He will be great and will be called the Son of the most High God. The Lord God will make Him a king, as His ancestor David was, and He will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end. (Luke 1:32-33)
Mary must have been stunned when she heard the words of the angel who visited her. A kingdom without end? That was certainly unheard of. The Middle East at that time had a violent history in which kingdoms rose and fell constantly. Yes, they had enjoyed years of peace and prosperity, but it never lasted longer than a lifetime. Change was always in the air and each time a ruler took over, the people eagerly awaited better times. Certainly this time things would lighten up.
The angel’s promise to Mary however, differed greatly from the political propaganda she had heard so often. He talked about someone who would become king because the Lord God would make Him king. This was not a matter of human performance, political strategy or violent conquest. The establishment of this new king was a matter of divine appointment. No wonder His reign would be of eternal nature and His kingdom could not be taken over by a rival. The angel’s message was a prophecy of things to come. Mary carried the Kingdom seed in her womb, a small and humble beginning of something that would change the world forever.
Through Yeshua, the Son of God, the Kingdom of Heaven came on earth and it has grown into the biggest Kingdom of all. Millions, yes, hundreds of millions of people are subject to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Surely, it will never end!
I love to read about Mary, Marja.
ReplyDeleteWhat quiet dignified strength she appears to have shown. A young teenager betrothed but pregnant.
She kissed the face of God as the song goes.
Yes, she kissed the face of God... Oh, how I love the lyrics of that song!
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