Luke 1:30Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Furthermore, in a sacramental context, He shares meals with those about to receive the sacraments. Jesus dines with sinners, illustrating the power of grace and His restorative mission. While John's greatness has a beginning and an end, the Lord Jesus embodies both the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last (Revelation 22:13; cf. Revelation 1:17, Revelation 2:8). There is nothing prior to the First, nor anything succeeding the Last.

Do not let the standard order of human birth confuse you; do not assume that Jesus cannot be first because He is the Son. The Scriptures clarify that the Son is the firstborn (Matthew 1:25). We read that the Father is unique, the only immortal One dwelling in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16) and referred to as the only immortal God (1 Timothy 1:17). The Son was neither before the Father nor was the Father ever alone. If you reject one of these truths, you affirm the other; embrace both to validate their coherence. He did not declare: "I was before and after," but stated, "I am the First and the Last" (Revelation 1:17; see Revelation 22:13). The Son is first and thus co-eternal, having a Father with whom He shares eternity. The Son is first, yet never alone; He is always with the Father. I assert this truthfully and align it with the faith I uphold. Why do you, heretics, twist my words to accuse me of heresy? You have entangled yourselves in your own traps. The Son is first because He exists with the Father but not isolated from Him. As He said, "I am not alone, because the Father is with Me" (John 16:32).

The Father is one, for God is one; the Father is one because the essence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, and unity defines their oneness. The Father is unique, the only begotten Son is unique, and each Person of the Trinity is distinct; the Son is not the Father, the Father is not the Son, and the Holy Spirit is not the Son. The Son and the Holy Spirit are separate entities, as illustrated in Scripture: "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper" (John 14:16). God is one, the one God from whom all things exist... The Son is one, the one Lord, through whom all creation came to be (1 Corinthians 8:6). The divine nature cannot be divided. The concept of birth implies the existence of both a Father and a Son, for the Son cannot exist apart from the Father nor the Father apart from the Son. Therefore, He is not alone—neither in immortality nor in the unapproachable light He inhabits, as no one has seen God except the only begotten Son, who remains in the heart of the Father (John 1:18) and sits at the Father's right hand (Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62; Mark 15:19; Luke 22:69). Some might audaciously claim that the light of the Father is inaccessible; what light can be inaccessible to Him who made the Father approachable? For Christ Himself is the true Light and the source of eternal illumination, and of Him it is said, "There was the true Light, which gives light to everyone coming into the world" (John 1:9). Reflect on the notion that this is the unapproachable light in which both the Father and the Son dwell, for the Father exists in the Son, and the Son in the Father.

Thus it is beautifully articulated that "great" is descriptive of the manifold power of God, and the splendor of the heavenly essence knows no bounds. The Trinity is infinite, without limit, measure, or dimension. It cannot be contained in any location, is beyond human comprehension, and is not constrained by time. Jesus, through whom all creation resonates, has established greatness among humanity: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world" (Psalm 18:5). However, this does not extend to the limits of the world or the heavens; it reaches beyond physical boundaries. For through the Lord Jesus, all things were formed in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible... and He transcends all things, with all existence held together in Him (Colossians 1:16-17). Observe the heavens—Jesus is there; contemplate the earth—Jesus is present. Whether you uphold your thoughts to the heavens or descend into the depths (cf. Psalm 138:8; Romans 10:6), Jesus is present. Even if you ascend to the heights or delve into the abyss, He is there. Today, as I speak, He is here with me, and if a believer speaks in Armenia, Jesus is with them, for no one can proclaim Jesus as Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). If you descend into the depths of thought, even there, the Lord is actively working, for it is written: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down) or 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)" (Romans 10:6-7). Where is He not present who has filled heaven, the earth, and the underworld? Truly great is He whose omnipotent presence fills the universe and whose reign shall never cease (Luke 1:33).

If Moses, despite his esteemed position as merely a faithful servant (Hebrews 3:5) in God's house, was able to rescue the entire Hebrew people from annihilation through his intercession (Exodus 32:11-14), then what dangers can the intercession of the Mother of God not shield us from? What good can her intercession not bestow upon us, seeing as she became a living sanctuary of God the Word because she "found grace" from the Lord above all others? A reflection for the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.

