“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus … And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David” (Luke 1:31-32)
The Gospel of Luke records how the angel Gabriel is sent to a young woman in the city of Nazareth, to tell her that she will bear a son, and that “God will give to him the throne of his father David” (Luke 1:32). This woman, named Mary, is very confused about this announcement since she is still a virgin! But when she asks the angel how this can be, he answers her: “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High God will cover you. The baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35, ERV).
This message of the angel was the fulfillment of God’s promises the people had been waiting for centuries, but in a way nobody could have imagined. Who would have expected the Son of David to be born of a virgin, in a family that was of David’s line but lived a modest life in Galilee while the Romans were in power? How could it be that this Ruler was not only the Son of David, but also the Son of God, begotten by the Holy Spirit??
The Bible devotes four books to the life of Jesus, to explain Who this Man is. Over the next few days, let’s have a closer look!