The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 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; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Luke 1:30-33
I love each of my kids. I was so very proud to hold them for the very first time. But as high as my thoughts were for each of them, it never crossed my mind to single one of them out with the public pronouncement, “This child will be the greatest.”
In Luke chapter 1, two babies are promised to be great. The first is John the Baptist in verse 15. His greatness is that of a prophet. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit and turn many people of Israel back to the Lord their God (v. 16). So, what kind of greatness will Jesus have?
In Luke 1:32, His greatness is divine. He will be called or recognized as the Son of the Most High God. This is another way of what we learned in Matthew 1: that Jesus is Immanuel, or God with us.
As Son of the Most High, Jesus displays for us what God is like, how God would respond, and what God would value. We learn the greatness of God through the greatness of Jesus. These lessons will help us trust Jesus with our cares and concerns.
A Prayer: Great are You, Father! No one and nothing compares to who You are. I want to know You more. Point out where I have thoughts of You that are wrong or diminish Your greatness. Teach me through Jesus Your true greatness!