The Prophecy of Jesus' Birth

December 10th, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Luke 1:30-33 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 bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 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.”

As Gabriel said to Zacharias upon appearing to him, he also said to Mary: “Fear not!” As one who stood in the presence of God (1:19), Gabriel’s appearance must have been frightful as the holy being he was. Yet Mary had nothing to fear, for Gabriel was sent by God to her because she “found favor with God.” Unlike the description of Zacharias and Elizabeth as righteous and blameless in God’s sight (1:6), nothing is said of Mary’s character either before or after this verse. Luke, while no doubt interviewing Mary for this account (cf. 1:1-4), emphasizes God’s sovereign choice of Mary apart from any merit on her part. Like Mary, Noah found favor in God’s sight (Gen. 6:8), and Peter says that those who suffer for doing right find favor with God (1 Pet. 2:20). Mary was obviously a humble young lady, and God was pleased to choose her for the unique task as the one who would bear the Christ-child. Although God chooses all of His elect children to carry out their tasks, no task was more unique than Mary’s.

Verse 31 is the presentation of Mary’s task, namely, that she would conceive a child in her womb and name him “Jesus” (Heb. Yeshua, or Joshua) which means Yahweh saves. In vv. 32-33 the angel gives a fivefold description of Mary’s Child. First, Jesus would be “great,” yet not “great in the sight of the Lord” as John the Baptist was (1:15). There is no qualifier for Jesus’ greatness which is understood fully in hindsight. His greatness separates Him from the rest of mankind in that He is perfect, holy, and altogether sovereign; mere men are none of these.

Second, Jesus would be called “the Son of the Most High” (Heb. El Elyon)—the Son of God. El Elyon is used in the Hebrew Scriptures to speak of God as the supreme ruler over all. In this title, Jesus is again seen as distinct from John the Baptist, for whereas John was merely going to be the prophet of the Most High (1:76), Jesus is the Son of the Most High.

Third, “the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.” As all Jews knew, the Messiah would come from David’s line in keeping with God’s eternal promise to David (2 Sam. 7:12-13, 16), and the angel says as much about Jesus (cf. Luke 1:69; 2:4, 11; Acts 2:30). Luke already wrote of Jesus’ Davidic roots in 1:27 where Joseph is described as David’s descendant.

Fourth, Jesus “will reign over the house of Jacob forever.” Of course the house of Jacob signifies all Israelites (Exod. 19:3; Isa. 2:5-6; 8:17; 48:1), for Jacob’s name was changed to “Israel” (Gen. 32:28). His offspring was the promised seed of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). Jesus would be their King and reign over them “forever,” another portion of the promise given to both Abraham and David (Pss. 89:4, 29; 132:12; Isa. 9:7). Daniel too was given a vision of the Son of Man who would preside as King over an everlasting kingdom (Dan. 2:44; 7:14; cf. Isa. 9:6).

Finally, Jesus’ “kingdom would have no end,” although His kingdom was not established at His first advent. In fact, when Jesus came to the house of Jacob, they “did not receive Him” (John 1:11). Yet those who do receive Him have His enduring kingdom within them. And when He returns physically, both His spiritual and physical kingdom will endure forever.

Food For Thought
What God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He fulfilled through David. Reiterating those promises to David, God again fulfilled, this time through Mary. And what God promised through Mary’s offspring—Jesus the Messiah—He will fulfill in all who receive Him for salvation. God thus works through His chosen people to accomplish His good and perfect will. It is notable that no one God chose in the past was worthy of His grace, and it is equally notable that no one God has called since have been worthy of His grace. All of us are nobodies at the time of our calling, sinners separated from God, made alive through faith in Jesus Christ. Mary certainly had a unique calling, yet all who receive the fruit of her womb are no less blessed. We as believers are all favored ones by God as useful tools in His eternal kingdom.