Your House, Too?

Luke 1:32-33 “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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
 
FIRST, let’s ask, “Who is Jesus?” The question has repeatedly been asked since our Lord became Immanuel, God with us. The Jews during Jesus’ human life on earth and the world since than have had formed their own answers to deny Jesus’ glorious identity. In truth, though, God gives to Mary and to all the world one clear answer. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”  Plain, pointed and powerful, God’s messenger Gabriel defined God become man through Mary’s womb.
    Now let’s ask another question: “But If Jesus is the Son of God, how can it be that Gabriel also said, ‘The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.’ Is Gabriel saying that King David, who lived 800 years before this time, is the father of the Son of God?” Yes, in one way that is true. And Gabriel uses this language to tell Mary and the Jews that God is about to activate a promise he made to David. See it here as recorded in 2 Samuel 7:16 “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” God told David that the eternal Kingdom of God will come out of David’s house. This is David’s family line. “Father” means ancestor. Both Mary and Joseph descended from different branches of David’s house. Gabriel’s words confirm Jesus the man is David’s descendant.
    Third, we ask, “What of the reference to house of Jacob here?” All the Jews are descended from Jacob’s house. Jacob, who is Abraham’s grandson and Isaac’s son, is the father of 12 sons. Each son became respectively, the “father” of the 12 tribes – or 12 houses – within the house of Jacob. The name “Israel” is another name for Jacob. Jacob received this new name in Genesis 32:28 Then the man (perhaps the pre-incarnate Christ) said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” God redeemed Jacob from his sins to prepare Jacob’s house for the Savior. “Israel”, the name, reminds the Jews of God’s redeeming work to restore and to fulfill his promises.
    In summary, Gabriel’s short message reveals the truth of God’s story and his holy character. For centuries God used the prophets to promise he would send a Savior to the Jews through Jacob’s and David’s family. Gabriel’s words affirm the events about to happen are God’s plans fulfilled. 
    God has plans for you and your house, too. Listen to him as did Jacob, David, Mary and many others. Open the Bible daily. Spend time with God. You will hear his personal promises to forgive, empower and love you. Perhaps he has great plans for your house. Maybe your family will be a witness to the world to answer the question, “Who is Jesus?”
 
Prayer: Open my ears to your promises, Father. I pray my house is a house of worship, praise and witness of the Savior to the world. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.