She was to perceive the Messiah’s identity more clearly, which would unfold later, but for now, the angel's message was sufficient for her to accept her divine calling. The specifics of her Son’s destiny would eventually be revealed to her by Simeon; at this moment, she was to focus solely on the glorious aspects of the situation, and importantly, in terms that were already familiar to her.

Yet, one must consider the vast differences between David's earthly authority and the spiritual authority of Christ. There is no succession of royal dignity that can be compared between a temporal king of a small nation and the invisible, spiritual Leader of the universal Christian community. Jesus Christ came to establish a kingdom where individuals, with Him as their sovereign and head, would be equipped for eternal joy and everlasting glory. The kingdom of Christ is unparalleled by any earthly kingdom and had no predecessor. Being a kingdom not of this world, it transcends physical boundaries and is not confined to any specific tribe or nation, nor is it enforced by laws that require external compulsion. This kingdom, founded on the message of truth and sustained through the sufferings and death of its Head, has no equal and will not be replicated.

In other respects, it serves as a continuation of the Old Testament Jewish kingdom, which, though a national and localized entity characterized by the features of earthly governments, including armies, warfare, and civil proceedings, still recognized the true God as its sovereign. Jehovah selected Israel as His chosen people, and the earthly kings of that nation drew their authority from Him. The ultimate purpose of this kingdom was to prepare its people for eternal glory, as its various institutions and structures, despite appearing as typical civil governance, were inherently centered on serving God.

Ultimately, the kingdom of Israel was intended to prepare the people for the spiritual, universal, and everlasting kingdom of Christ, transforming them into it and imbuing them with an eternal significance. Thus, the kingdom of David, encompassing God's reign and serving as a preparatory kingdom, is intimately linked with the New Testament kingdom of God. This connection explains why David was assured an everlasting monarchy, while the archangel Gabriel announced that the incarnate Son of God would occupy David's throne. The statement that He shall reign in the house of Jacob signifies that the Church of Christ will begin among the Jewish people, later extending and establishing itself among other nations, which will become spiritual Israel. There will be no end to this reign; having started in time, this kingdom will transition into eternity as a triumphant church, embodying an eternal glory.

Philaret of Moscow, “for she was most deserving of this honor due to her virtues and characteristics, particularly her immaculate virginity, by which she shone brightly like the sun above both the ancient world and the world to come.” Indeed, as St. Gregory of Neocaesarea states, “Worthy and justly, the holy Virgin was selected above all generations by the Mother of God, for she was truly the wisest among all, and no one in all of humanity has matched her.” Many centuries passed before humanity could reach the level of purity and holiness embodied by the Virgin Mary, making her a fitting vessel for the Incompatible: “It is through her purity—both of body and soul—that she became worthy to be a Church and a temple of the Holy Spirit.”

As we delve into the heart of the announcement, the Archangel's pronouncement echoes the prophecy of Isaiah, who foretold the Virgin's miraculous conception of the Saviour: “And behold, you shall conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.” This prophecy was likely known to the Blessed Virgin beforehand; now she accepted that she was graced with the divine privilege of becoming the Mother of the Son of God. Isaiah referred to the Messiah as Immanuel, hinting at the profound mystery of the union of both divine and human natures within one Person, the God-Man. The name Jesus, first articulated by the Heavenly Messenger, signified the Lord's promise of redemption for humanity from eternal death and bondage to sin. “He will be great,” the Archangel continued, “and will be called the Son of the Highest; the Lord God will grant Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

In the Old Testament, the spiritual and eternal reign of Christ is frequently depicted through images of an illustrious earthly kingdom that would restore Israel to its former strength. These images would have been clear to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was familiar with the sacred texts, and the Archangel articulated the coming of Christ the Saviour using terms she had long recognized. This message of good news revealed Christ as the majestic Eternal King, extraordinarily powerful, with time and unfolding events set to reveal further aspects of His mission. Shortly after His birth, the elder Simeon would forewarn the Virgin Mother of His humility, and various aspects of His life would clearly demonstrate that His kingdom is not of this world.