vv 32-33. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israelforever; his Kingdom will never end!”
The promise leaps forward a thousand years of disastrous history for the Jews, and suddenly fulfilment stares us in the face. Were there still faithful servants of God yearning for a visible completion of this promise to David? Were there others like Simeon and Anna (Luke 2) who lived in daily, prayerful expectation of God putting a descendant of David on the throne of Israel? Did Mary experience the same line of thinking as David – ‘Why ME?’ See how David’s language is reflected in what the angel promises her; ”he will reign over Israelforever; his Kingdom will never end.” It is this same long-term view of God’s blessing that springs to mind.
And now, another two thousand years down the line, we wait for the public demonstration of God’s eternal kingdom, with Jesus, the true descendant of David, on the throne for all eternity. The promise of Jesus’ return has been made, and the writer of Revelation saw it as imminent when he recorded the words ‘“Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! ‘ (Rev 22:20)
Whilst the Bible encourages us to make the best use of our time, buying up the days to honour God in the way we worship God and serve others right now, we are also drawn to a longer view as we pray for the return of Jesus.
The promise has been made – will you join the multitude of believers praying for the fulfilment?