and boundaries.

David encountered darker times than most of us will encounter. But Jesus truly walked through the valley of the shadow of death. And Jesus defeated a far greater enemy full of far more terror than Goliath.

Both children of Bethlehem, David was forgotten by his father, but Jesus was forsaken by our Heavenly Father.

And while Saul sought to kill David, he failed because God interceded and protected David. Jesus was pursued by violent, enraged people, yet He did not flee. And instead, Jesus himself, interceded on behalf of us. He took the blow from the Father in order to protect us.

David’s victory became the people’s victory, although they never lifted a stone to defeat the enemy. Jesus’ victory was similar, in that, we can never match nor contribute to His victory, yet we get to share His glory. His victory surpassed that of any man and is available to every man. And He came back to life and returned not with anger toward His people, but with compassion for all people.

How did the people of His time know? And how do we know that He truly did it?

He said put your hands in the the holes of My hands.

He took the wounds that we deserve.

He took the wounds of wrath and judgement so that the only collateral sent our way is love and grace. So that we may be able to live life and life to the full.

He drank the cup and was poured out only for us to be spared and for us to be filled.

The entire Bible is not about you or me or people like David that God used despite our imperfections and humanity.

It’s about Jesus. It has always been about Jesus!

The Bible is the true and better mosaic. In that, it isn’t just pictures that are all forming a bigger picture. It’s full of messy lives, tough trials, victories and defeats, all pointing to a perfect life that faced far tougher trials, a seemingly worse “defeat” that resulted in an even sweeter victory. And that is the Good News!

JESUS is the true and better David!

– J. Wilder

Inspired by Timothy Keller’s view on the Bible. Check this out.