Fear Not - God's Plan Includes Jesus

Introduction

What do you call the fear of Santa Claus? Claus-trophobia. I guess that is only if he locks you up in a small, tightly confined space. Believe it or not, there is an actual fear called Santaphobia.

But as one online article written by Debbie Smit states…

There is no special word assigned to the fear of Christmas. This is, of course, because Christmas is meant to be a time of peace, boundless joy, renewed hope and goodwill to men (and women). Pairing up “Christmas” and “fear” in an online search produces a very different scenario. One can conclude from the results only that for many Christmas is a very scary time. Apart from the obvious fears of loneliness (eremophobia), crowds (enochlophobia) and good news (euphobia), which cause a documented increase in suicide, murder and divorce during this time, there are some unnamed fears that are unique to Christmas time. Psychology Today, in the spirit of the silly season, lists 12 neuroses of Christmas: my favourites are Ho Ho Phobia (HHP), “a profound fear of rotund, bearded men in red suits and black boots”; (and) North-Polar Disorder (NPD), “the chronic fear that someone is on the roof.”

(http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2891&iArticleId=3575671)

As we study the Biblical passages that are often associated with the Christmas narrative, we find a repeated refrain in the words “Fear Not.” In Luke chapter 1, and Matthew chapter 1, and Luke chapter 2, this phrase “Fear Not” is found four times.

We find this message declared in a place of barrenness in Luke 1:13…

(Luke 1:13) But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

We’re told here that there is no reason to fear because God Responds To Prayer!

We find this message declared in a place of blessing in Luke 1:30…

(Luke 1:30) And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

We’re told here that there is no reason to fear because God Reaches Out To People!

We find this message declared in a place of battles in Matthew 1:20…

(Matthew 1:20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

We’re told here that there is no reason to fear because God Resolves Problems!

We find this message declared in a place called Bethlehem in Luke 2:10…

(Luke 2:10) And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

We’re told here that there is no reason to fear because God Rescues The Perishing!

As I have thought about this repeated message of “Fear Not,” I have thought about a traditional English Christmas carol that was first published in Britain in 1833. The composer of the song is unknown, but the song says…

God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,

Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day;

To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray.

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;

O tidings of comfort and joy.

That is the theme of this series … “Tidings of Comfort and Joy.”

Last week, we looked at the first chronological instance of this phrase found in Luke 1 when the angel Gabriel made a visit to the temple to speak to a priest named Zacharias. And the Bible says…

(Luke 1:12-13) … when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. {13} But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

Today, we’re going to be looking at the second chronological instance of this phrase, and it is also found in Luke 1. And again the words are spoken by the angel Gabriel who, a little over six months after his previous mission, makes a trip to a place called Nazareth to visit a virgin named Mary…

(Luke 1:28-30) And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. {29} And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. {30} And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

troubled – Greek 1298. diatarasso, dee-at-ar-as'-so; from G1223 and G5015; to disturb wholly, i.e. agitate (with alarm):--trouble.

cast in her mind – Greek 1260. dialogizomai, dee-al-og-id'-zom-ahee; from G1223 and G3049; to reckon thoroughly, i.e. (gen.) to deliberate (by reflection or discussion):--cast in mind, consider, dispute, muse, reason, think.

Fear – Greek 5399. phobeo, fob-eh'-o; from G5401; to frighten, i.e. (pass.) to be alarmed; by anal. to be in awe of, i.e. revere:--be (+ sore) afraid, fear (exceedingly), reverence.

found – Greek 2147. heurisko, hyoo-ris'-ko; a prol. form of a prim. heuro, hyoo'-ro; which (together with another cognate form heureo, hyoo-reh'-o) is used for it in all the tenses except the pres. and imperf.; to find (lit. or fig.):--find, get, obtain, perceive, see.

favour – Greek 5485. charis, khar'-ece; from G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstr. or concr.; lit., fig. or spiritual; espec. the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):--acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).

The angel indicated in verse 30 that Mary should not be frightened or alarmed or troubled because she had obtained the graciousness of God and His divine influence in her life.

From this passage, I want to magnify three channels of comfort and tributaries of truth in Gabriel’s words to Mary. These are three aspects of his message that offered “tidings of comfort and joy” to Mary. First…

I. The Lord’s Grace Gives Us Comfort

(Luke 1:26–30)

G.W. Knight said…

When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day’s pay for his time, that is a wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate recognition for his long service or high achievements, that is an award. But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no award—yet receives such a gift anyway—that is a good picture of God’s unmerited favor. This is what we mean when we talk about the grace of God.

(http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/g/grace_gods.htm)

God’s selection of Mary for this awesome role was not something that she earned or competed for, but it was a manifestation of God’s undeserved, unmerited favor. And Mary could say with Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “by the grace of God I am what I am.”

