People all over the world believe that there was a Jesus of Nazareth who lived in the first century. Many would even go so far as to say that his parents were Mary and Joseph. But if you were to take all those people and then ask them, “So, who was this Jesus of Nazareth?” your answers would vary. Some would tell us that he was a good man who went about teaching good ethical principles and moral standards such as loving your neighbor, giving to those in need, turning the other cheek, and even loving and doing good to your enemies. Others would tell us that he was a crazy man in the first century who, though he had some good ideas, misunderstood his purpose in life and ended up getting himself killed. So then, who was this Jesus of Nazareth? That question led Peter Jennings to research and put together a two-hour documentary titled, The Search for Jesus.
It is quite likely that most of us hear today believe Jesus to be greater than a good ethical teacher, definitely not a crazy man whose misunderstandings got him killed, and much more than Peter Jennings ever discovered in his two-hour special. Today we could stand and confess as a group that he is the Son of God, that he is God himself, God the Son. But where do we turn to back up that claim? Should we, like Peter Jennings, begin researching and talking with individuals, looking at what has been written so that we might be more certain about who Jesus is? No. Thankfully there was someone who did much more than Jennings could do. This man lived back in the first century and compiled a narrative of Jesus’ life from the very beginning. He studied everything very closely for some time, taking note of what others had written as well, and then he wrote an ordered account of Jesus’ life so that we who have been taught certain things about Jesus might not for certain that they are true. This man was, of course, Luke. And the key question he wants to answer for us in this narrative is, “Who is this Jesus of Nazareth?” But instead of simply beginning with Jesus’ actions, he takes us in his first chapter to the time when Jesus’ mother, Mary, is told that Jesus will be born, and what we find here is remarkable. In fact, if all we knew about Jesus were this one conversation we find in Luke 1:26-38 then we would be able to speak very accurately about who Jesus was. So, with that in mind, let’s now turn to our text and see this conversation.
Having just written about the angel Gabriel delivering news to Zechariah that he and Elizabeth would have a son named John, Luke now takes us to another conversation between Gabriel and Mary taking place six months later. This time, however, instead of coming to the temple in a manner in which many would know of his appearing, Gabriel comes to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
We don’t know what Mary was doing when the angel came to her. Luke simply tells us that he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” (1:28). And Mary, like Zechariah before her, was frightened. Luke tells us that she was trying to figure out what kind of greeting this was. Could it be that this meant she was going to die? Well, the angel instantly assures her that she need not be afraid, telling her that she has found favor with God. That is, God has decided to pour out much grace on her. In what way, though?
Not surprisingly, it is news similar to that which Zechariah received – she will have a son. There is so much obviously similar between this story and that of Zechariah and Elizabeth. But it is obvious that there is much different as well, for the angel says much more than that her child will come in the power and spirit of Elijah. He says, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (1:31-33).
And even as Zechariah did not question that John would be filled with the Spirit in the womb or would be the one who prepared the way for the coming of the Lord but simply was amazed that he would have a son, so Mary does not first say, “You’re saying he will be a king reigning over an everlasting kingdom, the Son of the Most High?” Rather, she too wonders how she might even have a son. But she has more reason for amazement than Zechariah. Sure, Zechariah and Elizabeth were old and Elizabeth was barren, but Mary was a virgin. John’s birth was close to impossible. The birth of this child was going to have to be impossible. Mary had not been with a man.
Not surprisingly, the angel answers the exact question she asks in a way Mary probably didn’t anticipate. We might think he would say, “Well, I’m talking about after you and Joseph get married.” But he doesn’t. He says, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy – the Son of God” (1:35). He says to her that she’ll remain a virgin but that the child will be conceived in her womb nonetheless because the Holy Spirit would bring this about. That is, this one would be in Mary’s physical womb, but God would be his Father in a true sense. Thus, he will be called holy – the Son of God.
Then the angel tells Mary one more thing to help her believe. He tells her that her relative Elizabeth has also conceived and in her sixth month. Elizabeth, who was called barren, is now in the sixth month of her pregnancy with a son as well. Interestingly, we said last week that we don’t know what Elizabeth’s reasoning was for keeping herself hidden for five months, but I believe this morning we can say we see some of the Lord’s reasoning. Elizabeth’s pregnancy was to be a confirming sign to Mary that God indeed was doing the impossible. Gabriel the angel knew this was an impossible promise. That’s why he finished his words declaring, “For nothing will be impossible with God” (1:37). Mary responded, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (1:38). And the angel left. Mary, this virgin woman betrothed to Joseph was going to have a son whose conception would be brought about by the Holy Spirit himself. What an impossible promise from one with whom nothing is impossible!
