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There are no apparent parallel Gospel accounts of Luke 1:31-33.
Luke 1:31-33 continues the passage of scripture that is commonly referred to as “The Annunciation.” In Luke 1:31-33, the angel Gabriel delivers God’s message to Mary by announcing that she would miraculously conceive and give birth to a son who would be called Jesus. Gabriel reveals who Jesus will be by alluding to many ancient prophecies concerning the Messiah:
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end” (vv 31-33).
Gabriel began his announcement to Mary with a preparatory command: And behold.
Behold means to “pay close attention,” “take this in,” and/or “consider well.”
Throughout the Bible the preparatory command to Behold was often used in moments of divine revelation or instruction. Gabriel’s use of Behold in addressing Mary placed her within the great stream of God’s redemptive work throughout history, stretching back to:
For Mary, Gabriel’s command was both an invitation and a calling.
His command for Mary to behold invited her to pay close attention to what he was about to tell her. It also prepared Mary for the astonishing nature of the message and its profound implications for her life, her people, and the entire world.
Gabriel’s command also called upon Mary to open her heart to the divine task he was about to reveal to her, because this task would require great faith from Mary to receive.
Throughout the Bible the preparatory command to Behold was often used in moments of divine revelation. Gabriel’s use of Behold in addressing Mary placed her within the great stream of God’s redemptive work in history.
Readers of Luke’s Gospel should also consider well and behold the things Gabriel said to Mary. The Bible Says commentary will attempt to help in this undertaking. As the commentary attempts to explain the different statements Gabriel makes about Mary’s virgin—conceived son it will give special attention to the Old Testament prophecies about her son that are alluded to within Gabriel’s declarations. Taken together, his allusions generate a “greatest hits” of Messianic prophecies that Mary’s son would fulfill and predicts who He would become.
Gabriel gave Mary seven things to behold.
1. You will conceive in your womb and bear a son (v 31a).
The first thing Gabriel announced to Mary was a direct statement of what was about to occur. The phrase you will conceive in your womb made it clear that Mary would physically conceive a child in her womb. And this child would be male—a son.
There are many profound points to this seemingly simple statement.
Isaiah 7:14 and the Virgin Conception
While miraculous births were not unheard of in Israel’s history—Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Hannah had all conceived by God’s intervention— Mary’s conception would be entirely unique. Unlike the barren women of the past who conceived through God’s opening of their wombs, Mary’s conception would occur while she was still a virgin (Luke 1:27, 34). These past miracles all seem to foreshadow this much greater miracle.
Mary’s son would not be conceived through a normal sexual union between a man and a woman. Mary was a virgin. Neither did she become impregnated by any other human agency. Joseph did not, nor did any other man, supply the seed or sperm to Mary for her to conceive a child. Moreover, the technology for invitro fertilization and similar fertilization techniques would not be discovered or practiced for thousands of years.
The son Mary would bear would be conceived through the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit, as Gabriel would soon explain (Luke 1:35).
Mary’s conception of Jesus was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy:
“Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and she will name Him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14b)
Isaiah 7:14 is the first of many significant prophecies that Gabriel alludes to as he describes Mary’s son.
Matthew 1:21-23 directly asserts that Mary’s status as a virgin was a fulfillment of this prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 when she conceived and bore Jesus.
Similarly, Luke, which was likely written after Matthew’s Gospel, strongly alludes to Isaiah 7:14 by referring to Mary as a virgin twice when he first introduces her.
The first thing Luke says about Mary is that she was “a virgin engaged to a man” (Luke 1:27a).
Luke then reinforces this fact when he wrote, “and the virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:27b).
Later in the conversation between Mary and the angel, she asked “how [the things Gabriel said to her] will be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34).
Throughout this entire passage describing the annunciation, Luke is constantly drawing attention to the fact that Mary is a virgin as a way to allude to Isaiah’s prophecy that “the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son” (Isaiah 7:14b).
Gabriel’s declaration that Mary will conceive and bear a son was an announcement that Isaiah’s prophecy was about to be fulfilled—and that Mary would be the virgin in whom this prophecy was fulfilled.
Isaiah 7:14 is the first of numerous prophecies that Gabriel’s message concerns.
Later the book of Isaiah again describes the Messiah as a “son” when it says: “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us” (Isaiah 9:6a). (This commentary will discuss this important prophecy when it explains Gabriel’s third statemen concerning Mary’s son: He will be great (v 32a)).
The Humanity of Jesus
Jesus’s conception in Mary’s womb demonstrates the fullness of Christ’s humanity.
Jesus was and is God in human form. Jesus is the son of Mary and Jesus is the Son of God (Luke 1:35).
When the Son of God descended to earth, He did not come in His full and unvarnished glory. The Apostle Paul explained this when he wrote:
“although He existed in the form of God, [the Son of God] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond servant and being made in the likeness of men.”
(Philippians 2:7)
The Son of God concealed His heavenly splendor and set aside His divine rights when He assumed human form. And what is remarkable still is that the Son of God did not arrive as a fully grown man who was at the peak of his strength, but rather He was born into this world as a helpless baby—and He was conceived inside a human womb.
John begins his Gospel account with the staggering truth that the eternal Word who was in the beginning (John 1:1a), who was with God and who was God (John 1:1b), and who created all things (John 1:2) became flesh (John 1:14a). But it is also worth remembering that God first became flesh inside Mary’s womb.
The Son of God’s human life physically began inside Mary’s womb. It was inside Mary’s womb that His physical life was formed. It was inside Mary’s womb that His heart began to beat, that His human brain and lungs developed, that His tiny hands and feet were formed—the very hands that would one day heal the sick and the feet that would walk the path to Calvary. Mary’s womb nourished her son who was also the Son of God from the time He was conceived until He was ready to be born.
The Word became flesh when the Holy Spirit came upon the virgin Mary and she conceived a son. Jesus’s conception inside Mary’s womb reveals and demonstrates the full humanity of the Son of God.
Demonstrating Jesus’s humanity is one of Luke’s core themes of his Gospel account.
Luke was Paul’s companion as he took the Gospel to the Greek cities in the Roman Empire. His Gospel was written to the Greek believers and churches established from those missions. Luke was a Gentile, as evidenced by Colossians 4:10-14, where Luke is mentioned among a group of Gentiles. He was a physician, so he might have had a Greek education.
