Thursday, December 13, 2007

DAY TWELVE: The King

Commenting on the announcement of the angel to Mary in Luke 1.26-38, Joseph Fitzmyer said, "It has been composed by Luke in a highly dramatic way to get across to the reader of his Gospel who Jesus is." The main message of the Annunciation account is the extraordinary identity of the Child Mary will bear.

Let's note what this passage says about him:
  1. "He will be great"—Many have noted the different way John was described in 1.15, "He will be great in the sight of the Lord." In contrast to the relative greatness of John as an ordinary human before God, Jesus' greatness is absolute. He is the Great One. When used in this absolute form, it is a title for Divinity.
  2. "And will be called the Son of the Most High"—He will be recognized not only as Mary and Joseph's son, not only as the Son of David or the Seed of Abraham. He is God's beloved Son, sent from heaven.
  3. "The Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David...and of his kingdom there will be no end"—He is here identified as the Messiah, the chosen King from David's line who will fulfill God's promise of an eternal reign (2Samuel 7, 1Chronicles 17). "When your days are fulfilled to go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom...his throne shall be established forever" (1Chron 17.11).
  4. "The child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God"—This description is linked with the Child's virginal conception. Because "the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore..." the Child will be holy and called Son of God. This manner of conception guarantees that the One brought into human existence is the Divine One.
This passage highlights two primary identifications of Jesus: (1) The Davidic Messiah, the promised King, born a child in the line of David, and (2) The Son of God, born as the Divine One sent from heaven.

O come, let us adore him!

No comments: