Luke 1:26-38, The Annunciation

We wish you all a Merry Christmas!  What a glorious and gracious God we have, to send His Son to earth to be the sacrifice for our sins.  Job longed for the “Incarnation” when he lamented how distant he felt from God.  For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together. 33 Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both (Job 9:32-33).  How thankful we are that God has come near to us, He has been mindful of us and “visited” us (Ps. 8:4). 

Gabriel’s words to Mary tell us so much about our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as God’s all-wise plan of salvation.

·       Jesus was born of Mary.  Not of Joseph but of the woman.  Thus was fulfilled the promise of God to Adam and Eve in Gen. 3:15.  Jesus was protected from the sin nature, that He might be the Holy One, and able to be the “Last Adam.”  Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life (Rom. 5:18).

·       His name was “Jesus.”  He had many titles, but his common, everyday name was Jesus, the LORD is salvation.  He had this name because He would save His people from their sins (Mt. 1:21).  The shepherds heard that there was born in Bethlehem a Savior who is Christ the Lord (Lk. 2:11).  Nor is their salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Ac. 4:12).  No other name but Jesus!

·       He would be great!  He was a great light.  Upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned (Mt. 4:16).  He was the great Shepherd of the sheep (Heb. 13:20), a supremely good Shepherd who knew/knows and loved/loves His sheep.  He is our great High Priest (Heb. 4:14), so much greater than the priests in the line of Aaron because He had a better sacrifice, a once for all sacrifice.  Amazing!  He was both High Priest AND Sacrifice.  He is the great God and our Savior (Titus 2:13).  There is NONE like Him!

·       Jesus was called the Son of the Highest.  The Jews should have known this because their Bible (the Old Testament) declared the Deity of the Messiah.  He would have the title Immanuel, God with us (Isa. 7:14).  He was to be the Mighty God, Everlasting Father (Isa. 9:6).  The Messiah, King of Israel who would reign on David’s throne, was also to be the LORD who alone would be permitted to enter at the Eastern Gate (Ezek. 44:1-3).  He, the One born in Bethlehem, ruler in Israel, would be the One whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2).  It was predicted that the forerunner (John the Baptist? Elijah?) was to come before the LORD (Malachi 3:1-2). 

·       Jesus was to be King.  Jesus is still the one to be King.  The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.  He is the fulfillment of God’s covenant with David, a covenant that promised David a “Son” on the throne forever (2 Sam. 7:16). 

These were the words of God’s great messenger, the angel Gabriel, the one who stands in the presence of God (Lk. 1:19).  Mary could not fully understand what all this meant.  How could she have a Son if she did not know a man?  But she humbled herself: Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word (v38).

This is the only proper response of anyone, including and especially me, who hears the words of the angel.  Everything he said about Jesus places Him in total and absolute uniqueness.  There is no other Savior; there is no God like Him.