The Forgotten Psalm (8)

"Christ Reigning Later?"

Series: The Forgotten Psalm: Recovering the Reigning Christ of Psalm 110 Date: Sunday, December 1, 2025 Text: Luke 19:11–27; Revelation 1:5 (LSB) Big Idea: A postponed reign creates a powerless Church—but the throne is not empty.

A 5th Sunday Psalm

Today is a 5th Sunday. For our church family, that means we anchor our hearts in the Psalms. But this morning, we don’t just turn to a Psalm — we return to the Psalm: Psalm 110. The most quoted Psalm in the New Testament. God’s favorite Psalm, if repetition is any measure. The anthem of the early Church.

Psalm 110 is not just a poetic flourish from David. It is a coronation decree:

“The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.’”

It shaped how Jesus talked about Himself. It shaped how the apostles preached the Gospel. And for eight weeks now, it has shaped this series.

But something has gone wrong in the modern Church. We’ve postponed the reign of Christ — shoved it into some distant future. As though Jesus is seated in heaven merely waiting for His moment to rule. And this one mistake has left us weak, hesitant, and unsure of our mission.

Luke 19 and Revelation 1:5 correct that mistake.

Series Recap

Let’s trace where we’ve come so far:

Week 1: Jesus silences the Pharisees by quoting Psalm 110. He reveals that the Messiah is not just David’s Son — He is David’s Lord.

Week 2: Standing before the Sanhedrin, Jesus declares “From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power.” His reign begins not after the cross but through the cross.

Week 3: Jesus ascends, returning to where He was before — seated at the right hand.

Week 4: At Pentecost, Peter preaches that Jesus is both Lord and Christ, fulfilling Psalm 110.

Week 5: Hebrews tells us He is exalted above all, seated at the right hand of the Majesty.

Week 6: Paul proclaims in 1 Corinthians 15 that He must reign until every enemy is underfoot.

Week 7: We lamented how the Church has stopped singing this Psalm — how our silence about the throne has weakened our witness.

And now in Week 8, we confront the root of that silence: The Church has forgotten that the King is already reigning.

We don’t need a new coronation. We need new confidence in the King we already have.

Scripture Reading — Luke 19:11–27; Revelation 1:5 (LSB)

Luke 19:11–27 —

"While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. So He said, 'A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. And he called ten of his slaves and gave them ten minas and said to them, "Do business until I come back." But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, "We do not want this man to reign over us." And it happened that when he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. And the first appeared, saying, "Master, your mina has made ten minas more." And he said to him, "Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very small thing, you are to have authority over ten cities." And the second came, saying, "Your mina, master, has made five minas." And he said to this one also, "And you are to be over five cities." And another came, saying, "Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man: you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow." He said to him, "From your own mouth I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am a demanding man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?" And he said to the bystanders, "Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas." And they said to him, "Master, he has ten minas already." 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.'"

Revelation 1:5 —

"...and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth."

Exposition

1. The Kingdom Misunderstood (v.11) "While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately." (Luke 19:11, LSB)

Jesus tells this parable because the people thought the Kingdom of God was going to appear immediately—as a visible, political restoration of national Israel. They were near Jerusalem, and anticipation was boiling over. The crowd expected messianic fireworks, thrones, and Roman defeat. They thought the coronation would be public and earthly. But Psalm 110 offers no such image.

Instead of a visible enthronement in the capital city, it presents a heavenly decree: "Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet." Jesus aligns with that vision. He is going to the cross, then the grave, and then to glory—not to delay the Kingdom, but to receive it from the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13–14).

The confusion in their minds mirrors our modern assumptions. Many today still believe that Christ’s rule will begin only after His physical return—as though the Kingdom must wait until the end of the age. But this ignores the pattern Psalm 110 reveals and Luke 19 affirms. Jesus doesn’t go to Jerusalem to be crowned by men—He goes to die, rise, and ascend to the right hand of God. He receives the Kingdom not on earth, but in heaven.