This is the story of how Jesus was born into the world. In one sense it was in such a simple manner. He will come to us through the womb of a young girl from a city in Galilee. In another sense, it is the most remarkable birth imaginable. Jesus comes in the line of those born to women for whom having a son seemed impossible, that which began with Sarah having Isaac. But his conception exceeds all before him. He will not be born to a barren woman with a husband. He will be born to a virgin who will conceive because of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus himself will exceed all those born through seemingly impossible means. They all simply pointed to and prepared the way for him, the one who is called Holy – the Son of God.
Now I think that it is obvious from this story that Luke is telling us that Jesus is indeed great. “Son of the Most High,” “of his kingdom there will be no end,” and “Son of God” are not phrases or claims we just throw around. However, we could say the same thing about Gabriel’s words to Zechariah. Just last week we pointed out that these were strong statements the angel was making to Zechariah about his son but that because Zechariah knew the Old Testament promises they were even greater declarations than they might appear to be at first glance. Well, the same thing is true of Gabriel’s words about Jesus. Obviously everyone can read this and know that Mary is promised a unique Son, but if we know some of the promises of the Old Testament we can see even more clearly just who this Jesus is.
Years before this conversation between the angel Gabriel and the virgin Mary there had been a conversation between the prophet Nathan and David, the reigning king of Israel. David had looked around at his nice house and then thought about how the ark of God was in a tent. Now the ark symbolized the very presence of God. So in David’s mind, he was living in a nice house while God was living in a tent. Therefore, he determined that he was going to build a house for God. Nathan the prophet told him to go ahead. However, that night the Lord spoke to Nathan and told him to tell David that he would not build the Lord a house. In fact, God was going to do something for him. He was going to give him a great name, appoint a place for his people, and give him rest from his enemies. But then he made him one more promise. We read of it in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. The Lord declared:
“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.”
David was promised a son who would reign as king. Now, in an immediate sense Solomon fulfilled this promise. He was David’s son, built the temple, and reigned as king. However, he did not ensure himself that the kingdom would last forever. He did not guarantee that there was a son of David sitting on the throne forever. And that was part of God’s promise. Either David would have to have a son from each next generation sit on the throne so that there was always a son of David on the throne, or one of David’s sons would have to live forever, reigning as king over an everlasting kingdom.
Defeat at the hands of the Assyrians and Babylonians soon convinced the Jews that as crazy as it sounded, one of David’s sons would have to live forever. David would have to have a son who was much greater than David ever was. Soon the Israelites began looking for the one promised from the beginning to come from David, become king, and reign on the throne of a kingdom forever. They looked for this great and promised king who would live forever.
And now, over 580 years after any son of David had sat on the throne as king over a kingdom, the angel Gabriel tells Mary, “And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:32-33). The angel assures Mary that their hopes were right. They should have been looking for more than just a number of David’s sons reigning as kings. They should be looking for one of David’s sons to reign forever, whose kingdom would never end. And Gabriel was telling Mary that her son would be the one. He would be the son of Joseph, Mary’s fiancé, according to the flesh, who was in David’s line.
Who is Jesus of Nazareth? Luke tells us that for one he is the promised king from David who lives forever to reign over an everlasting kingdom. Luke also tells us that Jesus is the Son of God.
Interestingly in the promise to David the Lord had said of David’s promised son, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.” Now, to us, that promise sounds crazy. He would be God’s son? However, we must understand that “son” language is often used throughout Scripture in a functional way. That is, a son was supposed to be a reflection and representation of his father. As early as Exodus 4, God calls Israel his son because they were supposed to reflect his character in the world. Even more specifically, though, the king of Israel could be called God’s son, for he was first of all an Israelite, but even more than that he had the unique privilege of reflecting God’s kingly reign over his people. This is why, for example, in Psalm 45, as the psalmist recites a psalm to the king on his wedding day he says, “Your throne O God is forever” and nobody freaks out over his words. He was saying that the king was to be God’s son in the sense that to see the actions and nature of the king was to see God. Yet this is why it was just a travesty that the kings in Israel’s history were evil. They were to reflect and represent God before his people and yet rebelled against God. For this reason the kings were never fitting recipients of the label “son of God,” for to see them was to see one who oftentimes represented rebellion against God.
