“But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 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, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.’” -Luke 1:30-33, emphasis added
A teenage girl was betrothed to a man, who was a descendant of David (Luke 1:27). Did the Israelites sit on the edge of their seats, wondering whether their neighbor or friend who was from David’s lineage would birth the Messiah? Or had they long forgotten the numerous prophecies after 400 years of silence from the Lord?
It did not seem to be top of mind for Mary, who was troubled by the sudden appearance of Gabriel and questioned how his words could be true. Yet the angel hearkened back to the prophecies of old, making the situation clear to her: this son would be given the throne of David and would rule over Jacob’s descendants. Mary would give birth to the Messiah.
Centuries and centuries of waiting were coming to a close, and Mary soon realized the magnitude of what was happening.
“‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. … He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.’” -Luke 1:46-48, 54-55
News of this miraculous conception was kept to the family at first. But after Jesus’ birth, the word began to spread. Of all the people the Lord could have revealed this news to, He chose two unlikely groups to tell first: shepherds and Magi. The shepherds were Jews, but the text does not say who the Magi were other than they were from the East. Many scholars believe this indicates that these wise men were not Jewish. If this was the case, then God reached out specifically to Gentiles to tell them about the Savior of the world.
The Magi recognized that Jesus was the “‘king of the Jews (Matthew 2:2),’” and yet their first response upon meeting Him was to bow down and worship Him (Matthew 2:10). This baby was their King, too. This aligns with what the angel told the shepherds:
“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’” -Luke 2:10-11, emphasis added
And Simeon proclaimed these words as he held Jesus in his arms:
“‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.’” -Luke 2:29-32, emphasis added
It didn’t take long for both Jews and Gentiles to recognize that the Messiah was born for all people and all nations. They had waited for generations, but the hope of the world had finally come.
Millennia later, billions of people still have not received this good news of great joy. They are still waiting on the Messiah. Jesus did not want the proclamation of His coming to end with His birth, which is why He left His disciples with one last command: “‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations … (Matthew 28:19a).’”
The nations are waiting to hear the greatest news of all time. What will you do to ensure the gospel reaches them?
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This devotional is included in East-West's Advent guide, “Joyful All Ye Nations.” Read more devotionals plus international recipes, daily prayers, and Scripture readings by downloading this free guide!