Two of the chief concerns of the Greeks dating back to Socrates (470 B.C.—399 B.C.) was the pursuit of the Good Life and the ideal human.
Luke’s Gospel presents Jesus as the perfect human. And it claims the Good Life is attained through putting Jesus’s teachings into practice and emulating His example to overcome our circumstances and trials through faith in God and reliance upon the Holy Spirit (Luke 9:23-24).
Luke establishes Jesus’s humanity when he tells us that He was conceived in Mary’s womb.
But Jesus’s humanity was not only central to the Gospel of Luke—His humanity is essential to the Gospel itself.
The very first prophecy concerning the Gospel and the Messiah that was given after Adam and Eve’s disobedience and humanity’s Fall predicted that a deliverer would overcome Satan:
“The LORD God said to the serpent,
‘…And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.’”
(Genesis 3:14-15)
In this prophecy, the LORD tells the serpent (Satan), that his destroyer—the One who shall crush his head—will be from the woman’s seed. In other words, it will be a human who will defeat Satan. This will be incredibly humiliating for Satan. The proud being who was once second only to God will be defeated and silenced by a weak and frail human being. (See commentary on Hebrews 2:5—8). Since the “seed” normally comes from the man, this is a reversal of the natural order and indicates the deliverer for humans will come from the woman’s seed, which infers the virgin birth.
In the despair of the Fall, Genesis 3:15 provides the renewed hope for humanity. God’s good plans for humanity did not end with their disobedience. The Gospel will continue despite humanity’s sin and broken relationship with God. Genesis 3:15 outlines how the goodness of the Gospel will be accomplished, namely through the woman’s seed.
Restoration had to come through a human who was born of a woman. And that woman was a virgin bearing a son without aid of a human father. Thus, Adam’s sin did not pass to Jesus (Romans 5:12-14).
Gabriel’s announcement to Mary, a young virgin, that you will conceive and bear a son without the aid of a human father was an announcement that God was about to fulfill the promise He made on that tragic day long ago in the Garden of Eden. This was to be the savior who would overturn the adverse effects of the Fall, and conquer sin and death.
Genesis 3:15 is a second important prophecy that Gabriel’s message concerns.
It was also essential that Jesus be human because the world fell by human disobedience to God’s command and so it would be restored by human obedience to God’s command. Paul explained how His humanity allowed Jesus to fulfill the role of the second Adam, succeeding where the first Adam failed (Romans 5:18-19).
God gave His Law to men for them to follow, but they were unable to keep it. And it was necessary for the Law to be fulfilled as a human. But humans continued to fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). In Jesus’s day, the religious leaders had established their own interpretation of God’s Law into a system of self—righteousness where they could exploit others for their own gain while justifying themselves as being holy.
Jesus came as a human in order to fulfill the Law as a human (Matthew 5:17-18, Galatians 4:4-5). Men apart from God were unable to keep the Law. So, God became human without sin, from the seed of a woman, in the person of Jesus to keep the Law as a human. Jesus said of Himself that He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17).
Jesus's humanity was central to the Gospel because, as a man, He could represent humanity, live in obedience to the Father, and serve as the perfect sacrifice for sin. He sacrificed Himself, once for all, for the sins of the world (Hebrews 9:12, Colossians 2:14). Jesus became fully human—experiencing weakness, temptation, suffering, and death—yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15b). Through the suffering of death Jesus restored the opportunity for humanity to be restored to its original design (see commentary on Hebrews 2:9).
And because He accomplished His divine mission as a human (John 19:30, Hebrews 2:9-10), Jesus now mediates for us in the heavens in the role of high priest, being both God and human:
“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brothers so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”
(Hebrews 2:17)
Finally, it was essential to the Gospel that Jesus be a human because the only way for immortal God to die was to become mortal (Philippians 2:6-8).
Only God’s death and sacrifice, whose life was of infinite worth, could atone for the sins of the entire world. But God, by His everlasting nature, is unable to die, unless God took on the form of a mortal human. Immortal God became a mortal human when the Holy Spirit came over the virgin Mary and she conceived Jesus, the Son of God, in her womb.
The Masculinity of Jesus
Gabriel told Mary that she will conceive a son. The fact that the child Mary would bear would be a son is significant.
Throughout Scripture, the birth of a son often signified the continuation of God’s covenant promises. God promised to send a Messiah, and the Messiah would be male. For instance, the Messianic prophecies consistently described the Messiah using masculine terms and pronouns.
Therefore, if Mary was to conceive and bear the Messiah, she had to give birth to a son.
2. And you shall name Him Jesus (v 31b).
The naming of Mary’s son was not left to human decision. It was divinely ordained. The instruction: you shall name Him Jesus was a direct command from God.
Throughout Israel’s history, Hebrew names carried profound meanings and revealed identities. Here are some examples:
The name of Mary’s son would also reveal His identity and mission. In Hebrew, the name “Jesus” (Yeshua) means “The LORD saves.” Jesus’s name points directly to His purpose. Matthew’s Gospel stresses this when it quotes the angel’s message to Joseph:
“You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
(Matthew 1:21)
In Hebrew, the angel’s message to Joseph creates a word play: “You shall call His name Yeshua (Jesus) for He will Yoshia (save) His people from their sins.”
Yeshua (Jesus) was a common name for Jewish boys in the first century A.D. and it is a form of the name, “Joshua.” The Greek transliteration of the Hebrew names for Jesus and Joshua are identical—Ἰησοῦς (G2424—and pronounced “I—ē—sous.”
The Old Testament Joshua was also a messianic type. Jesus will return to earth a second time as a conqueror, and take the land, which in that case is not only the Promised Land but includes the entire earth (Revelation 19:11—16).
3. He will be great (v 32a).
Gabriel declared that Mary’s son will be great.
Before unpacking the meaning of Biblical greatness, we should note that Gabriel’s declaration points to three other important prophecies, two from Isaiah and one from Micah, which concern the Messiah.
The Great and Wonderful Child born unto us—Isaiah 9:1-7
The first and perhaps most significant prophecy from Isaiah which Gabriel’s declaration alludes to—He will be great—is from Isaiah 9:1-7.