Like Noah of old, she “found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8).

A. Notice The Distance Of His Grace

(Luke 1:26) And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

1. It Reached Into The Place Of Struggling – Galilee

Easton’s Bible Dictionary says that…

In the time of our Lord … Palestine was divided into three provinces, Judea (in the south), Samaria (in the middle), and Galilee, which comprehended the whole northern section of the country, and was the largest of the three. … When the Sanhedrin were about to proceed with some plan for the condemnation of our Lord (John 7:45-52), Nicodemus interposed in his behalf. They replied, “Art thou also of Galilee? Out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.” This saying of theirs was “not historically true, for two prophets at least had arisen from Galilee, Jonah of Gath-hepher, and the greatest of all the prophets, Elijah of Thisbe, and perhaps also Nahum and Hosea. Their contempt for Galilee made them lose sight of historical accuracy” (Alford, Com.).

In the early mentions of Galilee in the scripture, it is associated with Naphtali. And in 2 Kings 15:29, there is a reference to Galilee as “all the land of Naphtali.”

“Galilee” means the circle or circuit, and it can refer to a region…

Galilee – Hebrew 1551. Galiyl, gaw-leel'; or (prol.) Galiylah, gaw-lee-law'; the same as H1550; a circle (with the art.); Galil (as a special circuit) in the North of Pal.:--Galilee.

Naphtali – Hebrew 5321. Naphtaliy, naf-taw-lee'; from H6617; my wrestling; Naphtali, a son of Jacob, with the tribe descended from him, and its territory:--Naphtali.

So “Galilee, the land of Naphtali” would indicate the circle or region of wrestling, portraying this as a place of struggle. Further, Isaiah 9:1 refers to “Galilee of the nations,” and as the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia states, this would mean “the region of the gentiles / nations.”

Matthew Henry said…

She (Mary) lived in Nazareth, a city of Galilee, a remote corner of the country, and in no reputation for religion or learning, but which bordered upon the heathen, and therefore was called Galilee of the Gentiles. Christ’s having his relations resident there intimates favour in reserve for the Gentile world.

2. It Reached Into The Place Of Separation – Nazareth

Roswell Hitchcock said in his Bible Names Dictionary that Nazareth means “separated.” Other possible meanings include “the guarded one” or “the watchtower,” suggesting the mountainous, remote situation of Nazareth.

The McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia says that…

Nazareth was the town of Joseph and Mary, to which they returned with the infant Jesus after the accomplishment of the events connected with his birth and earliest infancy (Matthew 2:22). Previous to that event, the place is altogether unknown to history. In Old Testament Scripture it is never once named, though a town could hardly fail to have existed on so eligible a spot from early times. Josephus, though personally familiar with the whole district in which it lies, is equally silent regarding it. The secluded nature of the spot where it stands, together with its own insignificance, probably combined to shroud it in that obscurity.

Again, M. G. Easton’s Bible Dictionary says that Nazareth means…

Separated, generally supposed to be the Greek form of the Hebrew ‎netser‎, a “shoot” or “sprout.” Some, however, think that the name of the city must be connected with the name of the hill behind it, from which one of the finest prospects in Palestine is obtained, and accordingly they derive it from the Hebrew ‎notserah‎, i.e., one guarding or watching, thus designating the hill which overlooks and thus guards an extensive region. … Nazareth is situated among the southern ridges of Lebanon, on the steep slope of a hill, about 14 miles from the Sea of Galilee and about 6 west from Mount Tabor. … It is supposed from the words of Nathanael in John 1:46 that the city of Nazareth was held in great disrepute, either because, it is said, the people of Galilee were a rude and less cultivated class, and were largely influenced by the Gentiles who mingled with them, or because of their lower type of moral and religious character.

But another writer said that…

Nathanael’s disdain may have been that of a “polished town-dweller for the uncultivated rural population” and need not represent a widely held opinion of the specific town.

(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, revised edition)

Cf. (John 1:46) And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

B. Notice The Dimensions Of His Grace

(Luke 1:28) And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

1. Grace Brings God’s Presence Into Our Lives

the Lord is with thee

Barnes’ Notes said…

[The Lord is with thee] The word “is” is not in the original, and the passage may be rendered either “the Lord “is” with thee,” or “the Lord be” with thee,” implying the prayer of the angel that all blessings from God might descend and rest upon her.

I don’t know about you, but I like the rendering, “The Lord IS with thee.”

Was this a blessing of Jesus’ coming that was for Mary alone? No, for the very name Emmanuel, according to Matthew 1:23 means “God with us.”

Craig Keener said that…

God often encouraged his servants that he was “with” them (e.g., Jeremiah 1:8).

