The Announcement

KEY VERSE: “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest.” —Luke 1:32

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:26-38

THE remainder of our Key Verse reads: “And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.” Here within this single verse of Scripture is a seeming contradiction. How could Jesus be the Son of God and also be the son of David? Near the end of Jesus’ life the rulers of Israel used this supposed discrepancy to build a case of blasphemy against Jesus leading to his death. How could he possibly claim to be the son of God, when his earthly parentage was identifiable, and his birth circumstantially a matter of their not having observed the Law? How dare he claim to be the son of the Highest, or even one who had a claim to the throne of David, seeing how Joseph, his parent, while a son of David, was of a line cut off from royalty?

But there were a few who did believe. When Jesus asked, “Whom say ye that I am,” Peter, the spokesman for his disciples, hastily replied, “Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.” (Matt. 16:16) Jesus said, “Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee,” human wisdom denies it, “but my Father which is in heaven” has made this great truth known unto you. Yes, they believed the messenger of God who spoke to Mary saying, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”—vs. 35

These same few were able to bring into proper focus the prophecies concerning the future return and exaltation of David’s throne, and include that of Ezekiel who, when announcing the cutting off of the last profane and wicked prince of Solomon’s line, indicated chat another branch of David’s family would at some future time be raised up in its place. “Thus saith the Lord God, remove the diadem, and take off the crown; this shall not be the same; exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. … It shall be no more until he comes whose right it is, and I will give it him.” (Ezek. 21:26,27) Mary, the mother of Jesus was a descendant of David, but unlike Joseph who was of the severed royal line of Solomon, she sprang from Nathan, an obscure branch of David’s family. Thus the earthly lineage of Jesus and the claim to David’s throne was through his mother, but his inheritance as a son came from God, his Father.

The unwillingness of the Jews to accept these facts left questions which they could not answer. Jesus on one occasion asked a group of Pharisees, “What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he?” To this they quickly answered, “The son of David.” Jesus replied, “How then cloth David in spirit call him Lord saying; The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool. If David then called him Lord, how is he his son?” We are told that no man was able to answer him.

After his resurrection, and having taken his glorified position at the right hand of God, Jesus elaborated on this matter, not to enlighten the Jews, but to strengthen the understanding of his disciples. His words, found in the Book of Revelation, read: “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David.” (Rev. 22:16) As the offspring of David, his first advent lineage has been carefully documented in the Scriptures, and was without question affirmed even by his enemies, the Pharisees, but the use of the expression the root of David points to a truth much more sublime. A root is a source of life. Be it noticed the text says not that David was the root of Jesus, but rather that Jesus is the root of David.

If Jesus’ life source had come from David, or any other descendant of Adam, it would have been imperfect, condemned, and he could not have supplied a ransom. Only God, the Creator of that forfeited perfect life of Adam could again provide a perfect human life in the bringing forth of a ransomer for Adam and all mankind.

The faithfulness of our Lord as the son of the Highest in laying down his perfect humanity in sacrifice, and his being raised with glory and power to bestow its benefits to David and with him all the rest of humanity including Adam, is what makes him a root, a source, or agency through which life can again flow out to the human family.

He whose right it is to sit upon the throne of David shall indeed be great. He shall be called “The everlasting Father.”—Isa. 9:6

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