Before we investigate this prophecy and its connection to Gabriel’s statement, it would be good to explain the cultural and Biblical languages in the time of Isaiah and the time of Luke.
The prophecies of Isaiah were originally written in ancient Hebrew around 700 B.C. which was the same language which the people of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel spoke.
After the Assyrian invasion, the northern kingdom of Israel was no more (725 B.C.), but the southern kingdom of Judah remained. Later, the people of Judah were exiled for multiple generations and taken to Babylon (586 B.C.) where Aramaic was the common tongue.
As the Jews returned to their homeland under Persian rule (538 B.C.), they were predominantly an Aramaic speaking people and Hebrew was used as a legal language by the emerging political factions, the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees, to study and interpret God’s Law. The Hebrew scriptures were translated and expanded into Aramaic as tools to teach the common people God’s word.
Later, in the wake of the Macedonian conquest under Alexander the Great, the Hebrew scriptures were translated into Greek for the benefit of the Greek—speaking world in the middle of the third century. This Greek translation was called “the Septuagint” and it was widely used in the ancient world by the diaspora of Jews who lived in the Greek—speaking Roman Empire.
The Gospel of Luke was written in Greek in the middle of the 1st Century A.D. And it was written for the Greek Christians and Churches which Paul and Luke had planted and encouraged during Paul’s missions. These Greek Christians would have largely used the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) whenever they read or studied the prophecies of Isaiah.
In the Septuagint, Isaiah 9:1-7 uses the Greek term “μέγας” (G3173—pronounced: “meg—as”), translated to English as great three times. “Megas” (μέγας — G3173) is the same word that Luke uses to express what Gabriel told Mary when he said of her son: He will be great (“megas”).
We do not know what language Gabriel used to speak to Mary. But it most likely was not Greek. (Aramaic or Hebrew or some angelic language that she was allowed to understand for the sake of the message were more likely candidates). But Luke’s Gospel translated Gabriel’s message to Mary and recorded it in Greek.
As we will see, Gabriel’s message overlaps considerably with Isaiah’s prophecy from Isaiah 9:1-7. And Luke’s translation of Gabriel’s message uses the similar Greek vocabulary employed in Isaiah’s prophecy as translated in the Septuagint to make this prophetic connection even stronger for his Greek—speaking audience.
This is particularly true when it comes to Gabriel’s declaration: He will be great.
The first of the three instances of “megas”/great in the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 9:1-9 occurs near its beginning.
Isaiah’s prophecy begins with the promise to the peoples of Galilee “there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish because [the LORD] shall make it glorious” (Isaiah 9:1).
Then Isaiah writes:
“The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great [“megas”] light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.”
(Isaiah 9:2)
Light in this passage is a metaphor for truth and God’s graciousness. Light is also a symbol for the Messiah.
Mary’s son, Jesus (the Messiah), will be a great Light similar to how Isaiah describes the great light that the Messiah will shine forth from Galilee.
Matthew quotes Isaiah 9:1-2 (which alludes to the remainder of the prophecy in Isaiah 9:3-7) and claims that it was fulfilled when Jesus began His Messianic ministry in Galilee (Matthew 4:12-16). John also seems to have Isaiah 9:1-2 in mind when he describes Jesus as “the Light of Men” (John 1:5) and how Jesus described Himself as “the Light of the World” (John 8:12). By these expressions John means that Jesus is “the Messiah of Men,” and Jesus meant He is the “World—Messiah.”
The prophecy in Isaiah continues how the Messiah will multiply the nation and increase its joy from the liberation He will deliver to Israel as He triumphs over Israel’s foe (Isaiah 9:3-5). This portion of the prophecy pertains to Jesus’s defeat of humanity’s enemies—sin and death—and/or the conquest and defeat of those who oppose Israel when He returns.
The second use of “megas”/great in the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 9:1-7 and its Messianic prophecy is its most significant. This is especially true as it relates to Gabriel’s declaration that Jesus will be “megas”/great.
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful (“megas”) Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
(Isaiah 9:6)
Jesus is the child who will be born to us. Jesus is the son who will be given to us.
Interestingly, in Hebrew the name “Wonderful” is not used here as an adjective for Counselor. Rather, it is used as a stand—alone description for what the child’s Messianic name will be called. The original would be better translated by including a comma between “Wonderful” and “Counselor,” as in: “His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
One of the names the Messiah will be called is “Wonderful” (Isaiah 9:6).
But what’s more interesting still, is that the Septuagint uses the Greek word “megas”/great, to translate the name “Wonderful.” In other words, if the Septuagint of Isaiah 9:6 was to be rendered into English apart from its Hebrew context, it would likely be translated: “His name will be called Great….”
This the same Greek term that Luke uses to translate Gabriel’s statement to Mary that her Son Jesus “will be megas/great.”
When Gabriel told Mary that her son will be great—he was likley alluding to this specific description of the Messiah—that His name will be called: Great (i.e. Wonderful). Luke’s use of the term megas/great to capture Gabriel’s message is a direct and forceful connection to the prophetic name (Wonderful—megas/great) that Isaiah’s prophecy says the Messiah will be called in its Septuagint translation.
And more broadly speaking, Gabriel’s declaration that Mary’s son will be great further alludes to all the other brilliant titles and Messianic prophecies of Isaiah 9:1-7 about the great eternal reign of total—shalom (peace) that Jesus would establish.
Isaiah’s Chapter 9 Messianic prophecy in its Septuagint translation concludes with one more instance of megas/great:
“There will be no end to the increase (“megas”) of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”
(Isaiah 9:7)
In the Greek Septuagint, Isaiah’s expression, “the increase of His government” (Isaiah 9:7a) uses the word “megas”/great for the third time in his Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-7. “Megas”/great is the word that is translated as “the increase” (Isaiah 9:7a).