(From the IVP Bible Background Commentary)

Henry Burton wrote…

How important to have God with us everywhere! The late John Wesley, after a long life of labour and usefulness, concluded his course in perfect peace and holy triumph. A short time before his departure, when a person came into his room he tried to speak to him, but could not. Finding his friend could not understand him; he paused a little, and then with all his remaining strength he cried out, “The best of all is, God is with us.” And then raising his feeble voice, and lifting up his dying arm in token of victory, he again repeated, “The best of all is, God is with us.”

(From The Biblical Illustrator)

Matthew Henry wrote…

She has the presence of God with her: “The Lord is with thee, though poor and mean, and perhaps now forecasting how to get a livelihood and maintain a family in the married state.” … Nothing is to be despaired of, not the performance of any service, not the obtaining of any favour, though ever so great, if we have God with us. This word might put her in mind of the Immanuel, God with us, which a virgin shall conceive and bear (Isaiah 7:14), and why not she?

Cf. (Isaiah 7:14) Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

2. Grace Brings God’s Promotion Into Our Lives

(Luke 1:28) And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

‎A. T. Robertson said…

The oldest manuscripts do not have “Blessed art thou among women” here, but in Luke 1:42.

Regardless of whether Gabriel actually used these words in his communication to Mary, the truth remains that she was “blessed … among women.” The word “blessed” that Elizabeth used in verse 42 means…

blessed – Greek 2127. eulogeo, yoo-log-eh'-o; from a comp. of G2095 (eu – well, good) and G3056 (logos – to speak); to speak well of, i.e. (religiously) to bless (thank or invoke a benediction upon, prosper):--bless, praise.

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon says that this word “blessed” (NT:2127 – eulogeo) when it used “of God,” means “to cause to prosper, to make happy, to bestow blessings on.” This is something that a father would do for his children in the Old Testament. He would speak good upon their lives.

Warren Wiersbe said of Mary…

She certainly never expected to see an angel and receive special favors from heaven. There was nothing unique about her that such things should happen. If she had been different from other Jewish girls, as some theologians claim she was, then she night have said, “Well, it’s about time! I’ve been expecting you!” No, all of this was a surprise to her.

Craig Keener said…

Greetings (like “hail”) were normal, but rank and status within society determined whom one should greet and with what words. As both a woman and a young person (perhaps twelve or fourteen years old) not yet married, Mary had virtually no social status. Neither the title (“favored” or “graced one”) nor the promise (“The Lord is with you”) was traditional in greetings, even had she been a person of status.

(From the IVP Bible Background Commentary)

Mary recognized this promotion of grace in her life, for she said in her testimony in verse 48…

(Luke 1:48) For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

regarded – Greek 1914. epiblepo, ep-ee-blep'-o; from G1909 and G991; to gaze at (with favor, pity or partiality):--look upon, regard, have respect to.

low estate – Greek 5014. tapeinosis, tap-i'-no-sis; from G5013; depression (in rank or feeling):--humiliation, be made low, low estate, vile.

blessed – Greek 3106. makarizo, mak-ar-id'-zo; from G3107; to beatify, i.e. pronounce (or esteem) fortunate:--call blessed, count happy.

She recognized her own vile, lowly condition. But she said that God looked at her in favor. She saw the ugliness, but God saw the beauty that she could have with Him at work in her life. Mary could say with John Newton…

Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound!

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, But now am found

Was blind but now I see.

C. Notice The Distribution Of His Grace

(Luke 1:28) And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

(Luke 1:30) And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

1. There Is Definite Sufficiency In His Grace

thou that art highly favoured

According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, to be “Highly favoured” (NT:5487 – kecharitooménee) means that you have been “pursued with grace, compassed with favor, and honored with blessings.”

A. T. Robertson said that this phrase “means endowed with grace‎ (or) enriched with grace.”

Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament says…

Literally, as the English Revised Version (1885) in the margin, “endued with grace.”

The Greek word that is translated “highly favoured” here is used only one other time in the New Testament, and that is in Ephesians 1:6…

(Ephesians 1:6) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Here, the same Greek word (NT:5487 – charitoo) is translated as “made us accepted.”

Matthew Henry reminds us that, “The vulgar Latin translates this gratiâ plena – ‘full of grace’,” suggesting a sufficiency and a profusion of grace upon her.

On the other hand, The Pulpit Commentary states…

The plena gratia of the Vulgate, said and sung so often in the virgin’s famous hymn, is an inaccurate rendering. Rather, “gratia cumulata,” as it has been well rendered. “Having been much graced (by God)” is the literal translation of the Greek word.

* The thing that troubled Mary, according to verse 29, was not the visage of this angel but the verbiage of this angel. It was what he said that disturbed her. And the sufficiency of God’s grace seems still to be a troubling message for those that need it.

