August 14 2024

Wednesday August 14

“And Of His Kingdom There Will Be No End”

Luke 1:26-33

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; 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 of His kingdom there will be no end."

We can only imagine what must have been going through Mary’s mind as she heard this message from the angel Gabriel. I’m convinced that Mary was a very intelligent young lady who was well versed in the Old Testament prophesies concerning the Messiah. I believe that Mary had a very good memory. In Luke 2:19, after the angels appeared to the shepherds and they visited the manger where the Christ Child was born, Luke records that “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

Based on this verse and other places in Luke’s Gospel, I believe that Luke most likely had the opportunity to personally interview Mary and get a firsthand account of the details of the birth of Jesus. One of my friends, Mark Lowery wrote one of my favorite Christmas songs, “Mary Did You Know?”. Maybe there are some things she didn’t know, but for a fact she did know some things about the baby Jesus! She heard it directly from the angel, who heard it directly from God, that she would miraculously conceive a Son, and that He would be great, and that He would be called the Son of the Highest. She was told that God would give Him the throne of His father David.

Mary was assured that her baby Jesus, had a glorious future ahead of Him. Of course, Jesus from eternity past knew God’s plan for Him that also included the suffering of the cross. Hebrews 12:2 tells us we can look “unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus knew after the suffering of the cross, He would have the joy of glory, sitting on the throne of David, reigning over the house of Jacob forever and that His kingdom would have no end!

Mary probably knew the prophecy of Jeremiah the Prophet in Jeremiah 23:5-6, "Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

At the fulfillment of this prophecy in Revelation 22:16, Jesus proclaims, "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." Yes, Jesus will have a throne. But before then the Jews rejected Him and crucified Him. Can you imagine Mary standing at the cross wondering about the message she had heard from the angel some thirty-three years earlier. She had to be thinking, what happen to this prophecy of a throne and a kingdom. I personally know that Jesus is the Son of God. I know I heard clearly that He would have a kingdom. How can this be that He is dying on a cross in humiliation and shame?

Yet the Scriptures clearly teach us that these prophecies will be literally fulfilled one day. He will reign over the house of Jacob. Right now today, Jesus is not sitting on the throne of David, He is not reigning over Israel, but my friend when you read the Book of Revelation we find one day in the future when the seventh angel will sound his trumpet that; “There were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15). Yes, His kingdom will have no end!!!!

So, Mary heard this angel give her this great message on the future of Jesus ruling and reigning from the throne of David over the nation of Israel and having a kingdom that would never end. For years she had been meditating on this and thinking about it, and now at the cross she must be wondering what has happened!

But praise the LORD! Jesus rises the third day from the grave, and Mary was there with the disciples at the Mount of Olives when Jesus is ascending into heaven, and again some angels appear and assure them “that this same Jesus which is taken up from you will so come in like manner” (Acts 1:11). She knew it wasn’t over yet!

My friend, Jesus is coming again! He will literally fulfill all those prophecies of sitting on the throne of David, reigning over the house of Jacob and have a kingdom that will never end!!!!! I’m looking forward to that day! Are you?

God bless!