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Martin Slack
Luke 1vv26-38
What makes Jesus so special? On the one hand, the birth of Jesus was so very ordinary. His mother was ordinary, and his birthplace was ordinary too.
On the other hand, the events surrounding the birth of Jesus were extraordinary. It is no everyday occurrence that the birth of a child is accompanied by an angelic choir!
But even before Jesus is born, in recording the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary, Luke tells us two unique things about Jesus…
#1 – Jesus has a unique future: He is God’s promised eternal King
The first thing Mary learns from Gabriel is that the child she will bear is God’s long- promised King… the Christ… the Messiah (vv31-33). Jesus will not be a child with great potential, but the one who fulfils God’s great promise. And whereas other kings, dynasties and empires come and go, the kingdom of King Jesus will last forever (Cf Isaiah 9vv6-7).
Jesus is the greatest king, the king of kings. No wonder the shepherds were told there is good news of great joy when Jesus was actually born. No wonder the wise men travelled all that way from the east to deliver gifts fit for a king.
But it is not only Jesus’ future that sets him apart, it is also his father.
#2 – Jesus has a unique conception: He is the Son of God
In verse 35 we learn that whilst Jesus is “biologically speaking” just like all other babies, “spiritually speaking” he is unique. This means that the baby laid in a manger was a human baby boy, as weak as any other. He needed feeding and changing and caring for. But it also means that Jesus is set apart from every other human, because whilst he was born of a woman, he was not conceived in the normal way. Rather, we learn that he was miraculously born of a virgin, and is to be called “holy – the Son of God”.
This is what makes Jesus so special, and what makes Jesus uniquely placed to be our King and our Saviour, now and forever.