2. There Is A Divine Source In His Grace

(Luke 1:30) And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

found – Greek 2147. heurisko, hyoo-ris'-ko; a prol. form of a prim. heuro, hyoo'-ro; which (together with another cognate form heureo, hyoo-reh'-o) is used for it in all the tenses except the pres. and imperf.; to find (lit. or fig.):--find, get, obtain, perceive, see.

favour – Greek 5485. charis, khar'-ece; from G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstr. or concr.; lit., fig. or spiritual; espec. the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):--acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).

Marvin Vincent said that “favour”…

(Denotes) the free, spontaneous, absolute loving-kindness of God toward men.

The Vulgate, the 5th century Latin version of the Bible, translated the phrase in verse 28 as “Hail Mary, full of grace…” This led to the wrong belief in the Catholic church that grace was bestowed by Mary rather than upon Mary. But as A. T. Robertson said…

The Vulgate gratiae plena “is right, if it means ‘full of grace which thou hast received’; wrong, if it means ‘full of grace which thou hast to bestow’”

Rudolf Stier said…

Mary is not a dispenser of favour, but a recipient of it, with and for the rest of us; the type and germ of the Church. (From The Biblical Illustrator)

It is favor “with God,” indicating that in His presence there is grace. As A. T. Robertson suggested, it is in a place “Beside God.” He is the source of this grace and favour. It flows from Him.

II. The Lord’s Greatness Gives Us Comfort

(Luke 1:31–35)

A. There Is Greatness In The Conception

(Luke 1:31) And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

1. Notice The Mention Of This Conception

A. T. Robertson elaborated on the phrase…

Conceive in thy womb ‎sulleempsee ‎‎en ‎‎gastri‎ (“conceive in thy womb”). Adding ‎en ‎‎gastri ‎(“in thy womb”) to the verb of Luke 1:24. Same idiom in Isaiah 7:14 of Immanuel.

(Isaiah 7:14) Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

conceive – Hebrew 2030. hareh, haw-reh'; or hariy (Hos. 14 : 1), haw-ree'; from H2029; pregnant:--(be, woman) with child, conceive, X great.

Notice some definitions of the words that are used in Luke 1:31 (“thou shalt conceive in thy womb”)…

conceive – Greek 4815. sullambano, sool-lam-ban'-o; from G4862 and G2983; to clasp, i.e. seize (arrest, capture); spec. to conceive (lit. or fig.); by impl. to aid:--catch, conceive, help, take.

womb – Greek 1064. gaster, gas-tare'; of uncert. der.; the stomach; by anal. the matrix; fig. a gourmand:--belly, + with child, womb.

This is the only time the English phrase is stated in this particular way in the King James Version of the scripture. Without getting into a lot of physiology and reproductive medicine, I think it is deliberately stated this way to emphasize the fact that conception took place in the uterus and not in the lower part of the fallopian tube as would be normal. God supernaturally fertilized a human female egg that would not have been fertilized otherwise. Based on what Paul said, the organic material came completely from Mary’s body…

(Galatians 4:4-5) But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, {5} To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

made – Greek 1096. ginomai, ghin'-om-ahee; a prol. and mid. form of a prim. verb; to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflex.) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (lit. fig., intens., etc.):--arise be assembled, be (come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, be done, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.

2. Notice The Miracle Of This Conception

(Luke 1:34-35) Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? {35} And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost 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.

come – Greek 1904. eperchomai, ep-er'-khom-ahee; from G1909 and G2064; to supervene (come about unexpectedly, usually interrupting or changing what is going on), i.e. arrive, occur, impend, attack, (fig.) influence:--come (in, upon).

When this was confirmed to Joseph, the angel said…

(Matthew 1:20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

So the Holy Ghost arrived, and interrupted the natural course influencing the physiology of this woman so that conception took place.

Albert Barnes suggested that…

[The power of the Highest …] evidently means that the body of Jesus would be created by the direct power of God. It was not by ordinary generation; but, as the Messiah came to redeem sinners – to make atonement for “others,” and not for himself it was necessary that his human nature should be pure, and free from the corruption of the fall. God therefore prepared him a body by direct creation that should be pure and holy.

Barnes cited this verse…

Barnes cited this verse…

(Hebrews 10:5) Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

Again however, I would lean towards the organic material coming from Mary’s body without the contamination of sin because of the “overshadowing of the power of the Highest.

overshadow – Greek 1982. episkiazo, ep-ee-skee-ad'-zo; from G1909 and a der. of G4639; to cast a shade upon, i.e. (by anal.) to envelop in a haze of brilliancy; fig. to invest with preternatural (exceeding what is normal in nature) influence:--overshadow.

