Luke 1:26-33 [26] In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, [27]to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. [28] And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" [29] But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. [30] And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. [31] And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. [32] He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, [33]and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." (ESV)
For many people, the Christmas season has already begun. This past Friday, so-called Black Friday, was when many stores kick off their official Christmas sales and many people flock to malls, downtowns and shopping centers festooned with Yuletide decorations. Many can expect their calendars to now be filled with Television Christmas specials, school Christmas concerts, work-related Christmas parties and family obligations. Yet in the midst of the rush, Advent beckons us to remember the blessings of this often-overlooked season. A season of hope.
(https://www.ministrymatters.com/all/entry/6500/advent-a-season-of-blessings)
For centuries, the promise of a Savior, was the hope of the faithful, believing remnant of Israel, which continued its realization with Gabriel’s second appearance in the Gospel of Luke, this time to a young woman. Luke’s simple, unadorned, unembellished account of Gabriel’s announcement to Mary emphasizes the divine character of Christ’s birth. The events depicted in Luke 1 reflect the message of hope and Mary's contemplation of the future.
Of all the things we hope for during this season of Advent, it is often the simple things that bring the most joy. When shopping is done, travel commitments are achieved, and work is finished we can catch our breath as it were and think. When our minds turn to the coming of Christ we should reflect upon the hope of the Gospel and the implication of His kingdom consummation of His return.
Luke presents this "Gift of Hope" in Christ through: 1) The Divine Messenger (Luke 1:26), 2) The Divine Choice (Luke 1:27), 3)The Divine Blessing (Luke 1:28–30), and 4) The Divine Child (Luke 1:31-33).
In Luke 1, we see “The Gift of Hope” as shown through:
1) The Divine Messenger (Luke 1:26)
Luke 1:26 [26] In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, (ESV)
Gabriel’s appearance to Zacharias had broken four centuries of revelatory silence. Astonishingly, just a short while later in the sixth month (of Elizabeth’s pregnancy as indicated by Lk. 1:36.) the angel Gabriel was once again sent from God with a revelation that would be the most significant birth announcement the world has ever known, heralding the most monumentally significant event in human history—the birth of the only Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, the great God of heaven sends the gift of salvation to humans in a serene unadorned package of simplicity (Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke: 1:1–9:50 (Vol. 1, p. 107). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.).
• One of the greatest dangers in celebrating the story of the birth of Christ each year is that it become cliché or boring. The only way we can avoid this is seeing God behind the event. This is not mere baby story but the eternal immortal God of the universe bringing about His divine plan in the most miraculous way.
The last time the angel Gabriel appeared before the events in the Gospels, was to the prophet Daniel more than five hundred years earlier (Daniel 8:15–17; 9:21). Each time Gabriel appeared, he brought important messages from God. Gabriel delivered this crucial message from God not to Jerusalem as might be expected, but to a city in Galilee called Nazareth. To call Nazareth a city is somewhat misleading. Nazareth was by no stretch of the imagination a city in the modern sense of the word; it was actually a small village of only a few hundred people. (The Greek word translated city actually refers to a population center as opposed to a rural area, regardless of size.) For the benefit of his Gentile readers, who may not have been familiar with Palestinian geography, Luke noted that Nazareth was in Galilee, about seventy-five to one hundred miles north of Jerusalem. So obscure and insignificant was this tiny hamlet that it is not even mentioned in the Old Testament, the Talmud, or the writings of Josephus. Yet, despite the claims of some skeptics, however, archaeological evidence proves that Nazareth did in fact exist in Jesus’ day [cf. E. M. Blaiklock and R. K. Harrison, eds., The New International Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1983) s.v., “Nazareth”; Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), 102–103].)
Please turn to Isaiah 9
Nazareth was not on any of the major trade routes; all the important roads bypassed it. It was well off the beaten path, far from the important centers of Jewish culture and religion. Moreover, Galilee, where Nazareth was located, was known as “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Isa. 9:1; Matt. 4:15) because of its proximity to Gentile regions. God’s choice of Nazareth to be Jesus’ birthplace reveals that He is the Savior of all types of people, not just of the powerful and elite of one nation only, but of all “those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks” (1 Cor. 1:24; cf. Isa. 11:10; 42:6; Luke 2:32; Acts 10:34–35; 13:48–49; Rom. 15:9–12). (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., Taylor, L. C., & Osborne, G. R. (1997). Luke (pp. 16–17). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
Isaiah’s vision predicts how the Messiah launched His worldwide mission from this region in Galilee (Matt. 4:12–16).
