The Coming Announced

MEMORY SELECTION: “Call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest.” —Luke 1:31,32

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:26-38

LUKE provides us with a historian’s report of the life of Jesus. He begins his Gospel with the account of two approaching births, the first being that of John, who was to become the forerunner and baptizer of our Lord; and the second being an announcement of the birth of the Christ child. In both of these accounts we see a manifestation of the miracle-working power of God in connection with the out-working of his plan for the eventual recovery of the world of mankind from the ravages of sin and death.

In the first instance, Elizabeth was barren, and both she and her husband Zacharias were past the age of childbearing. Yet God, through the ministration of his angel Gabriel, revealed to Zacharias that Elizabeth was to be blessed in a most remarkable way. She would bear a son who would become a great man of God in the sight of all Israel, and he would turn the hearts of many of his people toward God. The world would come to know him as John the Baptist, and he would have the honor of proclaiming Jesus as the Savior of the world. Another of his privileges in connection with his ministry was “to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”—vs. 17, ASV

In the second instance Luke proceeds to report on that most momentous occasion when Mary was told by the angel Gabriel that she too would bear a child. As her marriage to Joseph was forthcoming, she first thought perhaps that conception and birth would occur in the normal manner after they were married. But this was to be no ordinary child, and on this occasion God was to manifest his mighty power in a still more remarkable way, for she was informed that a life was to be miraculously implanted in her body before her marriage to Joseph. We are informed later by the Apostle John that this life was the transferred life principle of the great spirit Being called the Logos.—John 1:14

Mary would bear a perfect son and would call his name Jesus, which is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, meaning “the Lord is salvation” (see Diaglott footnote and appendix). He indeed would be great, because this would be the earthly form of the only begotten Son of the Most High God. It would be necessary for him to give up his spiritual nature and become a man for the very purpose of taking the place of father Adam, who, because of his disobedience to the divine law, was unable to pass perfect life along to his offspring. Jesus, in turn, would have to die as a perfect man so that the penalty for sin could be paid. Through him mankind would, in due time, have ample opportunity to gain everlasting life on the plane of perfect human existence.

The angel Gabriel said unto Mary that Jesus would not only be great and would be known as the Son of the Most High God, but also that “the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.” (vs. 32) This reference to the throne of David is an important one, in that the name David means “beloved,” and because David’s kingdom was typical of Christ’s kingdom, which shall be established over the nations. We look for that time when God’s beloved Son, our Lord and Savior, will be King. As David sat upon the typical throne of God, so Christ, in due time, will exercise his divinely given authority to rule over all mankind as earth’s rightful King.

The precious promises were well known to the Israelites, who looked for Messiah to come from among their people for centuries. No doubt many a Jewish mother had hoped that the birth of a son would eventuate in the fulfillment of that long-held dream and that she would have the great honor of bearing the seed of promise that was to come from the family of Abraham.

And now the time had come for the long-awaited arrival of Messiah; and Mary, because of her depth of humility, degree of heart devotion, and loyalty to God, was chosen to bear the promised child—for which she greatly rejoiced, and in which she was expressly blessed.

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