The Pulpit Commentary says…

The expression of Gabriel, “the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee,” reminds us of the opening words of Genesis, where the writer describes the dawn of life in creation in the words, “The Spirit of God moved [or, ‘brooded’] over the face of the deep.” “The Word was conceived in the womb of a woman, not after the manner of men, but by the singular, powerful, invisible, immediate operation of the Holy Ghost, whereby a virgin was, beyond the law of nature, enabled to conceive, and that which was conceived in her was originally and completely sanctified.”

Marvin Vincent said that the overshadowing…

“(Denotes) the mildest and most gentle operation of divine power, that the divine fire should not consume Mary, but make her fruitful.”

A. T. Robertson said…

Shall overshadow thee ‎episkiasei‎. A figure of a cloud coming upon her. Common in ancient Greek in the sense of obscuring. … But we have seen it used of the shining bright cloud at the Transfiguration of Jesus. Here it is like the Shekinah glory which suggests it (Exodus 40:38) where the cloud of glory represents the presence and power of God.

Warren Wiersbe said…

Mary knew what would happen, but she did not know how it would happen. Her question in Luke 1:34 was not an evidence of unbelief (cf. Luke 1:18); rather, it was an expression of faith. She believed the promise, but she did not understand the performance. How could a virgin give birth to a child? … Gabriel was careful to point out that the Baby would be a “holy thing” and would not share the sinful human nature of man. Jesus knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), He did no sin (1 Peter 2:22), and He had no sin (1 John 3:5). His body was prepared for Him by the Spirit of God (Hebrews 10:5) who “overshadowed” Mary. That word is applied to the presence of God in the holy of holies in the Jewish tabernacle and temple (Exodus 40:35). Mary’s womb became a holy of holies for the Son of God!

Just as the earthy elements were sanctified so as to be used in the tabernacle and temple, so the organic material was sanctified by the overshadowing of the Highest so that it would be a suitable body for Jesus.

B. There Is Greatness In The Comment

(Luke 1:32) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

1. Consider The Destiny Of This Greatness

Matthew Henry said…

He shall be great, truly great, incontestably great.

This statement seems to encompass all that Jesus would do and all that He would become. It seems to allude to the destiny of His personage. As John Gill wrote…

He shall be great… In his person, as God-man; this child born, and Son given, being the angel of the great counsel, the mighty God, and everlasting Father; (as mentioned in Isaiah 9:6) which is here referred to; and in his offices, in his prophetic office, being that great and famous prophet Moses spoke of, mighty in word and deed, in his doctrine and miracles; in his priestly office, being a great high priest, both in the oblation of himself, and in his prevalent intercession; and in his kingly office, being the King of kings, and Lord of Lords; and in the whole of his office, as Mediator, being a great Saviour, the author of a great salvation for great sinners; in which is greatly displayed the glory of all the divine perfections: great also in his works, the miracles that he wrought, as proofs of his Deity and Messiah-ship, the work of redemption, the resurrection of himself from the dead, and of all men at the last day; and in the glory he is now possessed of in human nature, at the Father’s right hand, where he is highly exalted above all principality and power.

2. Consider The Definition Of This Greatness

great – Greek 3173. megas, meg'-as [includ. the prol. forms, fem. megale, plur. megaloi, etc.; comp. also G3176, G3187]; big (lit. or fig., in a very wide application):--(+ fear) exceedingly, great (-est), high, large, loud, mighty, + (be) sore (afraid), strong, X to years.

Albert Barnes said…

[He shall be great] There is undoubted reference in this passage to Isaiah 9:6-7. By his being “great” is meant he shall be distinguished or illustrious; great in power, in wisdom, in dominion on earth and in heaven.

Cf. (Isaiah 9:6-7) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. {7} Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon says of this word “great” (NT:3173 – megas) that it speaks…

Of rank, as belonging to persons, eminent for ability, virtue, authority, power; (it has to do with being) eminent or distinguished: it is used of those who surpass others — either in nature and power, or in excellence, worth, authority; it refers to something higher, more exalted, more majestic.

C. There Is Greatness In The Calling

Verses 31 and 32 use the word “call” and “called.”

call / called – Greek 2564. kaleo, kal-eh'-o; akin to the base of G2753; to "call" (prop. aloud, but used in a variety of applications, dir. or otherwise):--bid, call (forth), (whose, whose sur-) name (was [called]).

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words says that this Greek word (NT:2564 – kaleo) is used…

Of nomenclature (classification / identification) or vocation, “to call by a name, to name”; in the passive voice, “to be called by a name, to bear a name.”

1. His Calling Would Involve Explicit Salvation

(Luke 1:31) And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

She was told to name Him this name, in other words, declare His name to be this: Jesus. Based on its meaning, this word “name” signifies His authority and character…

name – Greek 3686. onoma, on'-om-ah; from a presumed der. of the base of G1097 (comp. G3685); a "name" (lit. or fig.) [authority, character]:--called, (+ sur-) name (-d).