And yet, just like the crowd in Luke 19, we are tempted to equate the Kingdom with visible power, political takeover, or cultural dominance. We say, “Look around—this can’t be His reign.” But Psalm 110 and Daniel 7 say otherwise. The King is enthroned even if His enemies have not yet been fully subdued. His reign is active, not idle. He is reigning in the midst of His enemies (Psalm 110:2).

The delay is not in His authority—it is in our perception. The throne is already occupied. The question is whether we will recognize it and live like it's true—or keep waiting for a kind of kingship Jesus never promised.

Waiting is a dangerous place to be as we will see soon.

2. The Nobleman Receives a Kingdom (vv.12–13) "So He said, ‘A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. And he called ten of his own slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this money until I come back.’" (Luke 19:12–13, LSB)

Jesus now paints the full picture: the nobleman goes away to receive a Kingdom—not later on, but before he returns. This is not a parable of delay—it’s a parable of enthronement in absence. The nobleman (Jesus) receives the Kingdom while away, and expects His servants to operate under that authority in the meantime.

This is not the kind of authority that waits for marching orders or post-war cleanup—this is regal, covenantal, delegated authority to act in the name of the enthroned King. It is not passive. It is not theoretical. It is an empowered charge to take dominion under His scepter. This is not merely wartime survival—it is Kingdom expansion. The command to "do business" implies agency, ownership, faithfulness, and expectation. It assumes the nobleman’s name and seal carry weight even in His absence. His throne, though in heaven, rules over all—and His servants are to move in confidence, not fear; in initiative, not sloth; in authority, not apathy.

This is a direct fulfillment of Psalm 110:1—"Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet." He is not waiting in the future to become King; He is seated already. Daniel 7:14 confirms it: "To Him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom." The timing is crystal clear—the nobleman receives His rule while away, not upon return.

And what does He do in the meantime? He entrusts His servants with minas—a small sum, yes, but a potent symbol. He doesn’t tell them to wait. He doesn’t tell them to speculate. He tells them to work. "Do business until I come." This is dominion language. Kingdom labor. Faithful stewardship under the King’s authority.

Psalm 110:3 says, “Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power.” Not in the day of His future return—but in the present reign. This is that day. And this is that charge.

The early Church understood this and lived like it. They didn’t await a distant Kingdom—they walked in its light. They didn’t need visible crowns and thrones—they had the Word, the Spirit, and the King enthroned in heaven.

Think of the early martyrs—men and women who proclaimed Jesus as Lord in the face of death. When Roman officials demanded allegiance to Caesar, they refused—not out of politics, but out of worship. Their allegiance belonged to another King, seated on another throne. Polycarp, Ignatius, Perpetua—these saints declared the kingship of Christ with their blood. They were not rebels or revolutionaries in the eyes of men; they were servants who took the nobleman’s command seriously: "Do business until I come."

And what was their business? Faithfulness unto death. Preaching the gospel in hostile cities. Caring for widows and orphans. Living holy lives that defied the idols of their age. Their witness proves Psalm 110:3 true—His people volunteer freely in the day of His power. Even when that power is mocked, hidden, or resisted—they served the unseen throne with unwavering loyalty.

If we say Christ is King but act as if He’s absent, we betray our stewardship. The minas in our hands are not for decoration—they are for multiplication. Gospel truth, Kingdom authority, Spirit empowerment—all of it entrusted to us for His glory.

So the King has received His Kingdom. Now the question is: what are we doing with it?

3. The Citizens Reject His Rule (v.14) "But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us!’" (Luke 19:14, LSB)

Here is the stark contrast. While the servants are commanded to work under the King’s authority, the citizens respond with hatred and rejection. They do not want Him to reign. They resist the nobleman’s authority even as he is being enthroned. This is not apathy—this is rebellion.