Isaiah 9:7 touches on many of the things the angel will predict about the child the virgin Mary will conceive—including:
Isaiah 9:6-7 is a prophetic burst of Messianic praise of the child’s incredible and divine greatness. In addition to these great things (listed above) that will be true of His reign, this child will be called many other great things such as: “Counselor,” “Mighty God,” “Eternal Father,” and “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
When Gabriel told Mary that her son will be great, he was practically quoting Isaiah 9:1-7 and these brilliant titles and the great eternal reign of total shalom that Jesus would establish. It is possible that a girl like Mary from a devout household would have recognized these terms from having heard them at synagogue or around the house.
The Greatness of the Suffering Servant—Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Another major prophecy from Isaiah which Gabriel’s declaration— He will be great—refers to is the prophecy of Isaiah’s fourth Servant Song (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)—specifically Isaiah 53:11b—12a, which says:
“My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.
Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great.”
(Isaiah 53:11b—12a)
Gabriel’s statement to Mary, that her son will be great is a direct link to all the prophecies of Isaiah’s fourth Servant Song—including Isaiah 53:5 which says: “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities.”
The fourth Servant Song of Isaiah predicts many great things about the LORD’s Servant/the Messiah. This prophecy predicts the Messiah’s:
Gabriel’s statement to Mary, that her son will be great, focuses on the LORD’s great exaltation of His Servant and her son from Isaiah 53:12, which says: “I will allot Him a portion with the great.” But it alludes to all the prophetic reasons for His greatness which are described in the previous verses of Isaiah’s fourth Servant Song, the deeds He will do before this great exaltation occurs. This includes “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5).
Jesus’s greatness was evident in His humility, love, faith, and obedience to God’s will—just as Isaiah 52:13-53:12 predicted.
The Great Shepherd of Bethlehem—Micah 5:2-5
The prophecy of Micah 5:2-5 is the third major prophecy that Gabriel’s declaration—He will be great—alludes to.
There are many prophetic connections of Jesus the Messiah and Micah 5:2-5. Some of these prophetic connections will be explained below. But the most direct connection between Micah 5:2-5 and Gabriel’s declaration concerns Jesus’s greatness.
Speaking of the Messiah who will save His people from their oppressors, Micah says: “at that time He will be great” (Micah 5:4b).
Speaking of Mary’s son, Jesus (the Messiah), Gabriel told Mary: He will be great.
Gabriel’s declaration of Jesus’s greatness directly quotes Micah 5:4’s statement about the Messiah’s greatness and thereby alludes to all of the other Messianic prophecies of Micah 5:2-5.
Here are some of the other Messianic prophecies that Micah 5:2-5 predict. These prophecies have been and/or will be fulfilled in Jesus.
Micah’s prophecy about the great Shepherd of Bethlehem begins with a direct mention of the city Bethlehem—the city David was from,
“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity.”
(Micah 5:2)
The ruler Micah describes is the Messiah.
Micah prophesies that a ruler of Israel will hail from the little city of Bethlehem—the city David was from—which connects this ruler to the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16). God promised David that he would have a descendant on the throne of Israel forever.
Jesus is a descendant of David (Matthew 1:1, 1:6, 1:17, Luke 1:27, 32).
Through a series of events—such as Caesar’s Census—Mary’s son, Jesus, will be born in the city of his kingly ancestor, the city of Bethlehem. This was ordained from eternity past and was according to Micah’s prediction.
According to Micah, this Ruler will be sent from the LORD, and that the course of this Ruler was ordained and set long ago—in eternity past.
As predicted, Jesus, the Messiah, came to earth to accomplish His Father’s long—ordained mission—to fulfill the Law and die for the sins of the world (Matthew 5:17, John 1:29, John 12:27, 32-33, John 19:30).
Micah’s prophecy continues:
“Therefore He will give them up until the time
When she who is in labor has borne a child.
Then the remainder of His brethren
Will return to the sons of Israel.”
(Micah 5:3)
The prophecies within this verse likely have three distinct times of fulfillment.
Micah continues His Messianic prophecy of the great Shepherd,
“And He will arise and shepherd His flock
In the strength of the LORD,
In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God.
And they will remain,
Because at that time He will be great
To the ends of the earth.
This One will be our peace.”
(Micah 5:4-5a)
In Micah 5:3, the prophet signaled a delay between the time of his prediction and its fulfillment—“until the time.” After that time has been fulfilled, the Messianic fulfillments will take place.
Micah 5:4-5 describes additional Messianic fulfillments listed below:
Now that we have explored these prophecies about how the Messiah will be great and their connection to Gabriel’s statement about Jesus that He will be great, we may consider what it means to be great and in what ways Mary’s son will be great.
Greatness
Jesus will be great in the sight of the Lord and He will be great in the sight of men.
Greatness in the eyes of men often entails exercising great power and authority over other people. But greatness in the eyes of God entails submitting to God’s will to sacrificially serve other people in love. (This was the greatness depicted in Isaiah 52-53).
The greatest commandments are to love God and to love your neighbor as you love yourself (Mark 12:29-31).
He followed God’s commands even when it was painful and difficult instead of succumbing to temptation to avoid pain and receive worldly glory through disobedience (Luke 4:1-13).
He obeyed God all the way to the cross, despite the pain and shame He would suffer (Luke 22:42, Philippians 2:8, Hebrews 12:1).
As God, Jesus had power to perform great miracles on earth. And as the Messiah, Jesus taught with great authority (Matthew 7:28-29, Mark 1:22, Luke 4:32). Jesus submitted Himself to only do and say what His Father told Him to do and say (John 5:19, 7:16, 8:28).
Jesus submitted His entire being to accomplish His Father’s will. Because He did this, God greatly exalted Him and His name shall be above every name (Philippians 2:9-11).
He used His powers and teaching to heal and bring truth and life to people.
His greatest act was His sacrifice on the cross to die for the sins of the world. There was no greater love than this (John 15:13, Romans 5:8).
Jesus taught His disciples to become great in God’s sight.
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.”
(Matthew 20:26-27)
Jesus then gave them Himself as an example of what it meant to be truly great.
“just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
(Matthew 20:28)
Many figures in Israel’s history had been called great, such as Abraham (Genesis 12:2) and David (2 Samuel 7:9), but the greatness of Mary’s son would surpass them all (Philippians 2:10-11). The great men and women of Israel’s past lived in the hope of God’s promise of redemption, and it was often through their lives that God continued His promise. But God’s redemption promise was fulfilled in Jesus’s identity and mission.
