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LK 1. 31
LK 1. 31
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.
Luke presents this "Gift of Hope" in Christ through: 1) The baby Jesus
is a Divine Messenger (Luke 1:26), 2) The baby Jesus is a
Divine Choice (Luke 1:27), 3)The baby Jesus is a Divine Blessing (Luke
1:28–30), and 4) The baby Jesus is a Divine Child (Luke 1:31-33).
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].)
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.)
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.)
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)
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.
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
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.).