Luke 1:32

My Notes

What Does Luke 1:32 Mean?

The angel Gabriel announces to Mary the identity and destiny of her son: 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.

He shall be great — not merely important or influential. Great (megas) — a word that in reference to a person carries divine connotation. John the Baptist would be great 'before the Lord' (1:15). Jesus shall be great — absolutely, without qualification.

Shall be called the Son of the Highest — the Highest (Hupsistos) is a title for God. To be called the Son of the Highest is to be identified as God's Son — not metaphorically but ontologically. The title places Jesus in unique relationship to God: not a son among many, but the Son of the Most High God.

The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David — the promise connects to the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16). God promised David that his throne would be established forever. Gabriel announces to Mary that her son is the fulfillment of that covenant. The throne of David — which had been vacant since the Babylonian exile — would be given to Jesus.

The verse combines two dimensions of Christ's identity: divine (Son of the Highest) and royal (throne of David). He is both God's Son and David's heir. The kingship is both heavenly and historical — rooted in a covenant made to a specific human king and fulfilled by a specific divine Son.

Verse 33 continues: he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. The throne is permanent. The reign is eternal. The kingdom has no end.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What does it mean that Jesus 'shall be great' — absolutely, not comparatively — and how does this shape your worship?
• 2.How does the title 'Son of the Highest' distinguish Jesus from every other person called a child of God?
• 3.What does the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant — a thousand-year-old promise — reveal about God's faithfulness?
• 4.How does knowing Jesus is currently reigning on David's throne change the way you relate to his authority?

Devotional

He shall be great. The angel does not say he shall be good, or kind, or wise — though he is all of those. He says great. The word carries a weight that distinguishes Jesus from every other person who has ever been born. Not relatively great. Not great compared to. Great — absolutely, uniquely, incomparably.

And shall be called the Son of the Highest. Mary is being told that the baby in her womb is the Son of God. Not a son of God in the way all believers become children of God. The Son of the Highest — a title that places him in unique, eternal relationship with the Most High God. Her son is God's Son.

And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. The promise to David — your throne will last forever — had been waiting for fulfillment for a thousand years. The throne had been empty since Babylon destroyed Jerusalem. And now Gabriel tells a teenage girl in Nazareth: your son will sit on that throne. The covenant God made to a king a millennium ago will be fulfilled through you.

Think about what Mary is hearing. Her son will be great. Her son will be the Son of God. Her son will sit on David's throne forever. She is an unmarried teenager in a small town — and the angel is telling her that the most important promises in Israel's history will be fulfilled through her child.

The greatness that Gabriel announces is not past. Jesus is great now — reigning, ruling, seated on the throne that was promised. The kingdom has no end. The throne is occupied. And the one who sits on it is the Son of the Highest.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture