Anchor Your Soul in His Majesty

Devotional

Day 1: The Throne Where Priesthood and Kingship Collide

Psalm 110 unveils a ruler unlike any other—a king who makes atonement, a priest who wears a crown. This fusion of roles was unthinkable under Israel’s old covenant, where kings and priests came from separate tribes. Yet here, God declares His chosen one will fulfill both offices forever. The mysterious Melchizedek—a shadowy priest-king from Abraham’s era—becomes the blueprint for Christ’s eternal ministry. This union means believers never have to choose between perfect justice and merciful intercession. [11:16]

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
(Psalm 110:4, ESV)

Reflection: Where in your life do you most need Jesus’ royal authority to confront chaos, and where do you crave His priestly compassion to heal brokenness?

Day 2: Dew-Fresh Strength for an Eternal Campaign

While human leaders fade, Christ’s vigor never diminishes. The psalmist compares His vitality to morning dew—renewed daily, untouched by time’s erosion. Earthly rulers eventually retire; Jesus still charges forward like a warrior refreshed by brook water mid-battle. His reign remains in its dawn after 2,000 years, His zeal undimmed by centuries of rebellion. This tireless King fuels His people’s endurance. [19:15]

He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.
(Psalm 110:7, ESV)

Reflection: What weariness have you been carrying that needs exchanging for Christ’s inexhaustible strength? How might His undimmed zeal reshape your view of long-term struggles?

Day 3: The Son Who Outranks His Ancestor

David’s psalm contains a holy riddle—how can his descendant also be his Lord? The answer explodes human categories: the Messiah is both root and offspring of David. As fully human, Jesus shares David’s lineage; as eternal God, He precedes and surpasses him. This dual nature allows Him to sympathize with our frailty while wielding divine power to save. The Pharisees’ silence at Jesus’ question reveals the staggering implications. [27:50]

“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’?”
(Matthew 22:42–44, ESV)

Reflection: How does Jesus being both David’s Son and David’s Lord deepen your trust in His ability to bridge heaven’s power and earth’s struggles?

Day 4: Shattered Foes and Willing Warriors

Christ’s reign provokes two responses: violent opposition or wholehearted allegiance. The psalm depicts Him crushing resistant kings while His people volunteer gladly for service. These aren’t conscripts but joy-filled partisans who’ve seen their King’s worth. Every baptism and communion service reenacts this dynamic—believers publicly declaring His worthiness, not under compulsion but captivated love. [34:33]

Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours.
(Psalm 110:3, ESV)

Reflection: When have you felt most like a “willing volunteer” for Christ’s cause? What about His character compels your free allegiance?

Day 5: The Ambiguity That Reveals Divinity

Psalm 110’s blurred pronouns create holy confusion—is the warrior shattering kings God or the Messiah? The text’s deliberate ambiguity points to Christ’s divine identity. Just as He calmed storms with a word, He now executes judgment with the Father’s authority. This fusion of divine and human agency assures believers their Champion is both near enough to understand and mighty enough to save. [31:19]

The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth.
(Psalm 110:5–6, ESV)

Reflection: How does Christ’s dual role as both battle commander and battle victor change how you face spiritual conflicts?

Sermon Summary

Psalm 110 gives the church a fresh vision of Jesus in his majesty. The psalm stands at the very core and heart of Scripture because it brings together the great Old Testament hopes for a coming Davidic king and a priest who makes atonement for sin. The New Testament, in a real sense, announces that Psalm 110 came true.

David opens with a stunning declaration: Yahweh says to David’s Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” The enthroned Christ has conquered through his once for all sacrifice, and he now rules at the Father’s right hand. His sitting is not inactivity. His sitting declares that his priestly work is finished, while his royal reign is presently active over the nations.

Verse 4 brings the shock: the King is also a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. The Mosaic covenant kept kingship and priesthood apart, but Psalm 110 looks ahead to a new covenant and a greater Son of David. Jesus is both lion and lamb, the King who judges with perfect justice and the Priest who offered himself so sinners could have peace with God. No other sacrifice remains for those who reject him.

