by David Poyun Kim (An adjunct professor of preaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and as an assistant professor of preaching and practical theology at Evangelia University)
This study examines the interpretation and proclamation of the Messianic Psalms through the lens of Text-Driven Preaching. Although evangelical preaching has long affirmed that the Psalms bear witness to Christ, further hermeneutical and homiletical reflection is needed on how these texts should be interpreted and preached according to their literary movement and canonical fulfillment. This paper argues that faithful preaching of the Messianic Psalms requires more than a general Christological conviction; it requires a theological and text-driven framework in which the substance, structure, and spirit of the text govern both interpretation and proclamation. To advance this claim, the study clarifies the canonical and historical background of the Messianic Psalms, distinguishes major types of messianic fulfillment, and employs the categories of Davidization, messianic fulfillment, and messianization in order to establish a theoretical foundation for interpreting the Messianic Psalms. It further argues that Hebrews, especially in its use of Psalm 110, provides a hermeneutical-homiletical model for the text-driven proclamation of the Messianic Psalms. As one of the clearest sermonic writings in the New Testament, Hebrews uses Psalm 110 as a central text for proclaiming Christ’s kingship and priesthood, and therefore serves as a fitting biblical model for preaching the Messianic Psalms. On this basis, the study proposes an interpretive movement from David to Christ and from Christ to the church, illustrating the homiletical potential of this approach through Psalm 22. Accordingly, this paper contends that Text-Driven Preaching offers a theological and homiletical framework for proclaiming the Messianic Psalms in a way that is exegetically grounded, canonically responsible, Christologically rich, and pastorally relevant.