Psalm 110 anticipates this in its pairing with Psalm 2. The nations rage and the peoples plot in vain. “Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!” (Psalm 2:3). But what does God do in response? “He who sits in the heavens laughs… I have installed My King upon Zion.” (Psalm 2:4–6)

The rebellion of the citizens does not hinder the coronation of the King. He is enthroned despite their hatred. Their resistance does not delay the Kingdom—it proves the Kingdom is already in force. The very fact that there is rejection shows that His rule has already begun. You don't rebel against a throne that doesn't exist. The outcry of "we do not want this Man to reign over us" is not a preventative—it is a confirmation. Psalm 110:2 says He rules in the midst of His enemies, not in their absence. The Kingdom’s advance is not marked by the absence of opposition but by the presence of delegated authority. He entrusts His servants with real responsibility—"Do business until I come"—because His reign is active and the authority is real. This is not a throne waiting to be set up, but a throne already issuing orders. The battlefield proves the rule. The uprising proves the crown. The hatred proves the scepter is already extended.

This rejection also mirrors the modern world. Many do not want a reigning Christ—they want a religious option, a cultural tradition, or a future Savior who makes no demands in the present. But Psalm 110 leaves no such option. Christ rules in the midst of His enemies. And their denial of His Lordship doesn’t change His reality. He rules with a rod of iron, and the day is coming when every knee will bow (Phil. 2:10).

Just like then, so now—many still send a message to heaven: “We do not want this Man to reign over us.” But the decree has already been issued: He does.

4. The King Returns to Settle Accounts (vv.15–19) “And it happened that when he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. And the first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave. Because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’ And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’” (Luke 19:15–19, LSB)

Now the parable turns. The nobleman has returned—not to receive a kingdom, but having already received it. The enthronement is complete. Now comes the reckoning.

This moment is not about rewards alone—it is about revealing the reality of His rule. These servants were not simply waiting for Him to return. They were entrusted with authority because He had already been enthroned. This scene, then, is the manifestation of what Psalm 110 describes. His session at the right hand of God is not idle. It leads to action, expectation, and reward. It places every servant under a charge—and every charge under future review.

Notice the reward. It is not rest, retirement, or removal from labor. It is greater responsibility: “You shall have authority over ten cities.” This is dominion theology in action. Kingdom faithfulness leads to Kingdom expansion. The one who labored under Christ’s reign is now entrusted with more under that reign. This pattern echoes throughout Scripture:

Psalm 110:1–3 shows a King whose people offer themselves freely in His day of power.

Daniel 7:27 speaks of “the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven” being given to the saints.

2 Timothy 2:12 says, “If we endure, we will also reign with Him.”

Revelation 3:21 promises that those who overcome will sit with Him on His throne.

Faithfulness now leads to shared reign later. But that reign begins here. Not in its fullness—but in real measure. The servant who multiplied his mina was not merely praised—he was promoted. This is not abstract spirituality. This is practical Kingdom advancement.

And it pushes us to ask:

What are we doing with what He’s given us?

The mina is not just money—it is every deposit of grace, truth, and opportunity we’ve received from the King. The gospel, the Spirit, the Word, the Church, our callings, our gifts—all of it has been placed in our hands to be worked, not wasted.

We are not waiting for the King to return so He can reign. We are laboring now because He already does.

This parable is not a warning against laziness in the abstract—it is a charge against passive Christianity. It rebukes the idea that we’re just holding out until Jesus comes back. No—we’re entrusted managers of the Kingdom’s currency. And one day, the King will ask what we did with it.

In that day, some will say, “Lord, here is what Your gospel did through me—tenfold.” Others will say, “Here’s five.” And to each, the King will not only say “Well done,” but will share His reign.

Psalm 110 doesn’t just speak of a seated Christ—it speaks of an active Christ, subduing enemies through His people. And those people—the Church—are not onlookers to the battle. We are agents of the crown. His servants who multiply what He gave. His ambassadors who prepare the ground for His return.

The real question is this: when He comes—will He find Kingdom fruit in our hands?

5. The Lazy Servant Is Exposed (vv.20–23) “Another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a face cloth; for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man: you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am a demanding man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’” (Luke 19:20–23, LSB)

This servant didn’t rebel outwardly like the citizens who said, “We do not want this man to reign over us.” He didn’t curse the King. He didn’t march in protest. He simply did nothing. And yet, his crime was severe.

His excuse? Fear. But it was not a reverent fear—it was a self-justifying cowardice. He assumed hardness in the Master but used that assumption as a reason to avoid responsibility. He buried what was entrusted. He treated his King’s mina as a liability, not a privilege. He reduced Kingdom business to caution. But the King expected courage.

