A Mystery Revealed to Mary

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. Luke 1:32

As Gabriel appears to Mary, so begins the fulfillment of all that the mystery of his grace planned from eternity. And a less likely setting for such a world-changing revelation of God’s salvation mystery could hardly be imagined!

God’s mighty angel Gabriel appears to a poor, unknown virgin. Yes, it’s true, she’s a descendant of Israel’s great King David, but every glimmer of kingly glory is long gone. In fact, as the impending birth is announced, no male heir from David’s line will have any part in the child’s conception and birth.

And when the angel announces this child would be given David’s throne, an understandable response would have been: “What throne?” There hadn’t been a Davidic king leading Israel in 400 years. The sinfulness of David’s line—and all Israel with it—seemed to have forfeited Israel’s glory and made it nothing but a distant memory.

But that’s precisely the point of God’s saving mystery! There in Nazareth, God’s doing what he does so well: bringing something wonderful out of nothing. The child to be born of this humble virgin would “be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” The eternal Son of God was entering David’s fallen line. Within the body of this humble descendant of David, he who is eternally David’s Lord would become also David’s Son!

And consistent with God’s gracious salvation mystery, which brings something wonderful out of nothing, whom has this Son of David and Son of the Most High come to help? He hasn’t come to help those who’ve distinguished themselves before God. (They don’t exist anyway!) No, he comes for those who have no glory in themselves before God. He comes for those like you and me who have no rightful claim on his love and mercy, and yet, through this child of Mary, his forgiving grace gives us those very things.

On this Christmas Day, thank God for this mystery of David’s Lord and David’s Son revealed to Mary. Then thank God that he’s revealed this mystery to you!

We praise you, Jesus, at your birth;
clothed in flesh you came to earth.
The virgin bears a sinless boy,
and all the angels sing for joy. Alleluia! [CW 359:1]

Dr. Richard Gurgel serves
Martin Luther College as president.