Isaiah 9:1-7 [9:1] But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. [2] The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. [3] You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. [4] For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. [5] For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. [6] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [7] Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. (ESV)
• The divine ruler will not merely be God, but although partaking of the divine attributes, will have the most human of all arrivals upon the earth, namely, birth. The expected perfect king will be human and divine.
Illustration: Angels from the Realms of Glory
When the Moravian Christians of Europe launched Protestant missions, they did it at a cost. Many of them had to leave their children behind in boarding schools across England and the Continent. And so it was that the Montgomery family reluctantly placed six-year-old James in such an institution as they shipped off as foreign missionaries to the West Indies. When they later perished, James, left with nothing, spent his teenage years drifting from pillar to post, writing poetry and trying his hand at one thing then another. In his early twenties, he began working for a British newspaper, the Sheffield Iris, and there he found his niche. When his editorials proved unpopular with the local officials, he was thrown into jail and fined twenty pounds. But he emerged from prison a celebrity, and he used his newly acquired fame to promote his favorite issues. Chief among them was the Gospel. Despite the loss of his parents and all his hardships, James Montgomery remained devoted to Christ and the Scriptures. As the years passed, he became the most respected leader in Sheffield, and his writings were eagerly read by its citizens. Early on Christmas Eve, 1816, James, forty-five, opened his Bible, and was deeply impressed by Luke 2:13. Pondering the story of the heralding angels, he took his pen and started writing. By the end of the day his new Christmas poem was being delivered to England in the pages of his newspaper. It was later set to music and was first sung on Christmas Day, 1821, in a Moravian Church in England. His poem of announcement, like that of Gabriel to Mary read: "Angels from the realms of glory, Wing your flight o’er all the earth; Ye who sang creation’s story, Now proclaim Messiah’s birth; Come and worship, Come and worship, Worship Christ the new-born King". (Morgan, R. J. (2000). Nelson’s complete book of stories, illustrations, and quotes (electronic ed., p. 113). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
In Luke 1, we see “The Gift of Hope” as shown through:
2) The Divine Choice (Luke 1:27)
Luke 1:27 [27]to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. (ESV)
The announcement of Jesus’ miraculous birth came to a young girl in a small, insignificant village. She is described first of all as a virgin. Parthenos (virgin) refers to a person who has never had sexual relations, and would never be used to describe a married woman. In Jewish tradition a girl was normally betrothed/engaged in the thirteenth year and for legal but not domestic purposes was from that point on considered to be married. Around a year later the girl was taken to the bridegroom’s home for normal married life to begin. Sexual relations prior to this “taking home” would be considered a violation of marriage customs (Str- 1:45–47; 2:393–98; Gaechter, Maria, 79–92).
For Mary to be a virgin, biblically it is required for several reasons: (1) to fulfill Old Testament prophecy (Gen 3:15; Isa 7:14; Jer 31:22); (2) to avoid the Old Testament curse on the seed of Jeconiah (Jer 22:24–30), yet still be able to claim the Throne of David in the kingly line; (3) to be in accord with the theological implications of the inspiration of the Scriptures and Christ’s sinless humanity. Through the miraculous virgin conception, Christ avoided receiving a sinful nature; (4) to avoid receiving a human father. Christ already had a Father, and it would be unsuitable to have a second one; (5) to avoid creating a new person, as is done in all normal conceptions. Mary’s conception of Christ was to be the incarnation of an already existing person (Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 2011). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.).