Jesus became the greatest human who ever lived.
After His resurrection, Jesus was given great authority. Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus told His disciples: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). Jesus was given this great authority because He overcame all the temptations and rejections of the world and obeyed His Father’s will (Revelation 3:21).
Unlike earthly rulers whose greatness fades with time, the greatness of Christ is eternal. His authority extends not just over Israel, but over all of creation. His greatness was evident in His humility, love, faith, and obedience to God’s will.
Gabriel was not overstating things when he said to Mary that her son will be called great.
4. And He will be called the Son of the Most High (v 32b).
Gabriel’s next statement revealed the divine nature of Mary’s son.
The title Most High is a designation for God Himself. The expression—Most High—is used throughout the Old Testament to emphasize the LORD God’s supreme sovereignty over all creation. Psalm 47 declares:
“For the LORD Most High is to be feared,
A great King over all the earth.”
(Psalm 47:2)
By calling Jesus the Son of the Most High, Gabriel was declaring that the son Mary would conceive and bear would not be like any other son born into the world—Jesus would be the very Son of God.
Gabriel’s assertion that Mary’s son will be called the Son of the Most High was an allusion to multiple prophecies which described the Messiah as the LORD’s Son—including 2 Samuel 7:14, Psalm 89:26-27, Proverbs 30:4, and Isaiah 9:6,
Psalm 2 may be the most prominent of these prophecies.
In this Messianic Psalm, the Messiah is twice referred to as the LORD’s Son:
“I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.”
(Psalm 2:7)
“Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”
(Psalm 2:12)
Psalm 2 and the above prophecies about the Messiah being God’s Son are fulfilled in Jesus, who is called Son of the Most High.
Jesus’s Sonship was not figurative or honorary. Jesus’s divine Sonship is real and eternal.
Time and again, the Bible asserts Jesus’s divinity and role as God’s Son.
John begins his Gospel account establishing the divine nature of Jesus by emphasizing how Jesus was both with God and was God from eternity past,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”
(John 1:1-2)
In His so—called “High Priestly Prayer,” Jesus speaks to His unique relationship withGod as God while He prays,
“And now You, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world existed.”
(John 17:5)
In this prayer from God (the Son) to God (the Father), Jesus refers to the preexistent glory He shared with His divine Father. This demonstrates that Jesus’s Sonship is not a created status but an eternal reality.
Both of these passages from John present Jesus as Son of the Most High from eternity past.
The author of Hebrews introduces his epistle by describing Jesus and His role as God’s Son:
“In these last days He [God] has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature.”
(Hebrews 1:2-3)
And finally, at His baptism, a voice from heaven (God the Father’s) declares:
“You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
(Luke 3:22b—see also: Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11)
This public statement from heaven affirms what Jesus claimed for Himself and what so many other people recognized about Him and confessed—that He is the Son of the Living God (Matthew 16:16).
Jesus is God in human form and when He dwelt among us, “we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
All of these Biblical statements are a few of the many fulfillments of Gabriel’s prediction to Mary—that her son will be called the Son of the Most High.
Jesus was the divine Word who was in the beginning with God and who was God (John 1:1). And when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, He revealed God’s glory—“glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14) (Matthew 16:16, John 1:1, Colossians 1:15, 19, Jude 1:25).
The Divinity of Jesus
Just as Jesus’s humanity was central to the Gospel, so was His divinity.
The author of Hebrews explained why it was necessary for Jesus to become human in every respect so that He could “make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17). At the same time, Jesus’s divinity was equally essential to the Gospel.
If Jesus was merely human, He could not provide an eternal sacrifice for sin. It was only through the divine blood of Jesus that we are sanctified once and for all (Colossians 1:19-20, Hebrews 10:10). Jesus’s divinity ensured that His atoning work had infinite worth and has the power to redeem all who believe in Him (John 11:25-26, 1 John 5:11-12).
The Gospel hinges on both Jesus's humanity and divinity working together in His mission.
And the Gospel is meaningless without both aspects of Christ's identity.
But because He is both God and human, salvation is available to all who believe in Him (John 3:14-15):
“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
(1 Timothy 2:5)
Jesus’s dual nature as Son of God, being fully God, and son of man, being fully human, is the foundation of the Gospel. And the eternal Son of the Most High became a son of man when the Holy Spirit came over the virgin Mary and she conceived Jesus in her womb as a human child.
5. And the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David (v 32c).
Gabriel’s words directly connect Mary’s son to the Davidic covenant.
The Davidic Covenant
God made a covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7:12-16.
2 Samuel 12:7-16 is yet another of the important prophecies that Gabriel’s message addresses.
The LORD promised David:
“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom.”
(2 Samuel 7:12)
The LORD then described to David, what his descendant would accomplish and what God would do through his descendant,
“He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
(2 Samuel 7:13)
Because of this descendant, the LORD declared that David’s line and kingdom will never end:
“Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”
(2 Samuel 7:16)
According to the angel Gabriel, Mary’s son Jesus would be the “descendant” (2 Samuel 2:7) whom the LORD promised to King David would fulfill this covenant.
But 2 Samuel 7:12-16 is not the only prophecy concerning the Davidic covenant.
Other Prophecies Concerning the Davidic Covenant
Psalm 89 contains no less than two prophecies regarding the Davidic covenant.
The first is in Psalm 89:3-4 which explicitly mentions the Davidic covenant and its terms to establish David’s descendants forever upon the throne.
“I have made a covenant with My chosen;
I have sworn to My servant David,
I will establish your descendants forever
And build up your throne to all generations.”
(Psalm 89:3-4)
The second is Psalm 89:35-37 which emphasizes the certainty of God’s unbreakable promise to David. It too mentions his throne and the forever—endurance of his descendants. Psalm 89:37 declares that once the throne of David is established, its witness to God’s faithfulness will be as memorable as the moon in the night sky,
“Once I have sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David.
His descendants shall endure forever,
And his throne as the sun before Me.
It shall be established forever like the moon,
And a witness in the sky is faithful.”
(Psalm 89:35-37)
Isaiah 9:6-7 describes the Messiah as the Prince of Peace whose government will never end and who will sit on the throne of David forever. This prophecy was discussed previously when this commentary explained the meaning of Gabriel’s statement: He will be great.