The Easton’s Bible Dictionary says of the name “Jesus”…

This is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, which was originally Hoshea (Numbers 13:8,16), but changed by Moses into Jehoshua (Numbers 13:16; 1 Chronicles 7:27), or Joshua. After the Exile it assumed the form Jeshua, whence the Greek form Jesus. It was given to our Lord to denote the object of his mission, to save (Matthew 1:21).

Jesus – Greek 2424. Iesous, ee-ay-sooce'; of Heb. origin [H3091]; Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Isr.:--Jesus.

Hebrew 3091. Yehowshuwa', yeh-ho-shoo'-ah; or Yehowshu'a, yeh-ho-shoo'-ah; from H3068 and H3467; Jehovah-saved; Jehoshua (i.e. Joshua), the Jewish leader:--Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Joshua.

Jehoshua or Joshua was a compound name comprised of two Hebrew words (H3068 and H3467)…

a. It Points To The Sovereign

3068. Yehovah, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.

b. It Points To The Savior

3467. yasha', yaw-shah'; prop. to be open, or free, i.e. (by impl.) to be safe; causat. to free or succor:-- avenging, defend, deliver (-er), help, preserve, rescue, be safe, bring (having) salvation, save (-iour), get victory.

As Bill Gaither said, “Kings and kingdoms will all pass away. But there’s something about that name!”

2. His Calling Would Involve Exalted Sonship

(Luke 1:32) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

Son – Greek 5207. huios, hwee-os'; appar. a prim. word; a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immed., remote or fig. kinship:--child, foal, son.

Highest – Greek 5310. hupsistos, hoop'-sis-tos; superl. from the base of G5311; highest, i.e. (masc. sing.) the Supreme (God), or (neut. plur.) the heavens:--most high, highest.

Wiersbe said…

Note that Gabriel affirmed both the deity and the humanity of Jesus. As Mary’s son, He would be human; as Son of the Highest (Luke 1:32), He would be the Son of God (Luke 1:35). “For unto us a Child is born [His humanity], unto us a Son is given [His deity]” (Isaiah 9:6). The emphasis is on the greatness of the Son (cf. Luke 1:15), not the greatness of the mother.

John Gill wrote of this phrase that He “shall be called the Son of the Highest”…

That is, (the Son) of God, of whose name (is) “the Most High”; not by creation, as angels and men, nor by adoption, as saints, nor by office, as magistrates, are called “the children of the Most High”, but by nature, being the eternal Son of God; of the same nature with him, and equal to him: for he was not now to begin to be the Son of God, he was so before, even from all eternity; but the sense is, that he should now be known, owned, and acknowledged to be the Son of God, being as such manifested in human nature, and should be proved to be so by the works he wrought, and declared to be the Son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead.

The Pulpit Commentary states of this title, “Son of the Highest”…

It is (remarkable) that this title, given by the angel to the yet unborn child, was the one given to the Redeemer by the evil spirit in the case of the poor possessed (see Mark 5:7). Is this the title, or one of the titles, by which our Master is known in that greater world beyond our knowledge?

Illustration: In thinking about the greatness of Jesus, I thought about the little essay entitled, “One Solitary Life,” which says…

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself.

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.

This essay was adapted from a sermon by Dr James Allan Francis in “The Real Jesus and Other Sermons” © 1926 by the Judson Press of Philadelphia (pp 123-124 titled “Arise Sir Knight!”).

III. The Lord’s Government Gives Us Comfort

(Luke 1:32–33)

There is a definite connection of Gabriel’s message to the prophecy of Isaiah, not only in his statement that ‘God was with Mary’ in Luke 1:28 to the concept of “Immanuel,” the God who is with us of Isaiah 7:14; but there is also a clear connection to the mention of a Davidic throne and an everlasting kingdom in both Luke 1:32-33 and Isaiah 9:6-7…

(Luke 1:32-33) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: {33} And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

(Isaiah 9:6-7) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. {7} Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

In Gabriel’s words about this coming child Jesus was the aspect of destiny and the authority of dominion. What a comfort these words must have been to the heart of Mary.

A. There Is A Paternal Promise Involved In His Government

(Luke 1:32) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

Lord – Greek 2962. kurios, koo'-ree-os; from kuros (supremacy); supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by impl. Mr. (as a respectful title):--God, Lord, master, Sir.

God – Greek 2316. theos, theh'-os; of uncert. affin.; a deity, espec. (with G3588) the supreme Divinity; fig. a magistrate; by Heb. very:--X exceeding, God, god [-ly, -ward].

give – Greek 1325. didomi, did'-o-mee; a prol. form of a prim. verb (which is used as an altern. in most of the tenses); to give (used in a very wide application, prop. or by impl. lit. or fig.; greatly modified by the connection):--adventure, bestow, bring forth, commit, deliver (up), give, grant, hinder, make, minister, number, offer, have power, put, receive, set, shew, smite (+ with the hand), strike (+ with the palm of the hand), suffer, take, utter, yield.

throne – Greek 2362. thronos, thron'-os; from thrao (to sit); a stately seat ("throne"); by impl. power or (concr.) a potentate:--seat, throne.