This particular virgin was betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph. Though just an ordinary carpenter, he was by lineage one of the house of/descendants of David, Israel’s greatest king, from whose loins the Messiah would come (2 Sam. 7:12, 16; Ps. 89:35–36; Jer. 23:5; Matt. 22:42; Mark 10:47; Acts 2:30; 13:23; Rom. 1:3). Matthew’s genealogy of Christ traces His ancestry through Joseph (1:1–17), showing that he descended from David, thus Jesus is also “the son of David” (Matt. 1:1). Although Joseph was not Jesus’ biological father, his adoption of Jesus made Him legally part of David’s lineage. The genealogy in Matthew thus establishes Christ’s claim to the throne of David as Joseph’s legal heir. Legally, since Mary at the time of her engagement is Joseph’s wife, any child born to Mary would be regarded as Joseph’s, if he accepted care for the child (Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke: 1:1–9:50 (Vol. 1, p. 108). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.).
Please turn to Psalm 89
Psalm 89:19–37 is the record of how God Promised an Enduring Dynasty to David. It is the story of how the line of David came into the kingship, and what promises God made to that line. The psalm draws on the story of David’s anointing (1 Sam. 16:1–13) and God’s oath to David (2 Sam. 7:4–17) (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1050). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
Psalm 89:19-37 [19] Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said: "I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. [20]I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, [21]so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him. [22] The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him. [23]I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. [24] My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted. [25]I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. [26] He shall cry to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.' [27] And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. [28] My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. [29]I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. [30]If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, [31]if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, [32]then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, [33] but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. [34]I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips.[35] Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. [36] His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. [37] Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies." (ESV)
• This passage specifies clearly why Christ came through the Davidic line and the significance for Christians. We see that it is through God's choosing (v.19), and enabling (v.20). Jesus is noted as the “firstborn,” in the NT, explained here as the exalted heir of David who represents his people (v.26-28) (Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:15, 18; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 1:5). The promises are declared and established though God's steadfast love expressed through covenant (v.28). These blessings and promises flow to his spiritual descendents (v.29) and will effect sonship with the corresponding discipline and blessing (v. 30-35) extending forever (v36-37).
Back in Luke 1:27, we see how Luke simply reports that the virgin’s name was Mary. Miriam; is her Hebrew name—transliterated through Greek, ‘Mariam’ becomes ‘Maria’ in Latin and ‘Mary’ in English. Like Joseph, Mary also traced her ancestry back to David (3:23–38). Luke’s genealogy of Jesus records His ancestry through His mother. Thus, Jesus inherited from His adoptive father, Joseph, the legal right to David’s throne, while His physical descent from David came from His mother, Mary. In every legitimate sense—both legally and physically—Jesus Christ was the Son of David and born to be Israel’s true King. (Mills, M. S. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record (Lk 1:26–38). Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries.)
.Luke ascribed nothing to Mary except her status as a virgin; he added nothing that would set her apart as a noteworthy young woman. Though she must have been righteous and obedient (as her testimony in vv. 46–55 proves), perhaps the Holy Spirit was avoiding anything that might make the Romish “Mary cult” any worse, if that were possible. That is most likely why Luke made nothing of the etymology of this name (“exalted one”). (Stein, R. H. (1992). Luke (Vol. 24, p. 82). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
• Mary was young, poor, female—all characteristics that, to the people of her day, would make her seem unusable by God for any major task. But God chose Mary for one of the most important acts of obedience He has ever demanded of anyone. You may feel that your ability, experience, or education makes you an unlikely candidate for God’s service. Don’t limit God’s choices. He can use you if you trust him. Take him at his word (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., Taylor, L. C., & Osborne, G. R. (1997). Luke (p. 17). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.).
Illustration: A man approached a little league baseball game one afternoon. He asked a boy in the dugout what the score was. The boy responded, “Eighteen to nothing—we’re behind.” “Boy,” said the spectator, “I’ll bet you’re discouraged.” “Why should I be discouraged?” replied the little boy. “We haven’t even gotten up to bat yet!” (Morgan, R. J. (2000). Nelson’s complete book of stories, illustrations, and quotes (electronic ed., p. 451). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
For hundreds of years God's people suffered persecution, exile and captivity, but they remained a hopeful people because of God's promises. The coming of Christ thought he line of David is one in a line of fulfilled promises from God. He acts at the right time, in the right way for the right ends. Our job is to hope in and through His promises.
