When David Calls Someone “Lord”: A Reflection on Psalm 110
Every now and then in Scripture you come across a verse that looks simple at first, but the longer you sit with it, the more you realize there is something deeper going on.
The meaning of Psalm 110 becomes clearer the moment we notice what David says about the coming Messiah.
It contains a short line that Jesus later used to ask a question that completely stopped the religious leaders in their tracks. The verse itself is easy to read, but the implication behind it reveals something profound about who the Messiah really is.
David Says Something Remarkable
Psalm 110 opens with these words:
“The LORD says to my Lord:
‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.’”
— Psalm 110:1 (NIV)
At first glance, it might seem like David is simply describing a conversation involving God.
But notice what David says.
He refers to someone as “my Lord.”
That statement carries weight because David himself was the king of Israel. He was the leader others looked to. He was the one who normally held authority.
Yet here David recognizes someone greater.
Even the king acknowledges a higher authority.
The Question Jesus Asked
Centuries later, Jesus pointed directly to this verse while speaking with the Pharisees.
They believed the Messiah would be the Son of David, a descendant who would eventually rule Israel. That part was correct. The Messiah would come through David’s line.
But Jesus asked them something that forced them to think more carefully.
“If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”
— Matthew 22:45 (NIV)
In other words, if the Messiah is simply David’s descendant, why would David call him Lord?
The religious leaders didn’t have an answer.
Because the implication was clear.
The Messiah would be more than David’s descendant.
He would be David’s Lord.
A Lesson from the Fireground
Years spent in emergency response teach you something important about authority.
On a fire scene, there may be several experienced firefighters present. Some may have decades on the job. Some may have trained others. Some may know the building better than anyone.
But when the incident commander arrives and takes command, the situation changes immediately.
Everyone understands what happens next.
Not because someone forced them to accept it.
But because they recognize who has the authority to direct the outcome.
Experience, seniority, and personal opinions all step aside for one reason:
There is now a clear command structure.
David Recognized the Authority
Psalm 110 reflects a similar kind of recognition.
David was not just another citizen in Israel. He was the king. The leader. The one people followed.
Yet David looked ahead and spoke about someone he called “my Lord.”
That simple phrase tells us something important.
David understood that the coming Messiah would hold an authority even greater than his own.
He would not simply be another ruler in David’s family line.
He would be Lord.
Seeing Jesus Clearly
When Jesus quoted Psalm 110, He was not just debating theology with religious leaders. He was revealing something about His own identity.
The Messiah was not merely a future king.
He was the one who would sit at the right hand of God.
The apostles later connected this psalm directly to Christ after His resurrection and ascension.
“For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:25 (NIV)
In other words, the authority David spoke about long ago is part of the larger story of Christ’s reign.
The Question That Still Remains
Psalm 110 quietly asks a question that still matters today.
Who is Jesus, really?
For some people, He is a historical figure. For others, a teacher or moral example.
But Psalm 110 pushes us to see Him differently.
Even David—the king of Israel—recognized the coming Messiah as Lord.
That realization eventually confronts every one of us.
Not simply in what we believe about Jesus, but in whether we recognize His authority in our lives.
That truth also reminds us of something important about faith itself. If Jesus truly is Lord, then His work on our behalf is already complete. We don’t add to it with our effort or try to improve on what He finished. I wrote more about that in another reflection here: Why We Can’t Add to What Jesus Did.
A Quiet Moment to Reflect
Faith does not always grow through dramatic moments.
Sometimes it grows when we pause long enough to notice what Scripture is quietly saying.
Psalm 110 shows us something remarkable.
The greatest king Israel ever had looked ahead and acknowledged someone greater.
And he called Him Lord.
A Song That Reflects the King We Recognize
Sometimes music captures the story of the gospel in a way that simply reminds us of the bigger picture.
The reflection above looks at Psalm 110, where David speaks of someone greater than himself — someone he calls “my Lord.” It’s a quiet reminder that the Messiah would not just be another king in David’s line, but the One who would ultimately reign over all.
The song below tells that larger story of Christ in a beautiful way. It walks through the gospel from beginning to end — from the promise of the Messiah, to the cross, to the resurrection, and the birth of the church.
As you listen, notice how it keeps returning to the same central truth:
Jesus is the King of Kings.
It’s a fitting reminder of the authority David pointed to long before Jesus ever walked the earth.
King of Kings — Hillsong Worship
More Straight Talk on Faith
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