We read in Daniel 2 that God is the One that “removeth kings and setteth up kings,” so He was the One that had the authority to give Jesus the throne of David.

Cf. (Daniel 2:21) And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

In his work on “The Life And Times Of Jesus The Messiah,” Alfred Edersheim wrote…

There can be no question that both Joseph and Mary were of the royal lineage of David. Most probably the two were nearly related, while Mary could also claim kinship with the Priesthood, being, no doubt on her mother’s side, a ‘blood-relative’ of Elisabeth, the Priest-wife of Zacharias.

So, in spite of what the Sanhedrin would later say, that ‘no prophet arises from Galilee’ (John 7:52), Jesus’ residency in Galilee put Him in similar company with the likes of Elijah and Jonah, and thus He was connected to the role of a prophet. Mary had family ties to the priestly order, being a cousin of Elizabeth whose husband Zacharias was of the priestly order, and thus Jesus was connected to the responsibility of a priest. As well, as Edersheim stated, ‘Joseph and Mary were of the royal lineage of David,’ thus connecting Jesus to the rule of a king, specifically, the throne of David. And the statement / promise that Gabriel made in verse 32 verified this connection in an unquestionable way.

1. This Promise Points Us To The God With A Fulfilled Sermon – It Is A Messianic Promise

This is actually a promise with a premise. As the verse indicates, He would be called “the Son of the Highest,” but David is called his father in this verse. And Jesus would also be called the “son of David.” As John Gill said…

Christ, as God, is the Son of God, as man, the son of David; a name often given to the Messiah, and by which he was well known among the Jews.

He was well known by the title “son of David.” And whenever someone called Him by that name, they were acknowledging their belief that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the promised anointed One of Old Testament prophecy. The Pharisees were familiar with this title as we see in Matthew 22…

(Matthew 22:41-42) While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, {42} Saying, What think ye of Christ (literally the anointed, the Messiah)? Whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.

The opening words of the New Testament tells us that Jesus was first the anointed Son (Christ, the son of David) and the ancestral Son (son of Abraham)…

(Matthew 1:1) The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Some 14 times in the New Testament, He is referred to as “son of David.” Notice some of these other occurrences…

(Matthew 12:22-23) Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. {23} And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?

(Matthew 15:22) And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

(Matthew 20:30-31) And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. {31} And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

In the triumphal entry in Matthew 21…

(Matthew 21:9) And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

(Matthew 21:15) And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,

Why were the chief priests and scribes displeased by this? It’s the same reason that people get disturbed today if you pray in Jesus’ name, and if you mention Him publicly and proudly as your Savior. Because if He really was the “son of David,” if He really was Who they said He was, then it made them responsible to Him. And it magnified their guilt in not trusting Him as Messiah, as Savior. But what a comfort this truth was for Mary! And what a comfort it is for all who believe to know that He is the Christ.

We can go to our families and friends with the words of Andrew…

(John 1:40-41) One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. {41} He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

2. This Promise Points Us To The Gift For A Favored Son – It Is A Monarch’s Promise

Craig S. Keener wrote…

This language ultimately derives from 2 Samuel 7:12-16. (From the IVP Bible Background Commentary)

Albert Barnes commented on the statement in verse 32, saying…

[The throne] The kingdom; or shall appoint him as the lineal successor of David in the kingdom.

[His father David] David is called his father because Jesus was lineally (in a direct line of ancestry and descent) (and legally) descended from him. The promise to David was, that there should “not fail” a man to sit on his throne, or that his throne should be perpetual (1 Kings 2:4; 8:25; 9:5; 2 Chronicles 6:16), and the promise was fulfilled by exalting Jesus to be a Prince and a Saviour, and the perpetual King of his people.

(1 Kings 2:1-4) Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, {2} I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man; {3} And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: {4} That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

(1 Kings 8:25-26) Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me. {26} And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.

The son of succession in David’s royal line was ultimately Solomon. But this was nearly not the case as another son of David named Adonijah assumed the throne in 1 Kings 1. But authority was passed to Solomon…

(1 Kings 2:12) Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.

But as we read in Jeremiah…

(Jeremiah 23:5-6) Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. {6} In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Solomon proved to be less than righteous in many respects. But there was another! And in Matthew 12, Jesus said…

(Matthew 12:42) The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

Jesus would be the favored Son, the greater than Solomon, the true heir to David’s throne, the King of kings!