Third, in Luke 1, we see “The Gift of Hope” as shown through:
3) The Divine Blessing (Luke 1:28–30)
Luke 1:28-30 [28] And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" [29] But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. [30] And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. (ESV)
The phrase the Angel came to her/was coming in clearly implies that Mary was in her house, apparently alone, when Gabriel appeared. She was undoubtedly doing the normal domestic chores of a twelve- or thirteen-year-old Jewish girl. The angel’s first word to her was the common, everyday salutation “Greetings,” or “Hello.” His low-key introduction and immediate statement of blessing was likely intended to calm and reassure Mary. By addressing her as favored one, Gabriel indicated that Mary had nothing to fear, but was to become the recipient of God’s grace, but not the giver of grace. (Cf. Gen. 6:8.) (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1943). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.) There was nothing intrinsically worthy about her that set her above other believers, as if she was perfectly holy; like all people, she was a sinner (cf. Job 25:4; Ps. 14:1–3; Eccles. 7:20; Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:12, 23) in need of God’s grace (Acts 15:11; 18:27; Rom. 3:24; 5:15, 17; Eph. 1:7; 2:5, 8; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:7). The emphasis is on God’s sovereign choice, not on human acceptability (Stein, R. H. (1992). Luke (Vol. 24, p. 83). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
Gabriel’s pronouncement to Mary, “the Lord is with you,” speaks of God’s enabling of her (cf. Judg. 6:12). It reinforces the truth that Mary was a recipient of God’s grace, not the dispenser of it to others. Only God gives grace to sinners, as Scripture indicates continually (cf. Rom. 3:24; 1 Cor. 1:4; Eph. 2:8), seen from the repeated use of the phrase “the grace of God”). This language is often used in the OT with reference to a person chosen by God for a special purpose in salvation history; in such contexts this phrase assures human agents of divine resources and protection (Cf., e.g., Gen 26:24; 28:15; Exod 3:12; Jer 1:8. )(Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke (p. 87). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Please look down to verse 46
Mary's song of Praise, called the Magnificat, is a Psalm of Thanksgiving explains why she is thankful to God. She is so thankful because she recognizes that she is a sinner in need of a savior
Luke 1:46-55 [46] And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, [47]and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, [48] for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; [49] for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. [50] And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. [51]He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; [52]he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;[53]he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. [54] He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, [55]as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever." (ESV)
Realizing that she was an unworthy sinner verse 29 reports that Mary was very troubled/perplexed at Gabriel’s statement, and tried to discern/kept pondering what sort/kind of greeting/salutation this might be/was. It was not just his appearing to her that caused Mary’s consternation, but what he said to her. Very troubled/perplexed translates a form of the verb diatarassomai (“greatly disturbed, or confused”). Mary was perplexed because she knew that she was a sinner, and did not understand why God had favored her. But Mary’s genuine humility manifested her true righteousness (cf. Pss. 34:2; 138:6; Prov. 3:34; Isa. 66:2; Matt. 18:4; 20:26–28; Luke 14:11; James 4:6). All genuinely righteous people are distressed and terrified in God’s presence (or, as in this case, one of His holy angels), because they are acutely aware of their sin (cf. the reactions of Isaiah [Isa. 6:5] and Peter [Luke 5:8]). Gabriel’s appearance and greeting unnerved Mary; nothing in her brief life could have prepared her for this astonishing event. Evidently in her modesty she did not understand why a heavenly visitant should greet her in such exalted terms (Morris, L. (1988). Luke: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 3, p. 89). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.).
• We might expect great things from God and anticipate that he will work through the great in society. But God shows his greatness by working with anyone on the street who is willing to be used by him. Spiritual greatness is not a matter of social class, monetary clout, or degreed background; it is a function of the heart (Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke (p. 60). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
Seeking to calm her, Gabriel said to the frightened girl in verse 30, “Do not be afraid, Mary.” His explanation, for you have found favor with God, reassured Mary that she had nothing to fear; Gabriel had come to her with a message of blessing, not judgment. Like Noah, Mary had “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:8). God had sovereignly chosen to use her to help carry out His redemptive purposes. The issue was not her merit or worthiness, but God’s sovereign grace which, like all His ways, is ultimately beyond human understanding (cf. Deut. 29:29; Ps. 36:6). Mary found favor. The Greek word is xaris—unmerited, undeserved grace from God. God’s grace removes all fear. (Butler, T. C. (2000). Luke (Vol. 3, p. 11). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Illustration: Mary was a Jew, and the Israel of God are a people who found favor with God. For three thousand years those chosen people have suffered perhaps as no other people. The Auschwitzes and the Dachaus are only the latest in a whole line of indignities and obscenities endured by the chosen people. And I would like to believe that Mary understood at some level that there is a tremendous price to be paid by those who are highly favored by God.
