Scripture Reading: Luke 1:26-35

The Announcement of Jesus

Intro.

1. Jesus Christ is the embodiment, manifestation and culmination of God's great plan to redeem sinners, Heb. 1:1-4.

2. Jesus is preeminent in every way, Col. 1:13-20. King, Redeemer, Firstborn, Creator, Sustainer, Head of Church, Power over death, All fullness (Col. 2:9).

3. Promised by God, anticipated by prophets, announced by an angel, worshiped by wise men, adorned by multitudes, hated by the hateful, killed by a mob...the Savior of mankind: Truly, no one else like Jesus!

4. The angel Gabriel predicted five things about Mary’s son, Luke 1:32-33.[i]

a. He will be great, 1:32.

b. He will be called the Son of the Highest, 1:32 (cf. 1:76).

c. He will be given the throne of His father David, 1:32.

d. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, 1:33.

e. His kingdom will never end, 1:33. [ii]

I. MARY'S SON WOULD BE GREAT, Lk. 1:32.

A. Superior in Importance to All Others, cf. Acts 8:9-10.

1. Would be (is) prominent, preeminent, cf. Acts 5:36.

2. Would be (is) a great Savior, Lk. 1:31 ("Jesus", Matt. 1:21).

B. Jesus was not Great by the World's Estimation, Isa. 53:3.

-We do not measure things by the world's standards, 1 Cor. 1:26-31.

II. MARY'S SON WOULD BE A SON, Lk. 1:31-32, 34-35.

A. The Son of the Highest, 1:32 (cf. 1:76); Isa. 7:14; 9:6).[iii]

1. Son of God defines His nature and equality with God, 1:35.

a. Points to His equality with Yahweh ("son of"), Jno. 10:30.

b. Announced as divine: "God with us", Isa. 7:14; Jno. 1:34.

2. Prophesy of a Son is fulfilled in Jesus, Isa. 7:14; 9:6.

a. God has "given" us His Son, Isa. 9:6.

b. Fulfilled in Jesus, Acts 13:32-34 (Psa. 2:7).

III. MARY'S SON WOULD BE A SOVEREIGN, Lk. 1:32-33.

A. Jesus, as David’s Descendant, Would Sit on David’s Throne when He Reigns (2 Sam. 7:16; Psa. 89:3-4, 28–29).

1. Jesus reigns today, Mk. 9:1 (Acts 1:8); Acts 2:32-36.

2. Thus, resurrected Jesus is on David's throne today, Acts 2:30-31.

3. Ruler in Israel, Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:6; Jno. 18:37. Psa. 2:6.

4. Head over God's house, the church, Eph. 1:20-23 (1 Tim. 3:15).

B. Reigns over the House of Jacob Forever, Lk. 1:33; cf. 1 Cor. 15:24-26.

1. As long as Jesus is High Priest, He is also King, Zech. 6:12-13.

2. Jesus is High Priest now, Heb. 8:1.

3. Jesus is also King now. (cf. likeness of Melchizedek)

C. Superior, Age-Enduring Kingdom, Lk. 1:33.

1. "No end" - Enduring, perpetual and powerful, Dan. 2:44.

2. The church is assailed, but not defeated; attacked, but not destroyed, Matt. 16:18.

3. Kingdom citizenship is available to all today, just as it was when He established His kingdom (Acts 2).

IV. WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH US?

A. Jesus is the Only One with the Power to Save Us, Lk. 1:31 (Matt. 1:21); Jno. 1:29; Acts 4:12.

B. God Expects Us to Respect and Obey Jesus, Psa. 2:10-12; Heb. 5:9.

C. Jesus Will Judge Us One Day, Acts 17:30-31; 2 Cor. 5:10.

Conclusion

1. Jesus is worthy to accomplish God's redemptive mission. Worthy of honor, worship and praise, Rev. 5:8-13.

2. Will you honor the Son with willing obedience and be blessed? Or reject the Son and seal your eternal death?

[i] Martin, J. A. (1985). Luke. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 205). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

[ii] "These promises must have immediately reminded Mary of the promise of Yahweh to David (2 Sam. 7:13–16). David understood the prophecy as referring not only to his immediate son (Solomon) who would build the temple, but also to the future Son who would rule forever. David stated that Yahweh had spoken of the distant future (2 Sam. 7:19). Mary would have understood that the angel was speaking to her of the Messiah who had been promised for so long." (Ibid)

[iii] "The Septuagint often used the term “Most High” (hypsistou) to translate the Hebrew ‘elyôn (cf. v. 76). Mary could not have missed the significance of that terminology. The fact that her Baby was to be called the “Son of the Most High” pointed to His equality with Yahweh. In Semitic thought a son was a “carbon copy” of his father, and the phrase “son of” was often used to refer to one who possessed his “father’s” qualities (e.g., the Heb. trans. “son of wickedness” in Ps. 89:22 [kjv] means a wicked person)." (Ibid)

By: Joe R. Price

Posted: September 1, 2015