Jesus, His Messianic Identity, and His Unexpected Arrival

I. Jesus the Messiah

A. Both this story and the previous one are testimonies of God’s initiative of grace: that in our inability, God is able! This is shown through a child promised to an elderly couple and a child promised to a virgin.

B. Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

i. Both this story

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

The New King James Version Chapter 8

And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”

The date ties into the preceding story. As Jesus follows John, so his prophetic mission follows that of his precursor. The church recalls that it is more recent than the Baptist’s movement.

i. The date ties into the preceding story. As Jesus follows John, so his prophetic mission follows that of his precursor. The church recalls that it is more recent than the Baptist’s movement. // Bovon, F., & Koester, H. (2002). : a commentary on the Gospel of (p. 48). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.

Bovon, F., & Koester, H. (2002). : a commentary on the Gospel of (p. 48). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.

Luke has a large place for angels as God’s means of announcing, instructing, guiding, and protecting (1:11, 26; 2:8–15; ; ).

ii. Matthew, for example, when recalling the birth of Jesus, speaks of dreams as an avenue of revelation (; , , ). Luke has a large place for angels as God’s means of announcing, instructing, guiding, and protecting (1:11, 26; 2:8–15; ; ) // Craddock, F. B. (1990). Luke (p. 27). Louisville, KY: John Knox Press.

Craddock, F. B. (1990). Luke (p. 27). Louisville, KY: John Knox Press.

Matthew, for example, when recalling the birth of Jesus, speaks of dreams as an avenue of revelation (; , , ). Luke has a large place for angels as God’s means of announcing, instructing, guiding, and protecting (1:11, 26; 2:8–15; ; )

Luke has a large place for angels as God’s means of announcing, instructing, guiding, and protecting (1:11, 26; 2:8–15; ; ).

Craddock, F. B. (1990). Luke (p. 27). Louisville, KY: John Knox Press.

Craddock, F. B. (1990). Luke (p. 27). Louisville, KY: John Knox Press.

iii. In Gabriel appears to Daniel, puts him into a deep sleep, and shows him a vision of the final eschatological antichrist so dreadful that when Daniel woke up he was “sick for days.”

iii. In Gabriel appears to Daniel, puts him into a deep sleep, and shows him a vision of the final eschatological antichrist so dreadful that when Daniel woke up he was “sick for days.”

iv. In Gabriel tells Daniel in a vision, of a timeline of seventy prophetic “weeks.” These are weeks of years and they reveal how God transitions pivotal times of redemptive history and how these times relate to Jerusalem and to the temple. The last of these seventy weeks represent the final seven years of history in this present age.

C.  to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

B.  to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

i. It is prophesied in that the messiah would be born to a virgin and that He would be in every way “God with us.”

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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D.  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 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. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

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.”

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

i. The name of Jesus is given to Mary here. Jesus name in Hebrew meaning “the LORD is salvation.” This is brought out in Matthew’s account () where he says to Mary that His name will be Jesus and “He will save His people from His sins.”

ii. The language here in is messianic language. Since Matthew persuades a Jewish audience that Jesus is the foretold messiah, he uses the title “Christ” 5 times in chapters 1-2.

iii. What Luke does here in writing to a gentile audience is that he uses the language of messianism without the title. He is communicating the spirit of Jesus’ identity as messiah.

iv. Gabriel is communicating to Mary in no uncertain terms that the Son to which she will give birth is the Messiah and that He is in fact the Son of God.

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v. The magnitude of what Gabriel is saying to Mary is that she would give brith miraculously, that she would give birth to the Messiah who would on