We now have generations of people who think that to find God is to find perfect peace and that being favored by Him results in a laid-back life of contemplating one’s navel and thinking great thoughts. The Bible discourages us of that notion. The chosen, the highly favored of God, should be prepared for pain and suffering. I think that somehow Mary understood that (Larson, B., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1983). Luke (Vol. 26, p. 34). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.)
Finally, in Luke 1, we see “The Gift of Hope” as shown through:
4) The Divine Child (Luke 1:31–33)
Luke 1:31-33 [31] And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. [32] He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, [33]and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." (ESV)
After Gabriel’s greeting, Mary for the first time heard what the gracious work of God in her life was going to be. If his greeting had perplexed her, she must have been dumfounded at what he said next. Mary knew of only one way that she could conceive a son—through sexual relations with a man. She also knew that she had not had such relations, as her question in verse 34, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” indicates. The concept of a pregnant virgin was utterly inconceivable to her; an impossibility, a contradiction in terms like a married bachelor, or a square circle. Until this point in progressive relation, neither Isa. 7:14 nor Gen. 3:15 made sense. But now John 1:1–14; Rom. 1:3; 8:3; Phil. 2:6–11 make perfect sense. God became a human to deal with human sin. (Utley, R. J. (2004). The Gospel according to Luke (Vol. Volume 3A, Lk 1:31). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.)
• What makes Advent so special is the focus on the miraculous. Understanding this story helps us understand both how God works and who He is. The challenge is to apply what we know to what seems impossible today. When there is a friend or relative that is unsaved, a region of continual turmoil or great sickness and death, God can overcome it all.
Gabriel’s stunning announcement, in words fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy of Messiah’s virgin birth (Isa. 7:14; cf. Matt. 1:23), was that Mary without the seed from a man would conceive in [her] womb and bear a son. That staggering promise of a divine miracle was far beyond her understanding or any human comprehension. Then, with breathtaking brevity, in one vast, glorious revelation Gabriel succinctly summarized the entire ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ: His saving work, righteous life, deity, resurrection, ascension, glorious return, and kingdom rule. He began with the command to call/name Him Jesus. Jesus is the ordinary Greek form, the well-known Hebrew Jehoshua, the shortened Joshua, “The Salvation of Jehovah.” Jesus (“Yahweh saves”), introduced the reality of Messiah’s saving work. God is a saving God, and it was “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10; cf. 2:11, 30, 38; Matt. 1:21; 1 Tim. 1:15; cf. John 12:27; Rom. 8:3–4; 2 Cor. 8:9) that Jesus Christ came into the world. His saving work is the central theme of the New Testament (cf. Matt. 11:28–30; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 5:31; 13:23, 38; Rom. 5:1–2; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:25; Rev. 1:5). In obedience to the angel’s command, Mary and Joseph named their newborn Son Jesus (Luke 2:21). (Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). St. Luke (Vol. 1, p. 8). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)
Gabriel then told Mary in verse 32, that her Son Jesus will be great (megas). Once again, the understatement is striking. But all the synonyms that could be added, such as extraordinary, splendid, magnificent, noble, distinguished, powerful, or eminent, would be equally inadequate. Adjectives and superlatives are not used because they are redundant. His life will define great. And worshiping believers are always aware that language is inadequate to express the honor and glory of His person. Do you trust the angel’s promise? It was written so that you would know for sure—so that you would believe in Jesus as your Savior, worship him as your great God, and serve him as your everlasting King
• Every parent wishes that their child will be great. We usually have visions of family, business, sports or fame. The only real accomplishment that truly defines greatness is glorifying God. Christ lived that mandate and sets the standard of Greatness that we should not only seek in our children, but aspire to ourselves.
