The birth of Jesus was absolutely rife with Jewish apocalyptic expectation. Zechariah, Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary, the shepherds, and the wise men were all full of joy and excitement in anticipation of the long-awaited Messiah who would fulfill God’s promises to Israel. When Jesus is presented in the temple, Simeon, who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel” (Lk 2:25), proclaims blessing and prophesies while Anna “began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Lk 2:38). Understanding the Jewish apocalyptic background helps us appreciate what the excitement was all about. The Son of God not only took on human form, but he assumed Jewish flesh as the Messiah, “to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs” (Rom 15:8).
Let us look more closely at Gabriel’s announcement to Mary: “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Lk 1:32-33). Without proper context, we might not understand what exactly Gabriel is saying here. In fact, these concepts are not clearly explained in the surrounding text, nor anywhere in the gospel of Luke for that matter. What is the throne of David? How exactly does Jesus reign over the house of Jacob? What kingdom is he talking about? Is he saying that Jesus will rule in heaven? Or is he speaking of Jesus’ power to perform miracles? Or are these simply symbols of his glory and authority?
Without context, our interpretation of these verses can go in all sorts of different directions. A “safe” conclusion would be that the angel is saying that Jesus will rule the world. That is true. But such a summary dilutes the passage. That was not all Mary took away from the announcement. Rather, the angel is proclaiming that Jesus will rule the world as the king of Israel—as king in Israel, for he will sit on David’s throne in Jerusalem, and king over Israel, reigning over the house of Jacob. Within a Jewish apocalyptic context, all this is very normal and straightforward. This is what the Messiah would do. Thus, this passage is speaking not of Jesus' ruling in heaven or his power and authority in general terms, but of something much more specific and concrete: an actual future kingdom ruled by the Messiah from Jerusalem over a redeemed nation of Israel in accordance with divine promise. As a Jew, Mary understood and envisioned this, and with a proper grasp of the context we are better equipped to do the same.