B. There Is A Particular People Involved In His Government

(Luke 1:33) And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

1. Notice The Action In This Statement

reign

The word “throne” suggests the fact of His dominion, but the word “reign” states the act of His dominion. What does it mean to reign? Simply put, it suggests a foundation of power, and it means to rule. The Thayer’s Greek Lexicon says that this word “reign” (NT:936 – basileuo) means…

To be king, to exercise kingly power, to reign; ‎to exercise the highest influence, to control: to obtain royal power, become king, have power to reign.

The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament says…

This word, meaning “to be king,” “to reign,” is used of Jesus Christ in Luke 1:33, of God in 1 Corinthians 15:25, and of God and his Christ in Revelation 11:5.

2. Notice The Application In This Statement

One writer indicated that…

The coming of the Son of God to earth involved not only our personal salvation but also the fulfilling of God’s promises to His people Israel. To spiritualize these promises is to rob the Jews of what God has promised them. If Gabriel’s words in vs.30,31 are to be taken literally, so should his words in vs.32,33!

Is this part of the promise for “the house of Jacob” only? I believe there is a primary application to Israel. But just as we would claim Isaiah 9:6-7 for ourselves, it is safe to say that He will reign over the household of faith. Some indicate that we should not appropriate specifically Jewish promises for a so-called ‘spiritual Israel,’ but there is a broader application that can be made here. And some commentators have made that broader application…

The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary says that the “house of Jacob” refers to…

God’s visible people, who then stood in Jacob’s descendants, but soon to take in all the families of the earth who should come under the Redeemer’s ample wing.

Albert Barnes said…

[Over the house of Jacob] The house of Jacob means the same thing as the “family” of Jacob, or the descendants of Jacob-that is, the children of Israel. This was the name by which the ancient people of God were known, and it is the same as saying that he would reign over his own church and people forever. This he does by giving them laws, by defending them, and by guiding them; and this he will do forever in the kingdom of his glory.

John Gill said of this statement…

[And he shall reign over the house of Jacob...] Not over the Jews, the posterity of Jacob, in a literal sense; but over the whole Israel of God, consisting of Jews and Gentiles. For as his father David reigned over the Idumeans, Syrians, and others, as well as over the house of Judah and Israel, so this his son shall reign over both Jews and Gentiles: his kingdom shall be from one end of the earth to the other, even over all the elect of God; who in successive generations call themselves by the name of Jacob, and surname themselves by the name of Israel.

Paul said…

(Romans 9:6-8) … they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: {7} Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. {8} That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

I believe this … He shall reign over the house of Jacob, and He shall reign over me. If you want to include me among His subjects, you can!

C. There Is A Perpetual Power Involved In His Government

(Luke 1:33) And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

1. This Truth Is Presented In A Duplicated Way

“for ever” and “there shall be no end”

forever – Greek 165. aion, ahee-ohn'; from the same as G104; prop. an age; by extens. perpetuity (also past); by impl. the world; spec. (Jewish) a Messianic period (present or future):--age, course, eternal, (for) ever (-more), [n-]ever, (beginning of the, while the) world (began, without end).

kingdom – Greek 932. basileia, bas-il-i'-ah; from G935; prop. royalty, i.e. (abstr.) rule, or (concr.) a realm (lit. or fig.):--kingdom, + reign.

end – Greek 5056. telos, tel'-os; from a prim. tello (to set out for a definite point or goal); prop. the point aimed at as a limit, i.e. (by impl.) the conclusion of an act or state (termination [lit., fig. or indef.], result [immed., ultimate or prophetic], purpose); spec. an impost or levy (as paid):--+ continual, custom, end (-ing), finally, uttermost.

The statement tells us that His royalty and His realm will have no point of conclusion or termination or limit. The United States of America may have a point of conclusion in the not-to-distant future. But the kingdom of Jesus Christ has no end.

Barnes said…

He shall reign among his people on earth until the end of time, and be their king forever in heaven. HIS is the only kingdom that shall never have an end; HE the only King that shall never lay aside his diadem and robes, and that shall never die. “He “the only King that can defend us from all our enemies, sustain us in death, and reward us in eternity. O how important, then, to have an interest in his kingdom! And how unimportant, compared with “his” favor, is the favor of all earthly monarchs!

2. This Truth Is Presented In A Definite Way

“shall be no end”

A. T. Robertson wrote…

Shall be no end. Luke reports the perpetuity of this Davidic kingdom over the house of Jacob with no Pauline interpretation of the spiritual Israel though that was the true meaning as Luke knew.

“Shall be” suggests the idea that no end shall ever exist or happen or take place. It is impossible.

Conclusion

What comforts you at Christmas?

Perhaps the decorations

Perhaps the smells and sensations

Perhaps the food

Perhaps spending time with special people

The thing that brought comfort to Mary was the message of Jesus!