The dew of his youth means that Jesus never grows old and never gets tired. Human wisdom often deepens just as human strength begins to fade, but no evening is coming for King Jesus. Two thousand years into his reign, it is still the morning of his reign. The warrior who drinks from the brook is continually refreshed by his Father as he hunts down the defeated enemy. His people may grow weary, but their King Priest never needs a transition plan and never leaves the throne.

Psalm 110 also presses the question Jesus gave the Pharisees: how can David call his own descendant “my Lord”? Jesus is truly David’s son, plainly human, drinking water and shedding blood. Jesus is also David’s Lord, God himself in human flesh. The Lord God and the Lord King act as one in judgment and victory, and such glory calls for more than a bare formula. Jesus is worthy of worship because there is none like him.

The psalm ends with enemies and people. Christ’s enemies will face his wrath, because rejecting his priestly sacrifice leaves no other refuge from sin. Christ’s people, however, offer themselves freely on the day of his power. His people do not bow through gritted teeth. His beauty wins them from the heart, and their joy makes visible the greatness of their King.

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Key Takeaways

1. Jesus reigns from the Father’s right hand. Christ’s enthronement means that his sacrifice has been received and his kingship is already active. His enemies remain real, but they cannot undo his reign. His people can take courage because the throne is occupied by the crucified and risen King. [16:55]
2. The King is also the Priest. Jesus does not merely rule over guilty people from a distance. Jesus makes atonement for guilty people through his own finished sacrifice. His authority and his mercy meet in the same person, the lion who is also the lamb. [18:02]
3. No evening is coming for Jesus. Human strength fades even when wisdom grows, but Christ never declines. His vigor, wisdom, presence, and power remain full and undiminished. Wearied saints can turn to him because he is never exhausted by their need. [22:42]
4. David’s Lord is God in flesh. Jesus is truly David’s descendant and truly David’s Lord. His humanity is not a disguise, and his deity is not an abstract idea. Worship becomes necessary when the church sees that God himself has come near in the humanity of Christ. [30:23]
5. Christ wins willing, joyful people. Christ does not build his people through coercion or outward compliance. His priestly mercy and kingly beauty draw hearts into glad surrender. Joyful obedience is part of the public display of his majesty.

## [36:38]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:17] - Psalm 110: The Most Quoted Psalm
[02:43] - An Anchor for the Soul
[04:13] - King and Priest Come Together
[06:37] - A Fresh Vision of Jesus’ Majesty
[07:56] - Christ Has Conquered and Rules
[11:00] - A Priest Forever After Melchizedek
[16:26] - The Finished Sacrifice of Jesus
[18:39] - Jesus Never Grows Old or Tired
[23:16] - The Warrior Refreshed for Battle
[26:19] - God Himself in Human Flesh
[34:16] - Christ Shatters Enemies and Thrills His People
[36:38] - Offering Themselves Freely
[38:44] - Bread and Wine at the Table

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Psalm 110
“The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.” [00:00]

Hebrews 6:19-20
“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” [03:02]

Matthew 22:41-46
“Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, 'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet'? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?" And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.” [27:31]

Observation questions

What two offices are brought together in the person described in Psalm 110, and why would that have been surprising under the Mosaic covenant? [11:26]
What images in Psalm 110 describe the King’s rule over his enemies, and what images describe the response of his people? [34:35]
In Hebrews 6:19–20, what connection is made between Christian hope and Jesus’ priesthood in the order of Melchizedek? [03:02]
In Matthew 22:41–46, what question does Jesus ask about David calling the Messiah “Lord,” and how do the Pharisees respond? [27:45]

Interpretation questions

What does it mean that Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand while his enemies still exist and oppose his rule? How does his sitting show both completed priestly work and ongoing kingly reign? [16:55]
Why is it good news that the same Jesus who judges with perfect justice is also the Priest who has made atonement for sinners? [18:02]
How does Jesus being both David’s descendant and David’s Lord help explain why he is fully human and fully God? [29:49]
What does Psalm 110 mean by saying that Christ’s people offer themselves freely? How is willing obedience different from outward compliance or religious pressure? [36:42]

