Why Every New Testament Writer Obsessed Over This Psalm - Psalm 110 Series

I’ve got a Bible trivia question for you: Who’s the only NT author who doesn’t quote Psalm 110:1? Matthew quotes it twice, Mark twice, Peter 4 times (once in his book and 3 times in sermons), the writer of Hebrews 6 times, Paul 6 times, and Luke 7 times. Stephen quotes it with his dying breath, and Jesus himself quotes it.

The only writer who doesn’t quote that verse directly is … John. What John does instead is take that verse, Psalm 110:1, and expand it out into the greatest work of apocalyptic literature ever written, the book of Revelation. If you want to know what Jesus seated at the right hand of God is all about, just read Revelation. The Father holds the scroll in his right hand, and no one is worthy to take it except Jesus, who is right there at the Father’s right hand. And the rest of the book is the description of him opening that scroll and rolling out his eternal rule described in Psalm 110. Psalm 110:1 is the foundation for the whole NT.

To refresh your memory, last time we looked at the first half of Psalm 110, which describes the current reign of Christ, between the first coming and second coming.

Jesus Reigns!

1 Yahweh says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."

Jesus earned that place of honor on the cross.

Hebrews 1:3 … After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

And now Jesus reigns in total, perfect, awesome sovereignty. Jesus Christ determines when every light will turn green or red. He controls the flight path of every raindrop. He holds the earth steady, he feeds every bird every day. It’s his decision whether every person on earth gets hired at a job, gets fired, becomes wealthy, looses everything—… Jesus controls providence which means he controls every action everywhere in the universe.

Nothing begins without Christ’s permission, and nothing is over until Jesus says it’s over. He reigns. As the ultimate king, he will administer the sovereignty of God. When God appointed leaders of his people, he gave three different kinds—kings, prophets, and priests. And each one represents one of the key attributes of God that God wants displayed in humanity. Prophets represent the Word of God, and kings represent the sovereignty of God. And the Messiah, as the ultimate king, will not only represent God’s sovereignty, but he will possess God’s sovereignty.

He’s the supreme authority over morality. He decides everything that’s allowed or disallowed. He makes the rules. And not only does he make them, but the only thing that determines whether something is good or evil is whether Jesus commanded it or prohibited it. Nothing is good unless Jesus says it’s good. Nothing is evil unless Jesus forbids it.

Everything exists for his glory. He is worthy of all power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end. From him and through him and to him are all things. To him who sits on the throne at the right hand of the majesty in heaven be all blessing and honor and glory and power forever and ever. That’s verse 1.

The Mighty Scepter

2 Yahweh will extend your mighty scepter from Zion.

Jesus’ reign over the hearts of his people started at Zion (Jerusalem), and expanded out to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. John wrote a whole book on v.1 of Ps.110, Luke wrote a whole book on v.2. The book of Acts is the story of the scepter of King Jesus extending out over the whole world.

But that scepter wasn’t a golden rod. It was the strangest scepter anyone’s ever seen. It had a cross beam. The scepter—the implement that brought about Christ’s rule, was the message of the cross. Isaiah 2:3 describes the Messiah’s authority going out from Zion just like Ps.110:2, but in Isaiah, that scepter takes the form of words.

Isaiah 2:3 … The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

The preaching of the cross extended Christ’s authority from Jerusalem throughout the whole world and brought Christ’s enemies to their knees in glad, voluntary worship in every nook and cranny of the entire globe.

The cross doesn’t look very mighty. Just the opposite. It looks like the epitome of weakness. But that which appears to be weak and foolish is really the power and wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.