Psalm 110 shows us a Messiah ruling in the midst of His enemies. That kind of King is not looking for passive caretakers. He is looking for active stewards. This servant had no love for the King, no drive to honor Him, no willingness to risk. He feared failure more than he feared the One enthroned in glory.

And look at the King’s response: “By your own words I will judge you…” This is chilling. The servant’s view of the King—however warped—becomes the standard of judgment. “If you really thought I was this demanding, then why didn’t you at least act in some minimal way?”

This is a picture of the professing believer who acknowledges the Lord but refuses His Lordship. He may sing the songs and confess the creeds, but his hands are empty. No gospel fruit. No missional effort. No offering laid at the King’s feet. Just a wrapped-up religion hiding behind fear and self-protection.

Revelation 1:5 declares Jesus as "the ruler of the kings of the earth." The Lord of glory is not looking for excuses—He’s calling for fruit. And this servant, while not overtly rebellious, ends up judged by his own inaction. He may not have shouted “We will not have this man to reign over us,” but his laziness said the same.

Paul expands this theology in Romans 1—mankind is without excuse. Even passive suppression of the truth leads to active judgment. The same principle applies here. The lazy servant’s sin is not ignorance—it’s apathy. And that apathy is treated with the same gravity as rebellion.

There is no neutral ground in the Kingdom. To neglect the King's charge is to reject His crown.

So what do we make of this servant? Is he saved? Lost? That’s not the point of the parable. But if we press the parallel to Matthew 25 (the parable of the talents), we find the same language applied to a servant who is cast into outer darkness. Which means this may not just be a warning about poor stewardship—it may be a window into false discipleship.

And for the Church, this clarifies everything:

We are not building toward His kingship. We are building under it.

We are not waiting for Jesus to become King. We are walking in the wake of His enthronement.

When He comes, it won’t be to set up His rule—it will be to hold all accountable to the rule that was already present. The authority of Christ is not in waiting; it has already been issued. He is seated at the right hand of Power (Psalm 110:1), reigning now. The minas were given under that authority. The stewardship happened in that Kingdom. The judgment will be according to what we did in light of that already-active reign. He will not return to announce a Kingdom—He will return to evaluate how we lived beneath it.

Which brings us to the final verses…

6. The Reckoning: Slaves and Enemies Judged (vv.24–27) “Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas already!’ I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them—bring them here and slay them in my presence.’” (Luke 19:24–27, LSB)

The scene shifts quickly. There is no lengthy deliberation. The judgment is immediate and final. First, the lazy servant is stripped. His mina—the King’s gift—is taken from him and given to the faithful one with ten. This seems backwards to the crowd. “Master, he already has ten!” But this King doesn’t deal in fairness—He deals in fruitfulness. Faithfulness is rewarded with more responsibility. Psalm 110:3 says His people volunteer freely in the day of His power—not hide behind fear, not coast on minimal effort, but pour out their lives for the King who reigns.

Jesus drives this point home with a kingdom principle: “To everyone who has, more shall be given; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.” This is not economic theory—it’s eternal accountability. Spiritual slackness is not just unproductive—it is disqualifying. The lazy servant didn’t “lose salvation.” He revealed that he never truly belonged. He bore no resemblance to a willing subject of the King.

And then we reach the terrifying conclusion: “But these enemies of mine, who did not want Me to reign over them—bring them here and slay them in My presence.”

This is Psalm 110 in full effect. “He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath…” (Psalm 110:5). This is not symbolic. This is covenant justice. Those who rejected the King’s reign—who hated His rule, resisted His law, rebelled against His throne—are brought to judgment. The enemies are not lazy slaves. They are the ones who openly rejected His kingship, who said, “We will not have this man rule over us.”

But we must also reckon with the sobering proximity between the lazy servant and the outright rebels. Though one may sit in the pew and the other on the battlefield, both are estranged from the heart of the King. Matthew 25 confirms this—there, the worthless servant is cast into outer darkness. Which suggests that in the end, apathy and open rebellion may share the same judgment.