Application questions

Where do the presence of Christ’s enemies—or the brokenness and opposition seen in the world—tempt you to wonder whether Jesus is truly reigning? How does his occupied throne give you courage in that specific area? [18:37]
When you feel guilty, ashamed, or tempted to prove yourself to God, what would it look like to rest again in Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice rather than trying to offer your own? [16:55]
In what part of life are you especially weary right now—work, family, health, ministry, or spiritual struggle? How might you deliberately turn to the King who never grows tired and is able to strengthen his people? [25:59]
Is your response to Jesus mainly duty, fear, habit, joy, or some mixture of these? What helps your heart see his beauty and offer yourself to him more freely? [37:02]
Jesus is truly God in human flesh and therefore worthy of worship, not merely agreement. How could your worship become more attentive and heartfelt this week—in private prayer, gathered worship, or obedience in an ordinary responsibility? [33:28]

Sermon Clips

City Church, that is not the story of your Lord and it never will be. There is no transition plan for Jesus. The due of his youth is his and it always will be his. It's still the morning of his reign. 2,000 years later, it is still the morning of his reign. His energy is not diminished. No evening is coming for King Jesus. [00:22:30]

And it is a great solace for us in weariness to be able to turn to the king priest who doesn't get weary. That's why he's able to renew you. He doesn't get old. There's no transition plan. He won't leave the throne. He doesn't get weary. He is ever available to restore and strengthen you in your weariness. [00:25:59]

Under the terms of the first covenant, the priest king is strictly forbidden. But in Psalm 110, David has a vision of a new day. This is a vision of a new covenant when one of his sons will somehow be greater than him. And that son will not only be king ruling over the people but priest making atonement for the sins of the people. [00:15:21]

Jesus is amazing as king and priest, as lion and lamb. So, cities church, your Lord has conquered through his priestly sacrifice, and he is ruling as the king of heaven. [00:18:27]

And of the Jesus who is seated right now as we do this. He's seated right now at his father's right hand reigning over the nations. Number one city's church. Your Lord has conquered and he is ruling. He has conquered and he is ruling. [00:07:56]

It is a once-for-all sacrifice at the cross. His work is complete. And so sing the finished work. The father says, "Sit at my right hand. Sit and rest to show your work is complete." [00:17:01]

I think the ambiguity is on purpose. It's not either one or the other. The Lord God and the Lord King act as one. There is an intentional conflation of God and his coming king that only now we know is embodied in Jesus. [00:32:31]

I wonder if your soul needs an anchor. Floating on the waves, here they come. There's a current taking you this way. Do you need an anchor? Hebrews 6 says Psalm 11:0 is an anchor. It is strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us in Jesus. [00:03:11]

The main focus is he makes atonement for sins. That's the main work the priest does. The kings make laws, render judgments, enforce justice. The priest served the people by offering sacrifices to cover sin so that a sinful people can have peace with God and not be destroyed by him. [00:16:21]

Jesus just leaves it right there. He doesn't give them the answer. He's going to answer it as he goes to the cross, as he rises again, as he ascends, as he reigns. He's going to the embody the answer in himself. He is the living son of David and also divine son. [00:29:31]

Psalm 110, a fresh vision of Jesus in his majesty. This is what God has for us, I believe, this morning as a church at this juncture in our church life. A fresh vision of our savior Jesus in his majesty. [00:06:32]

So part of that argument is the Jewish people had these great expectations over thousands of years various varied expectations of the Messiah. And a major stream is this coming king, the anointed king like David. And another major stream is the priesthood. The priests who offer sacrifices so that a sinful unholy people can be in the presence of a holy God. [00:04:13]

Sit in my right hand until I make your enemies your foottool. Which means not just that he's going to defeat the king's enemies, he's going to make the king's enemies serve the king's good. He's going to prop them up so that the king can put his feet up on the enemies and be served by them. [00:09:59]

One of the ways Psalm 110 is full of comfort is that it can provide assurance for Christians. Hebrews makes this point in Hebrews chapter 6 where he talks about Psalm 110 as an anchor for the soul. [00:02:52]

And part of that, at least, I think the bottom of it, what God's doing in that is he would have us know his son better. He's doing a bunch of other things besides, but at the bottom in all the discomfort, he wants us to know his son better. [00:05:59]

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