Jeremiah 23:5-6 proclaims how the LORD will raise up for David a righteous Branch to reign as king with wisdom and justice. This prophecy also speaks of how He will save Judah and Israel will dwell securely and that His name will be called “The LORD our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6b).
Matthew appears to allude to a fulfillment of one of the prophecies of Jeremiah 23:5-6 when he wrote:
“and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.’”
(Matthew 2:23)
In Hebrew, the words for “branch” (Jeremiah 23:5), “Nazareth” (Matthew 2:23), and “Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23) share the same root and have similar meanings.
Daniel 7:13-14 contains additional Davidic covenant prophecies.
The Bible Says commentary will discuss Daniel 7:13-14 in greater detail when it explains Gabriel’s seventh declaration concerning Mary’s son. Gabriel’s seventh declaration is: And His kingdom will have no end.
Micah 5:2-5 concerns the throne of David and Gabriel’s declaration that the Lord God will give Mary’s son Jesus the throne of His father David. The prophecy of Micah 5:2-5 was previously explained in this commentary when we discussed Gabriel’s third statement: He will be great.
The way Micah 5:2-5 concerns the throne of David is by predicting that God will send forth a ruler (the Messiah) to protect and prosper Israel, and that He will hail from Bethlehem—the city of David. Jesus will be born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:4-6). And Matthew’s Gospel points out that this fulfills one of the prophecies of Micah 5:2-5 (Matthew 2:6).
The Davidic Covenant and Jesus
The Jews knew well the prophecies and promises of the Davidic covenant. They were conscious that God had assured David that one of his descendants would establish an everlasting kingdom. The Jews had long anticipated a Messianic King who would come from David’s line to restore Israel and rule in righteousness. And in Jesus’s earthly lifetime they were keen to see the Davidic covenant fulfilled.
The Jews’ anticipation is palpable in the Pharisees’ question to Jesus (Luke 17:20) or the disciples’ question to Jesus just before He ascended into heaven:
“So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’”
(Acts 1:6)
Jesus came to offer Israel a Messianic kingdom.
John the Baptist, whom Gabriel identified as the Messianic forerunner (Luke 1:17), prepared the way for Jesus the King to sit on the throne of His father David, by telling the people to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). Jesus also proclaimed the kingdom in His teachings (Matthew 4:17, 6:33, Mark 1:15, Luke 8:1, 10:9)
Gabriel’s announcement confirmed that Mary’s son, Jesus, was that promised Messianic King.
But Israel rejected Jesus as their King and therefore they rejected the Messianic kingdom at that time. During Jesus’s trial, they told Pilate: “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15) and they demanded Pilate “Crucify, crucify Him!” (Luke 23:21).
Because of the Jews’ rejection of their Messiah, Gentiles are now able to come and partake of the Messianic kingdom (Matthew 8:11, Romans 11:11).
As Jesus told Pilate, His kingdom is not of this world or realm during this age (John 18:36). But He will return to establish His kingdom when He ushers in a Messianic kingdom (Revelation 20:4-6) which will then blossom into another, greater kingdom in the new heaven and the new earth where God dwells with humans on earth in His unveiled glory (Revelation 11:15, 12:10, 21:1-3, 22-23).
In the meantime, His kingdom is available to all who believe and follow Him as King. The kingdom is open to all who:
—and—
Jesus’s kingdom is not confined to one people or nation but is open to everyone. Its invitation has expanded beyond the Jews and unto the ends of the earth. This is just as Isaiah predicted it would be (Isaiah 49:6) and as Jesus commanded His disciples to proclaim it (Acts 1:8).
Through Jesus, the throne of David’s reign and dominion has expanded beyond Israel’s borders, and it will cover the entire earth. David’s throne through Jesus, like His kingdom, cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28) and it will endure forever and have no end so that Jesus will be “the King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16).
Again, as Gabriel said to Mary, her son will be great.
6. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever (v 33a).
Gabriel’s sixth declaration that He will reign over the house of Jacob forever continues to describe Mary’s son, Jesus, with Messianic language.
There are six major prophecies to which Gabriel’s sixth declaration speaks.
These six prophecies are:
These six prophecies can be grouped into two distinct categories:
2 Samuel 7:12:1-16
In the context of Gabriel’s announcement to Mary, the angel’s statement that He will reign over the house of Jacob forever is an extension of the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant that Jesus, Mary’s son, will accomplish.
In other words, it is an elaboration upon what Gabriel had just said when he told Mary: and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David (v 32b).
As has already been discussed in this commentary, the Davidic covenant, God’s promise to David that he would have a descendant on the throne forever, was made in 2 Samuel 7:12-16.
This Bible Says commentary explained the significance of 2 Samuel 7:12-16 and the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant in fuller detail in the fifth statement. Therefore, we will not go into detail about it here.
But before we can discuss how Gabriel’s statement He will reign over the house of Jacob forever is an elaboration of what he has already said about Mary’s son, Jesus fulfilling God’s promise to David and the extended prophecies of this covenant (Jeremiah 23:5-6, Ezekiel 34:23-31), we should first discuss what the house of Jacob is.
This means we should first discuss the prophecies of the Abrahamic covenant.
The House of Jacob and the Abrahamic Covenant
Gabriel’s statement that He will reign over the house of Jacob forever is an extension or elaboration of the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant that Jesus, Mary’s son, will accomplish. But Gabriel’s statement also connects Mary’s son to the more ancient Abrahamic covenant.
Jacob was the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham.
The expression the house of Jacob means “the nation and/or people of Israel” or all of the descendants of Abraham through his grandson, Jacob. (It does not include Abraham’s descendants through his son Ishmael or through Isaac’s firstborn son, Esau).
Jacob had his name changed by God to “Israel” (Genesis 32:28, 35:10) after Jacob wrestled with God at Peniel. So, the names Jacob and “Israel” can refer to the same person.
God made a covenant with Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham. This covenant was extended to Abraham’s son, Isaac, and again to Isaac’s son, Jacob.
God’s covenant with Abraham was first made in Genesis 12:1-3.
