Luke 1:33 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

NIV: and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.'

NASB: and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.'

CSB: He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end."

NLT: And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!'

KJV: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

NKJV: And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Jacob was the man renamed Israel by God (Genesis 35:10); his sons were the patriarchs of Israel's twelve tribes. Many Old Testament prophecies involve the Messiah, or the "Promised One," who would rescue Israel. This King would come from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10) and the family line of David (2 Samuel 7:12–16). Those same prophecies indicated that once Messiah took the throne, He would never give it up (Isaiah 9:6–7).

The angel Gabriel is describing this Messiah to an unmarried virgin, Mary (Luke 1:26–27). The Savior he depicts will be born of Mary, herself (Luke 1:30–32). Most likely, Mary understood the angel's mention of David as a reference to Messiah. She would also have realized that calling Jesus "Son of the Most High" was a way of saying Jesus would be God incarnate (Hebrews 1:3; Luke 22:70; 2 Corinthians 1:19). Mary's praise of God later in this chapter demonstrates great familiarity with the Old Testament (Luke 1:46–56).

Jesus' birth will fulfill the associated prophecies. His sacrificial death and resurrection will make Him the Savior for all who come to Him in faith (John 3:16–17; 1 John 4:14). His return, in the end times, will be the moment He assumes His throne and ushers in an unending era of God's rule on earth (Revelation 19:11–16).

Luke 1:26–38 relates how a virgin learned she would miraculously bear the Son of God. The angel Gabriel comes to Mary, who is engaged to a man named Joseph. Gabriel tells Mary that she will bear a son, to be named Jesus. He will be the Promised One long awaited by the people of Israel. Since Mary has never been intimate with a man, God will miraculously conceive the child. Gabriel is the same angel who predicted the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:13), and he informs Mary about this happy occurrence for her relative, Elizabeth. Mary responds in submissive faith. A parallel account is found in Matthew 1:18–25.

The angel Gabriel predicts two miraculous births. The first is a son born to Zechariah and Elizabeth: an older, childless priest and his wife. Because Zechariah initially doubts this message, he is temporarily made unable to speak. Their child will be known as John the Baptist, a powerful herald of the Messiah. The Promised One whom John will proclaim is the second birth predicted by Gabriel. He tells an engaged virgin, Mary, that God will miraculously conceive His Son in her. The two women meet and rejoice over their blessings. John's arrival sets the stage for Luke's familiar account of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Luke was a travelling companion of the apostle Paul (Acts 16:10); his book of Acts is a direct "sequel" to the gospel of Luke (Acts 1:1–3). Those two books make up more than a quarter of the New Testament. Luke begins by explaining how his orderly approach is meant to inspire confidence in Christian faith. His work is based on eyewitness interviews and other evidence. The first chapter details the miraculous conceptions of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Chapter 2 continues with Jesus' birth.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.