But this creates a longing for one to come for whom such a label would be fitting. The Old Testament believers knew they needed a king for whom the label “son of God” would be fitting. In fact, when Isaiah prophesied of the coming king he wrote, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
What Gabriel announces to Mary in Luke 1:26-38 is that her son is this promised king. He is the true Son of God. But he will be God’s Son in much more than a functional way. He will be conceived by the Holy Spirit. “Therefore,” the angel says, “the child to be born will be called holy – the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). Jesus, unlike the kings before him, will be holy, and he will be God’s Son. In fact, we saw from the text last week that he will be God, the Son. Jesus not only pictures God before the people the way Israel’s kings should have. He can say that to see him is to see the Father.
Who is Jesus of Nazareth? He is the promised king from David’s line who lives and reigns forever. And he is the promised Son of God. But if that is the case, then why is he going to be born in a time when no king of Israel is sitting on the throne? Why will he be born to an earthly father Joseph who is heir to a meaningless throne? It is because Jesus is the promised one to be born of the virgin.
Years earlier Isaiah had recorded an incident in which Ahaz the king of Judah was under attack from Syria and Israel. It looked hopeless and he was seeking to make an alliance with Assyria. However, the prophet came to him saying that he need not make that alliance but simply rely on the Lord and that God would break Israel to pieces. Then Ahaz was commanded to ask for a sign. But Ahaz refused, not because he didn’t think God needed to prove himself, it was because he did not want to believe God. He wanted to rebel. Therefore the prophet told him that he would have a sign. He says, in Isaiah 7:14-15, “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.”
Curds and honey were the food of poverty. What Isaiah was saying was this: Ahaz should have guarded the Davidic throne and sought to preserve it. After all, the Lord had promised that the Messiah was going to come from this line, the house of David. Therefore, those kings of Judah should have done whatever they could to ensure the continuation of the throne, for their Savior was going to arrive at some point as David’s promised Son. Ahaz, however, had chosen to disobey God’s command to trust him. Therefore, as judgment, even as Israel was going to be destroyed, so ultimately was Judah going to be destroyed. Thus, the land would become a land of poverty, and the throne would become meaningless. The land was going to be conquered. Therefore, when the virgin bore a Son (the Messiah), he would not be born into a thriving kingdom, ready to take the throne but he “would be born into poverty, heir to a meaningless throne in a conquered land.”1 And Isaiah was saying that this reality (which showed itself in the birth of our Lord) could all be traced back to Ahaz. The situation of the Messiah’s birth, the kingdom, land, and no true throne at that time would be a sign to all that Ahaz had chosen foolishly. By choosing to trust in Assyria, he was going to put his trust in one who would turn against him. He had disobeyed the Lord, and the results would be disastrous, destruction for Judah and an end to the throne, until the one came to whom it truly belonged (cf. Genesis 49:10). Not only did the promised one need to live forever as the king from David and God’s Son, but he needed to be born of a virgin in a time of poverty and heir to a meaningless throne for God’s people.
Therefore, as Luke gives us these simple circumstances of Jesus’ birth, to a young virgin, who lived in an unimportant city, as the heir to a meaningless throne Luke is not saying, “So pity this coming child.” Rather, he is saying, “See, he’s the promised one. He is the one born of the virgin. This is much more than a miraculous conception, much more than an impossible conception, it is the fulfillment of the promise of God. Jesus, in every way, is the one who has been promised. Who is Jesus of Nazareth? He is the King from David’s line who is born of a virgin and is God’s true Son.
And yet there was one point in Jesus’ life when it appeared he could be none of these things. One Friday afternoon as he was hanging on a cross, dying beside two criminals, suffocating in his own blood it looked quite obvious that he couldn’t be this promised one. How could he be God’s Son when he cried out in his agony, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” How could he be the promised virgin-born king of David who was to live forever when he was dying on that cross? How could he be God if he was suffering under the wrath of God? And he was indeed suffering God’s wrath. But he was suffering for us. He was a king dying for his people. Even as the king throughout the Scripture stood as a representative for all the people, so Jesus was dying for us, for our sins. He had not sinned himself. He was dying to pay our penalty as our substitute. And he did die.
Three days later, however, God showed us how he could be the virgin-born promised son of David and Son of God. God raised him from the dead to live forever. And he exalted him to his right hand where he sits right now reigning over this world. In fact, one day he is returning to make this entire world fully his, to judge his enemies, and gather his people as the King of King and Lord of Lords. Who is Jesus of Nazareth? That’s who he is. So may we celebrate who he is and what he has done as we come to the table. Amen.