The LORD commanded him to leave his relatives in Haran and to go to a land that He would show him (Genesis 12:1).
Then the LORD promised Abraham:
“And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great…
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
(Genesis 12:2-3)
In this covenant, God promised to make Abraham “a great nation” (Genesis 12:2a).
This meant that Abraham would have numerous descendants who would live in community and trace their ancestry back to him.
God also promised to “make [Abraham’s] name great” (Genesis 12:2b).
This is similar to how Gabriel told Mary her son will be great. Jesus’s greatness surpasses Abraham’s greatness. And Jesus’s greatness is a fulfillment of God’s promise to make Abraham great.
God also promised Abraham, that “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3b).
This meant that Abraham or his descendants would provide a great benefit and blessing to all the peoples and families—everyone who ever lived on earth.
God’s covenant with Abraham was extended to his son, Isaac (Genesis 26:24).
And God’s covenant with Abraham and Isaac was passed down to Isaac’s second born son, Jacob (Genesis 28:13-15).
In these covenant—prophecies, the “great nation” (Genesis 12:2) and the “descendants” (Genesis 28:13) of Jacob/Israel that multiplied to “be like the dust of the earth…spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south” (Genesis 28:14) are all referred to in Gabriel’s statement as the household of Jacob.
By the time Gabriel visited the virgin Mary and told her she would conceive a son, this aspect of the Abrahamic covenant had already been fulfilled.
But there was also something in Mary’s son that would fulfill a yet—to—be fulfilled promise of the Abrahamic covenant.
This yet—to—be—fulfilled promise was that “in you/your descendants all the families of the earth would be blessed” (Genesis 12:3b, Genesis 28:14b).
Jesus fulfilled the promise of the Abrahamic Covenant—“in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3b, Genesis 28:14b)—by bringing salvation to both Jews and Gentiles through His life, death, and resurrection.
As a Jew, Mary’s son, Jesus, is a descendant of Abraham (Matthew 1:1).
The Apostle Paul explicitly states that Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s covenant promise to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham,
“The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations will be blessed in you.’”
(Galatians 3:8)
Through faith in Jesus, people from every tribe, tongue, and nation receive the blessing of salvation and become part of God’s covenant family (John 1:12-13, Revelation 7:9, Galatians 3:28-29). By believing in Jesus, as God’s Son, they are gifted the Gift of Eternal Life (John 3:16). This is an incredible blessing available to every person, every “whosoever” that believes in Him.
By making redemption available to all, Jesus fulfills God’s promise to Abraham and his grandson Jacob, that through their descendants God will bless every family on earth.
The angel Gabriel brings this promise which God made to Abraham and Jacob into the picture when he tells Mary that her son will reign over the house of Jacob forever.
Now that we have discussed how Mary’s son Jesus is a fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant, we can return to how He further fulfills the Davidic covenant.
Gabriel’s Elaboration of the Davidic Covenant
Gabriel’s declaration that Jesus will reign over the house of Jacob forever is an expansion of what he told Mary about how her son will fulfill the Davidic covenant in verse 32b—and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
Jesus will reign over the house of Jacob. This is kingly language. Kings rule and reign. And the Messiah is the ultimate King of Israel who will reign forever.
Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets spoke of a coming ruler who would reign over God’s chosen people. Gabriel’s words confirmed that Jesus was that long—awaited ruler.
There are three major prophecies of the Davidic covenant that speak to the theme that the Messiah will reign forever over the house of Israel. These four prophecies are: Isaiah 9:7, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Ezekiel 34:23-31, and Micah 5:2-5. And Gabriel’s statement alludes to all three of these prophecies.
The first of these prophecies is Isaiah 9:7,
“There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”
This prophecy was explained in fuller detail earlier in this commentary when it discussed Gabriel’s third declaration of Mary’s son—He will be great (v 32).
The second of these prophecies is from Jeremiah. The context of this prophecy concerns Israel’s oppression and a woe of warning to those oppressing God’s flock (i.e. the house of Jacob) (Jeremiah 23:1-2). The LORD then promises to personally gather the remnant of His flock so that they can flourish under His good protection (Jeremiah 23:3-4).
It is at this point that the prophecy mentions David:
“‘Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the Lord,
‘When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch;
And He will reign as king and act wisely
And do justice and righteousness in the land.
In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell securely;
And this is His name by which He will be called,
“The LORD our righteousness.”’”
(Jeremiah 23:5-6)
Jeremiah 23:5-6 proclaims how the LORD will raise up for David a righteous Branch to reign as king with wisdom and justice. This prophecy also speaks of how He will save Judah and Israel will dwell securely and that His name will be called “The LORD our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6b).
In addition to Jeremiah 23:5-6, Jeremiah 33:14-26a and Isaiah 11:1-10 are two other prophecies that describe the Messiah as a branch of David or stem of his father, Jesse.
Matthew appears to allude to a fulfillment of these so—called “Branch—prophecies” within Jeremiah 23:5-6 when he wrote:
“and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.’”
(Matthew 2:23)
In Hebrew, the words for “branch” (Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5, 33:15), “Nazareth” (Matthew 2:23) and “Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23) share the same root and have similar meanings. Their similarity appears to allow for a prophetic wordplay between their prophecy (Nézer/branch) and fulfillment (Nazarene).
Gabriel’s statements proclaim that Jesus is this righteous branch for David who will reign as King.
The prophet Ezekiel makes a prediction that follows a similar pattern as the prophecy of Jeremiah 23:1-6.
The context for Ezekiel’s prophecy also begins with a divine warning to the wicked shepherds of Israel for their exploitation and abuse of the LORD’s flock (the house of Jacob) (Ezekiel 34:1-10). The LORD promises to personally gather them and lead them to pasture (Ezekiel 34:11-22),
“For thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.’”
(Ezekiel 34:11)
The LORD then declares:
“Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the LORD have spoken.”
(Ezekiel 34:23-24)
Ezekiel’s prophecy identifies two things about the Shepherd who will gather and protect His flock.
This means the Shepherd is God Himself.
2. The shepherd will be “My servant David” (Ezekiel 34:23).
This means that the shepherd will be the LORD’s Servant—Messiah who will inherit the throne of David.
There are two ways for both aspects of this prophecy to be fulfilled.
