He Shall Be Great

Read: Luke 1:26-33

Luke 1:26–33 KJV 1900

26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Text: Luke 1:32

Luke 1:32 KJV 1900

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

Greatness is something that is hard to define as it can be so subjective. What one person thinks is great, someone else may not see the greatness in it.

History tells a fascinating story:

In 1715 King Louis XIV (14) of France died after a reign of 72 years. He had called himself “the Great,” and was the monarch who made the famous statement, “I am the state!” His court was the most magnificent in Europe, and his funeral was equally spectacular. As his body lay in state in a golden coffin, orders were given that the cathedral should be very dimly lit with only a special candle set above his coffin, to dramatize his greatness. At the memorial, thousands waited in hushed silence. Then Bishop Massilon began to speak; slowly reaching down, he snuffed out the candle and said, “Only God is great.” Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 24 — 10,000 Sermon Illustrations

Great - an adjective that means - “remarkable or out of the ordinary in degree, magnitude, or effect.”

His greatness is:

A Misunderstood Greatness (maybe missed could be here)

A Missed Greatness

A Marvelous Greatness

A Massive Greatness (Increasing - growing)

1. A Misunderstood Greatness

Jesus performed great miracles - but they were always misunderstood - It was all about what the person could get - in one place he fed a great multitude with a great meal - but they didn’t follow a great Savior - they followed for the great fish and bread - His was a misunderstood greatness.

Jesus preached great sermons - but was misunderstood because of blindness and deafness spiritually - He taught great things about the Kingdom of God but they were missed the message because they misunderstood His greatness.

Master Violinist Goes Unrecognized

Joshua Bell emerged from the Metro and positioned himself against a wall beside a trash basket. By most measures, he was nondescript—a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money and began to play.

For the next 45 minutes, in the D.C. Metro on January 12, 2007, Bell played Mozart and Schubert as over 1,000 people streamed by, most hardly taking notice. If they had paid attention, they might have recognized the young man for the world-renowned violinist he is. They also might have noted the violin he played—a rare Stradivarius worth over $3 million. It was all part of a project arranged by The Washington Post—"an experiment in context, perception, and priorities—as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste. In a banal setting, at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?"

Just three days earlier, Joshua Bell sold out Boston Symphony Hall, with ordinary seats going for $100. In the subway, Bell garnered about $32 from the 27 people who stopped long enough to give a donation.

Video: Joshua Bell Playing in a Washington D.C. Metro Station

Gene Weingarten, "Pearls Before Breakfast," The Washington Post (4-10-07); submitted by Stephen Nordbye, Charlton, Massachusetts

2. A Marvelous Greatness

Isaiah 53:12 reminds us that while “he was numbered with the transgressors, and bare the sin of many..” that God would divide him a portion with the GREAT!!!

His greatness goes beyond his ability to heal or preach well - it extends to his baring our sin all the way to the cross!!!

It’s a marvelous greatness - sometimes we need to be “re-wondered” we lose the wonder of His greatness - but “He shall be great!”

John the Baptist was “great in the sight of the Lord (Luke 1:15) but Jesus is great without qualification!!!

He would be called the Son of God or the Highest!!!!

3. A Massive Greatness

Massive meaning an ever-increasing greatness - He will rule the universe!!!

Not one thing will be in defiance of Him!!

Isaiah promised that of the increase of His government there would be no end!!!

Our God Reigns

He Is Great!!!

Conclusion:

One Solitary Life

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant. He grew up in another village, where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was 30. Then, for three years, he was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a home. He didn't go to college. He never lived in a big city. He never traveled 200 miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but himself. He was only 33 when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his garments, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave, through the pity of a friend. Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race. I am well within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned--put together--have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one, solitary life.* *Attributed to James Allen Francis.

Jesus, Name Above All Names

Jesus,

name above all names,

beautiful Saviour,

glorious Lord.

Emmanuel,

God is with us,

blessed Redeemer,

Living Word.

1