“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. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.” (Luke 1:32-33 CSB)
The child to be born to Mary would be great. This was an unqualified greatness that was reserved in the Scriptures for God alone. (1) He would be called the Son of the Most High. In semitic culture, the son was the heir to all that was his father’s and the phrase “son of…” is used throughout the Scripture to describe one who “possessed his ‘father’s’ qualities.” (2) The Most High God is the unchallenged ruler of all that has been created. And this son to be born to Mary would share His qualities.
The Lord God would give this child the throne of His father David. And He was to reign over the people of God forever. His kingdom would have no end. This Kingdom would be eternal.
The language of this message points back to at least a handful of Old Testament scriptures about a future day in which the King would rule over a redeemed creation. The phrase “house of Jacob” was used most by the prophet Isaiah, who spoke of a time in which the people of God would be free from every oppressor and that the elements of war would become useless. The dominion of His rule would fill the earth and the zeal of God would accomplish this purpose. (See Isaiah 9:1-7.) And it would all hinge on a child to be born. Isaiah said that this child would be born “for us.” The shepherds in the field heard these sentiments echoed in the angel’s pronouncement to them that a Savior had been born for them and that the news was of a subject that would produce great joy and be, ultimately, for all the people.
His birth was a gift of inestimable value. This gift was to be offered to all people.
The reference to the throne of David would most likely have cued up for Mary the promises given to David through the prophet Nathan in the seventh chapter of 2Samuel. The Lord promised David that He would give him a house and a kingdom that would endure before Him and that his throne would be established forever. No king in the house of David had lived up to these promises at the time when the birth of Jesus was foretold to Mary. She was told that this throne would be given to her son.
Daniel spoke in his prophetic writings of an everlasting Kingdom that would ultimately engulf all other kingdoms. He saw a vision of “one like a son of man” who came with the clouds of heaven and approached the Lord, the Ancient of Days. This man was given “dominion and glory and a kingdom” that was to result in the obedience of all of the nations.
The Scriptures promise that there will be a day in which pain, suffering, evil and death itself will be wiped away – God will be with His people in person and wipe away every tear from their faces. And the people of God will live forever in His presence here on earth.
The message of Christmas is that this King entered into our space to establish this Kingdom. Jesus said that this Kingdom was near in a similar way we know that the sun is right on the horizon when we begin to see the light of dawn.
When Jesus, the Son of God, stepped into human history, the Kingdom of God became a present reality on earth. The Kingdom is here. It is not yet fully here, but the Kingdom will come in its fullness, as promised in the ancient Scriptures.
The angel told the shepherds that the sign of the coming of this King would be “a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12 CSB)
This is what we can see when we behold this child in this manger.
During our time as missionaries in Japan we would transition to spiritual conversation with people by asking them how we could pray for them. We used this in the U.S. as well although the answers we received in Japan were different. One answer I often heard in Japan that I do not remember hearing in America was the request to pray for world peace. When I first started hearing this request I did not know how to respond. Sometimes I would try to move them towards a more personal request and sometimes I would just pause and pray for world peace with them. I found myself often hesitating in my prayer though. It occurred to me on one occasion that I was praying for something that was already destined to occur. The word of the Lord predicts, as mentioned above, a time in which peace would rule throughout the earth. Of course we are told that as we align ourselves with the will of God that our prayers are answered and the Lord Jesus Himself told us to pray that the Kingdom of God would come and that His will would be done on earth as in heaven. The book of Revelation closes with the prayer: “Come, Lord Jesus!” Of course I would pray this. But these thoughts led me to now respond differently when I hear the request to pray for peace on earth. Now, when I hear this request I use this an opportunity to speak of the coming Kingdom of God that is promised to come. I say something along the lines of, “This world peace is actually not only a possibility but a guarantee that we can count on. I will certainly pray for this! And I know it will be answered. But, honestly, the question each human being needs to wrestle with is, ‘Will I be able to experience this Kingdom?’ Would you like to learn what the Bible says about how a person can receive this Kingdom?”
Paul writes that believers in Christ have already entered this Kingdom. (See Col. 1:13) We have already received it. (Hebrews 12:28) We should now live as citizens of this Kingdom. (1Thess. 2:12/Phil. 3:20) And the Kingdom “program” right now is to disperse the message of the King. (See Acts 1:6-8)
His Kingdom has already collided with our world and is spreading even now in radical ways as lives are changed in submission to King Jesus. But His Kingdom also will come to a degree that is more wonderful than the human heart can even imagine.
I believe that this coming Kingdom answers the longing of every human heart. And ultimately, Christmas points us to this future redemption that will be accomplished in the person of Jesus.
What about you? Where is your life right now in relation to this King and His Kingdom?
Have you bowed your knee to Him? Are you a recipient of His Kingdom? Are you spreading the news?
In this season let’s behold the sign. And let’s remember and welcome this Kingdom.
(2.) Edwards, James R. The Gospel According to Luke (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (p. 47). (Function). Kindle Edition.
Blessing Nations 
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