The prophecy is fulfilled the second way as God became human in the person of Jesus who was in the line of David and was the Messiah. Gabriel’s statements make clear that Mary’s son is both: the God—man Jesus is the Son of the Most High and He is the son of David.
Gabriel’s statements make clear that the son Mary will conceive is both divine and human.
Ezekiel’s prophecy concludes with a description of the outcome of the LORD—Messiah’s salvation.
“‘Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,’ declares the Lord GOD. ‘As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God,’ declares the Lord God.”
(Ezekiel 34:30-31)
One of these outcomes is that “the house of Israel” (the house of Jacob) (Ezekiel 34:30) will know that the LORD their God is with them. And Gabriel’s declaration that He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, indicates that Mary’s son will be the divine shepherd king who will dwell with his people, “the house of Israel” (Ezekiel 34:30).
Even though Jesus will reign over the house of Jacob, His kingdom is not limited to ethnic Israel. While He came as the Messianic King of the Jews, His rule extends beyond all national boundaries—unto the ends of the earth (Isaiah 49:6, Acts 1:9).
Paul explains that through faith in Christ, Gentiles are grafted into the promises of Israel (Romans 11:17-20). Thus, the house of Jacob now includes all who believe in Him—Jew and Gentile alike (John 1:12-13). His reign is not temporary or subject to earthly limitations. Unlike the kings of Israel who ruled for a season and then passed away, Jesus’s kingship is forever. His reign will never be overthrown, and His dominion will never cease.
7. And His kingdom will have no end (v 33b).
Gabriel’s final statement, His kingdom will have no end, is the ultimate culmination of God’s redemptive plan through Mary’s son, Jesus.
In this context, the expression that His kingdom will have no end can mean three things.
It can mean that His kingdom is
And it can mean all three of these things at the same time.
The expression will have no end can also mean “Eternal.”
Earthly kingdoms rise and fall, but the kingdom of Christ is eternal. This means it will endure forever with no end—time. There will be no end point in the future when His kingdom is diminished or gone.
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.”
(Psalm 45:6)
The book of Hebrews applies this verse to God’s Son.
“But of the Son He says,
‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.’”
(Hebrews 1:8)
The expression will have no end can mean that it is “Limitless.”
His kingdom will have no limits or borders. It will extend to everywhere on earth and in heaven. There will be no end—point or boundary to the dominion of His kingdom.
The idea that His kingdom will not be contained by earthly borders was predicted by the prophets Isaiah and Micah,
“There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over His kingdom.”
(Isaiah 9:7)
“Because at that time He will be great
To the ends of the earth.”
(Micah 5:4b)
Before His ascension into heaven, Jesus told His disciples that all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him (Matthew 28:18) and He instructed His disciples to take the gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
The expression will have no end can mean “Invincible.”
His kingdom cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28). Jesus is Son of the Most High God and nothing can stop Him (Psalm 135:6, Revelation 3:7) and nothing can put an end to His kingdom. Jesus is the unstoppable King who conquered sin, death, and the grave.
When Gabriel says His kingdom will have no end, he is emphasizing the permanence and unshakable nature of Jesus’s reign.
Human governments are frail, often corrupted by sin, and inevitably collapse. But Jesus’s kingdom is established by the invincibility of God’s righteousness, truth, and power. It is not dependent on military power, political structures, or human ambition. It is an everlasting kingdom that will be fully realized when He returns to reign over the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21:1-4).
Jesus’s eternal kingdom will be all these things: eternal, limitless, and invincible.
Daniel 7:13-14 and The Kingdom of the Son of Man
When we consider Gabriel’s final two declarations of who Jesus will be to Mary—and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end (v 33)—we see that the angel was telling Mary that her son would directly fulfill the prophetic vision of Daniel where the “the Son of Man” is given an everlasting dominion that transcends all borders and will never be destroyed.
In other words, Daniel prophesies that the Messiah will be given a kingdom that is eternal, limitless, and invincible—His kingdom will have no end.
In this vision, Daniel sees the starry expanse, and in the clouds of heaven he sees:
“One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days.”
(Daniel 7:13b)
In the context of Daniel 7:13 the expressions “Ancient of Days” is a description of the LORD who is eternal and “the Son of Man” is a term that means the Messiah. (See The Bible Says article: “Why Does Jesus Refer to Himself as the Son of Man?”)
Daniel then says what happens to the Messiah/the Son of Man:
“And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.”
(Daniel 7:14)
In this futuristic vision, the Son of Man and Messiah is given dominion, glory, and a kingdom (Daniel 7:14a).
Jesus is given:
“All the peoples, nations and men of every language… serve Him [Jesus, the Son of Man].”
(Daniel 7:14b)
This prophetically reveals that Jesus’s kingdom will be limitless and transcend all geopolitical boundaries. Even language is no barrier to the expanse of His kingdom.
“His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which will not pass away.”
(Daneil 7:14c)
This prophetically reveals that Jesus’s kingdom will be eternal. It will never cease to exist or come to a point in time in which it is no more.
“And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.”
(Daniel 7:14d).
This prophetically reveals that Jesus’s kingdom will be invincible. Nothing will ever destroy it.
In saying to Mary that the son she would conceive will have a kingdom with no end, the angel Gabriel was telling her that her son was the Son of Man whom Daniel saw and prophesied about in his vision in Daniel 7:13-14. Mary would bear and give birth to the divine King who would reign over not only the house of Jacob, but all the heavens and the earth forever without end.
The invitation to enter His eternal, limitless, invincible kingdom is open to all who place their faith in Him (John 3:5) and do His will (Matthew 7:21).
Gabriel’s message to Mary was not only life—changing for the virgin engaged to Joseph. It was a prophetic vision for the son she would conceive that wove in many of the great prophecies concerning the Messiah from the Garden of Eden to Abraham, to David, and the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Micah, and Zachariah.
It is little wonder then that Mary “kept pondering” Gabriel’s salutation and message, perhaps for the rest of her life. Luke’s recording of Gabriel’s multifaceted statement about what Jesus would fulfill and become is one that will keep us pondering for the duration of our lives as well.
Used with permission from TheBibleSays.com.
You can access the original article here.
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