Jesus is making a distinction—but it’s not the one we want. We want a clean break between saved and unsaved, lazy but still secure. But this parable forces us to ask: if we carry no burden for the King’s business, if we hide His gospel instead of stewarding it, if we confess His name but never engage His mission—are we truly His?

The rebellious nations are shattered. But so is every pretense of neutral Christianity.

And in the presence of the King—enthroned and returning—the judgment is not administrative. It is personal. “Bring them here and slay them in My presence.” This is not cruelty. It is covenant righteousness. The One who was given a Kingdom by the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13–14), the One seated at the right hand of Yahweh (Psalm 110:1), now executes final judgment.

Christ’s return is not about beginning His reign. It is about bringing His enemies to justice and rewarding those who have labored under His crown.

This is the forgotten Psalm in action. The King is enthroned. The reckoning will come.

🔨 Application Points

1. Stop Postponing the Throne If Christ is already reigning (Psalm 110:1), then every day you wait to obey is an act of rebellion or apathy. There is no “safe delay” when the King is enthroned now.

2. Steward the Gospel Like It’s Royal Treasure The mina wasn’t a casual gift—it was the King’s deposit. Treat your spiritual stewardship like you are handling the wealth of a ruling monarch—because you are.

3. Don’t Confuse Church Attendance with Faithfulness The lazy servant stayed close to the kingdom but never served it. He held the King’s name but never did the King’s work. Examine your life—are you fruitful or just familiar?

4. Refuse Neutral Christianity There is no neutral ground. You are either advancing the King’s business or excusing your own comfort. The Kingdom demands action, not applause.

5. Expect Resistance, But Remember the Reign The world will rage, the nations will mock, and the Church will feel small. But none of that alters the location of the throne. Christ is seated now—do not measure His rule by their response.

6. Preach and Live Like the Reckoning Is Coming Luke 19 ends with slaughter and reward. Every soul you meet will face the returning King. Let that awaken urgency, courage, and holy joy as you call them to surrender now—not later.

💥 Gospel Call: Come Under the Reign

The King has received His Kingdom. He is not waiting to rule—He reigns now. He is seated at the right hand of Power, and from that throne He commands repentance, extends mercy, and distributes minas.

And here is the stunning grace of it all:

The throne that rules the cosmos is also the throne that bore a crown of thorns. The One who will judge the living and the dead is the same One who bore our sin in His body on the tree. The One who reigns in glory is the same One who stooped in grace.

So don’t wait. Don’t postpone obedience. Don't be like the lazy servant who feared the King but never knew Him— or the rebels who resisted His reign until judgment came.

Repent—μετανοέω (metanoeō)—literally: “to change one’s mind.” But not just intellectually—this is a wholesale turning of your life. Turn from rebellion. Turn from apathy. Turn from self-rule.

Come under the rule of the reigning Christ. Because the throne is real. The reign is active. And the door of mercy is open—for now.

But the King will return.

And when He does, the mina will be measured. The stewards will be judged. And the enemies will be slain.

So come now—while He is still calling. Come to the King. Come to the cross. Bow, believe, and be born again.

🏰 Summary: Psalm 110 as the Foundation

This entire parable rests on a single, glorious truth:

The King is already reigning.

Psalm 110 is the spine of this story—the theological backbone that explains every verse.

“Sit at My right hand” (Psalm 110:1) explains the enthronement.

“Rule in the midst of Your enemies” (Psalm 110:2) explains the conflict.

“Your people will volunteer freely” (Psalm 110:3) explains the stewardship.

“He will shatter kings…” (Psalm 110:5–6) explains the reckoning.

Jesus isn't telling us how the Kingdom might work—He’s showing us how it does. This is the reign of Psalm 110 in action. It is not delayed. It is not optional. It is not symbolic. It is active. It is real. It is global.

Luke 19 isn’t just a parable about responsibility. It is a wake-up call to recognize the King of Psalm 110— enthroned in Heaven, ruling now, returning soon.

So may we not be lazy servants. May we not be neutral believers. May we not be silent churches.

Let us rise—willing volunteers in the day of His power. Because today is His day. And Psalm 110 has been fulfilled.