Luke 1:31-33
And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 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: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
These are the words the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary on that sacred morning. Although this would not be considered a patriarchal blessing for Christ, it is a promise from God referring to his patriarchal lineage and inheritance.
This morning I wondered at Mary's interpretation of this first heavenly visit. Luke 2:19 says she "pondered them in her heart." What promises! A throne and a kingdom were clearly outlined - there could be no misinterpreting what the angel meant. Her son would reign.
And then they were forced to relocate to Egypt. They lived in poverty under the radar of an oppressive government. And when her son grew to be a man and revealed himself as the Christ, his fickle followers were few while caulloused critics seemed endless. After a few short years of ministering, the only robes her son ever wore were placed on his bloody back to ridicule his royalty before he hung in agony under a sign mocking his majesty: "JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS" (John 19:19).
Over 2,000 years later, perhaps it is too easy for us to trust that Gabriel's promises will indeed be fulfilled when the resurrected Lord comes to rule as King of kings and Lord of lords. But it struck me today - what of our own patriarchal promises? What blessings have we been promised, and how often do we look heavenward and wonder why they are not given us after such a clear assurance that they would be? Must we really wait 'until the next life'? Surely that phrase applies to some unlucky few, but not to us.
This Man of Holiness is prophesied of more than any other. He is promised all that the Father hath. And He is far more worthy of it than any of us hope to be. Yet He still had to wait. He waits and surely His mother waits. Perhaps we can trust in God's promises a little more.
