December 4
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; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” (Luke 1:32-33)
Today’s verses record the words the angel Gabriel delivered to Mary. Imagine the anticipation that fills an expecting mother. Now, multiply that sense of anticipation by a thousand, and you might have a glimpse of what Mary must have experienced. Gabriel didn’t simply tell Mary that she would give birth as a virgin, which was amazing in and of itself. He revealed that she was going to give birth to the “Son of the Most High,” indicating that Jesus would be the Son of God and not simply Mary’s boy.
As Gabriel stated in these verses, Jesus was going to possess the throne of David and reign forever, pointing to the fact that the child Mary carried would be the long-awaited Messiah. Has there ever been greater expectations put on a child? Jesus achieved the greatness He was destined for, perfectly accomplishing the task for which He was sent. Advent season is a time for us to put ourselves in Mary’s shoes to reflect on Christ’s birth and to anticipate His unending reign—just as she surely did upon hearing news from Gabriel of what was to come.
- When have you felt overwhelmed because of people’s expectations? What affect did that have on you?
- How can remembering Christ’s great power and his eternal reign free you from the pressures of the world’s expectations?
- Why is it important that we understand and remember the people’s expectations of the Messiah?