Many in Christendom believe that when you get to Matthew Chapter 1, we have Christianity and the body of Christ. But that couldn’t be further from the Biblical truth!

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are extensions of God dealing with the nation of Israel, based on the Old Testament covenants and promises beginning with Abraham in Genesis 12.

That a Messiah, Jesus Christ, will come to the nation of Israel as their King and bring in an everlasting kingdom with Israel as the preeminent nation above all nations. As the angel Gabriel is about to announce to Mary and Zacharias in Luke chapter one. Not with the message that He (Jesus) is going to the cross to die for the sins of the world. That, of course, is the culmination of God’s plan of redemption. The “mystery” is not yet revealed (Romans 16:25). But Israel’s promised King is coming to His own to fulfill the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David (Romans 15:8).

In Luke chapter 1, we find the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary what is about to happen. Here we have an introduction and clear explanation as to why Jesus is making His appearance to the nation of Israel.

It is crucial to identify the context and time element

At this moment in time, when the angel Gabriel makes his appearance to Mary and Zacharias in Luke chapter 1,. Israel is still under the law, followers of Jesus continue practicing the Mosaic law, the Temple is in full operation and sacrifices are being made. There is no Biblical record of the Lord giving a command to His followers to stop practicing the law during His earthly ministry (actually it’s the complete opposite). Even after the cross and the Lord’s ascension, and into the early chapters of Acts there is NO command to stop practicing the law. That command will not come until much further down the road when God calls out the apostle of the Gentiles, Paul.

In addition, from the moment God called out Abram in Genesis 12, to create a people for His name the Jewish people the Gentile world has hated Israel, wants nothing to do with Jews or wanted them annihilated. A Biblical fact that Zacharias, father of John the Baptist demonstrates so clear in Luke 1:67-75.

To teach that at this moment in Biblical history we have our gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; faith alone in the death, burial, and resurrection apart from the law Romans 3:21) and doctrine for the body of Christ is grossly errant. Because the Biblical record does not support it. One must throw out all discipline, rigor, and consistency when interpreting Scripture to come to the conclusion that Luke 1:30-33, is anything other than God dealing with Israel and fulfilling the covenant promises He made to Israel’s forefathers. Of course, this passage along with ALL Scripture is foundational and must be studied to exhaustion as part of the whole counsel of God. But this particular passage and time is not “Christianity”. It is God dealing with Israel.

Now here we have the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary what is about to happen:

“And the angel said unto her, `Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shall 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.’”

Luke 1:30-33

The literal reading of this passage is that God would give Mary a son, Jesus, David’s throne in Jerusalem. He will rule and reign over Jacob or Israel forever. The promise was all in all, totally Jewish. As it is a direct fulfillment of the Abrahamic (Genesis 12:1-3) and Davidic (2 Samuel 7:8-17) covenants which were divinely revealed to and for Jew only.

So how would have Mary reacted to the words of the angel Gabriel?

The answers are in the text. Scripture always interprets Scripture. Mary would have harkened back to the Davidic covenant and the prophetic passages that for the past hundreds of years promised the nation of Israel a Messiah/King and a kingdom that would rule over all other kingdoms and it (the nation of Israel) would be an everlasting kingdom above all other nations.

The context of Luke 1:30-33, clearly indicates Gentiles or the Church, the body of Christ is not in view (it couldn’t have because it wasn’t revealed yet. And would not be revealed until approximately 11 to 14 years in the future). An interpretation that denies this is emphatically erroneous.

Jesus was a Jew from the tribe of Judah from the house of David (2 Samuel 7:13). Herod occupied David’s throne during the Lord’s earthly ministry and he was a Gentile, an Idumean.

Did Jesus occupy David’s throne? Is the Lord ruling and reigning in Jerusalem now? No and no, Jesus is seated at the right hand of his Father’s throne (Psalm 110.1). The King and the kingdom await fulfillment.

Beloved, there is coming a day sooner than mankind expects (Matthew 24:43,44;1 Thessalonians 5:2) in which Jesus will rule from Jerusalem on David’s throne and fulfill all God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David just as the angel Gabriel announced to Mary (Daniel 2:44; 7:14; Zechariah 14:9; Isaiah 9:6-7).

Today, and for almost 2000 years God has opened the flood gates of heaven pouring out His grace upon ALL mankind. With a salvation message based on faith alone of the finished work of the cross, apart from the law and temple worship. What we have on this side of the cross is so much better and that is what the entire book of Hebrews is about. But that is for another post.

‘Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: ‘

1 Corinthians 15:1-4