The greatness of Jesus - Luke 1: 32a

Summary speech Sunday 18-12-2016. Pastor evangelist Johan Krijgsman.
Phone 020-6227742; mobile: 06-83571391. Amsterdam@bijbelcentrum.nl www.bijsimondelooier.nl
The theme of the speech: ‘The greatness of Jesus' w.r.t. Luke 1: 32a

Mary, the Mother of the Lord Jesus, has been visited by the angel Gabriel. He told Mary that she will have a Son whom she is to call Jesus. He will be a unique Man because He will be great and named the Son of the Most High.

The angel still briefly explains to Mary in which Jesus will be great and important. He will reign forever and His kingdom will have no end (Luke 1:33).
Jesus is so great, so unique, that we can only say something of it. Hopefully you long for Him with a strong Advent desire. If not, I hope that this speech may contribute to it.

Great in names
Approximately 750 years before His birth, His birth card was already circulated by the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was filled with "Advent faith. Isaiah gives Him five names, namely: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He was great because he substantiated His names. Just about these five names you can already give a speech. Briefly, something about each name.

Wonderful. He is wonderful in His coming. From the virgin Mary. Right through the impossibility. We hope to remember this extraordinary occurrence at Christmas again.
He makes sure you strike your own name out and underline His name. He is great because He makes people feel small for Him.
He is also great in His miracles. What miracles has He done. The dead resurrected (Matthew 9:25). Mortally ill people healed (Mark 10: 46-52). On His talking  a major storm died down(Matthew 8: 23-27). He multiplied five loaves and two fishes so that thousands of people could eat plenty of them (Matthew 14: 13-21).

Council. You can also translate this with: Counsellor. He gives His children advice about the secrets of their salvation through Him. From themselves they  are desperate, helpless and hopeless. He gives them advice through His Word and Spirit. He gives advice in desperate situations of everyday life.
He offers his help. Sometimes people go to a consultant if they need advice.
Literally and figuratively comes true: "Good advice is costly." So it's not with Him.
He offers his advice for free (Revelation 3:18).
He advises you to buy from Him "without price" (Isaiah 55: 1). This is a wonderful and good advice. How did you come to this? By praying, "Draw me, we will run after thee" (Song of Songs 1: 4).

Mighty God. Our resistance and enmity against Him are from ourselves so strong that there is need for a Strong God to break it up. He is that mighty God. That's why people repent and come to faith.

Everlasting Father. He is with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the eternal God. He comes from eternity. He loves all His children already from eternity. That's why they start to  love Him. He gives His children eternal life through regeneration (John 10:28).
As Father He comforts His children (Isaiah 51:12).
He makes sure that his children do not succumb to the temptations of Satan (2 Peter 2: 9).

Finally, his name is Prince of Peace. Through sin discontent came to earth. What a peace conferences are held. Often without success. Only Christ gives true peace.
His children say of Jesus: "He is our Peace" (Eph 2:14). He is the source of peace and reconciliation between God and man.
From the moment he arrived in Bethlehem as the Prince of Peace, He preached peace.
A peace between God and man and mutual peace among men. He still raises the white flag of peace for warlike people. What a miracle.

Great words
You've sometimes people bragging about their achievements. They always do most of the talking.
Sometimes tiring to listen to. Quite different is it with the Lord Jesus. What He says is true and He abides by. After his impressive first sermon He says: "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them (...)" (Matthew 7:24).
He also talked a lot about how to pray. When you pray, you should not use an empty story of many words. (Matthew 6: 5-15).
You may not be overanxious, but must first seek the Kingdom of God (Matthew 7: 19-34).
You are not allowed to judge (Matthew 7: 1). To enter the Kingdom of God you must pass through the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13). A miracle of rebirth is necessary for it. (John 3: 3).
You have to be renewed by the Holy Spirit. In all His words the Lord is  great. He speaks with authority (Mark 1:22).

Great in streams of blessing
He says that whoever believeth in Him streams of living water will flow from his belly  (John 7:38). They are increasingly filled with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). The more streams of blessing,they receive, the more they need Him. They hear time and again of rich blessing. But hearing it, is quite different than receiving that blessing. That's why they go again and again to Him, Who is great at distributing streams of blessing.

Great in His coming to earth
The high and eternal God humbled Himself to come as a little child to this cursed earth (John 1:14). That was at a time when it did not look good on earth. A time of confusion. A time when almost no one, in view of the enormous multitude, was looking forward to His coming. Yet he came. His arrival was indeed promised.
He gives people Advent longing for Him. To the present day. There He had already begun that process before he came in the world. He continued with it when he was lying in the manger. Therefore the shepherds came to Him and worshiped Him (Luke 2:16). Then became true what the angel had said: This One will be great.

Great in His suffering, death and burial
When He hung on the cross, seemingly impotent , He was great. Thus He overcame the devil and hell. He is great in His funeral. Thus the tomb of God's children is a sacred tomb. They know that the tomb does not have the last word, but This One which is great.

Great in His resurrection, ascension and return
Have you ever heard of anyone who rose from death ? Here you have One. He rose from death because He is great (Luke 24: 6). So He has overcome death.
As the living One He is able to give His spiritual treasures and distribute them to unruly people (Psalm 68:19). This allows people to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Because He lives, His children begin to live and grow more and more out of Him in grace.
The greater in grace, the smaller they become, spiritually speaking, in themselves.

His resurrection is also the guarantee that God's children themselves will rise.
He is great because he prays in heaven for all His children (Romans 8:34).
He is great in his return to judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4: 5).
Will you take into account?
God's children now already learn to admire and worship Him more and more in His greatness .
At His return, everyone will see Him, and have to admit that This One is great.

Great in His judgment and His mercy
His judgment on our sins is an eternal judgment in hell. There is no end to it. Therefore atonement by Jesus is urgently needed and of paramount importance. He is still great in His mercy. There you can never speak too highly of. His blood, His forgiving grace cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1: 7).
Let yourself warn and deliver your soul! (Ezekiel 33: 5).
I only have been able to say a very small part how great this born King is. In heaven God's children will speechlessly say : the half was not told me (1 Kings 10: 7). Yea, This One is great!