For our final passage, please turn to John 1
Jesus’ greatness is unqualified. He is great in and of Himself; His greatness is intrinsic to His very nature as God, and is not derived from any source outside of Himself. The true measure of Christ’s greatness may be seen in His sharing of God’s glory—of which God declared, “I will not give My glory to another” (Isa. 42:8). John describes this greatness:
John 1:14-18 [14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. [15] (John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'") [16] And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. [17] For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. [18] No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. (ESV)
• Jesus manifested the same essential glory as the Father, because as God, the Son and the Father possess the same nature (John 10:30). Despite the claims of false teachers through the centuries, monogenes (the only Son /only begotten) does not imply that Jesus was created by God and thus not eternal. The term does not refer to a person’s origin, but describes him as unique, the only one of his kind. Monogenes distinguishes Christ as the unique Son of God from believers, who are God’s sons in a different sense (cf. Heb. 11:17; 1 John 3:2). Jesus’ manifestation of the divine attributes revealed His essential glory as God’s Son, “for in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col. 2:9). Some do not celebrate the birth of Christ today for fear of association with pagan holidays. If that is a concern, so be it. This Christmas, we celebrate the full expression of God’s truth, which was only partially revealed in the Old Testament in the coming of Jesus Christ.
Christ possesses the glory of God because as the Son of the Most High (cf. 1:35, 76; 6:35; Acts 7:48) He possesses the nature of God. Most High (hupsistos) is the Greek equivalent of the frequently used Old Testament title for God El Elyon (Gen. 14:18–20; Deut. 32:8; 2 Sam. 22:14; Pss. 7:17; 9:2; 21:7; 46:4; 47:2; Isa. 14:14; Lam. 3:35, 38; Dan. 4:17, 24; 5:18, 21). It is a title that refers to His position as the supreme sovereign ruler. To identify Jesus as the Son of the Most High is to affirm that He is of the same essence as God. In the words of the writer of Hebrews, “He [Jesus] is the radiance of His [God’s] glory and the exact representation of His nature” (Heb. 1:3; cf. Matt. 1:23; John 10:30; Phil. 2:6–9; Col. 2:9). So, Gabriel means: Jesus is uniquely God’s Son, the divine Word and image of God, begotten from all eternity (Piper, J. (2007). Sermons from John Piper (1980–1989). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.).
The culmination of Christ’s work will come when the Lord God gives Him the throne of His father David; and as verse 33 concludes, He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom there will be no end. The Lord Jesus Christ is the rightful heir to the throne of His father David through His legal father, Joseph. Gabriel’s words emphasize both the Jewish character of Christ’s kingdom, since He will rule over the house of Jacob (Isa. 65:17–19; Zeph. 3:11–13; Zech. 14:16–21, as well as the rest of humanity cf. Dan. 7:14, 27), and its eternality, since His kingdom there will be no end (Rev. 11:15). The kingdom of God that is inaugurated in the incarnation of Jesus, is to be consummated at the parousia/return and will continue forever (Stein, R. H. (1992). Luke (Vol. 24, p. 84). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
In Judaism this hope was very political and earthly in focus and also was expressed as the hope of unending rule or an unending line of rule (Psalms of Solomon 17 and 18, especially 17:4; 1 Enoch 49:1; 62:14; 2 Baruch 73:1). Luke does portray aspects of this rule and authority as already in evidence in Jesus’ initial coming, though its most evident elements will be displayed in the future (18:39; 19:38; 22:69; Acts 2:30–36). The hope is expressed in these verses (vv. 32, 33) in very national terms, as are most of the remarks in Luke 1 and 2. This is because the promise, as Paul puts it, was to the Jew first and then to the Greek (Rom. 1:17; 9:1–5). Gabriel’s message to Mary introduces the pivotal point in redemptive history. How (you) respond to the Child of whom Gabriel spoke will determine (your) eternal destiny. As Simeon would later say to Mary, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel” (Luke 2:34), and the rest of the world as well. And as the Child Himself would warn, “Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24), since “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (Lk 1:32–33). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.).
(Format Note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2009). Luke 1–5 (pp. 41–51). Chicago: Moody Publishers.)
