Names are important, especially in the Bible. Why else would God inspire His Word to include so many specific names on lengthy lists? He cares about every individual, even as He carries out elaborate plans for all time and eternity.

Nevertheless, some names get mentioned more often in Scripture than others. David is one of those names. His life story gets more attention than just about anyone else in the Bible—except Jesus, of course. David’s earthly kingdom points to a more expansive kingdom. (See Psalm 89; Isaiah 9:6–7). David also serves as a dividing marker in Matthew’s genealogy.

Each of Matthew’s key titles: (1) Jesus, (2) Christ, (3) the son of David, (4) the son of Abraham, is worthy of much reflection. The name Jesus is a form of the verb “to save.” The English word Christ translates the Hebrew word for Anointed One. God applies that title to Saul, David, and Cyrus, as having special roles in history, but there was one anointed one par excellence to which all the other lesser anointed ones pointed. Psalm 2 makes this clear by attaching descriptions of deity to the LORD’s Anointed One.

The title son of David removed all ambiguity as to who Jesus was. He was the promised Messiah, the One who would fulfill all prophecies. Better still, this One would satisfy longings that no other person, experience, possession, or accomplishment could fill. He would give water that would become “a spring of water gushing up to eternal life” (John 4:14 NRSV).

This should raise the question, What do you really want for Christmas?