CELEBRATING THE SON OF THE HIGHEST

He will be great, and will be called the SON of the HIGHEST; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David – Luke 1:32

On this Special Day, let’s celebrate the Christ-Child, the Light of the world, and the Son of the Highest. The purpose behind His coming was to bring Light into humanity’s darkness and to redeem a broken world by shedding His blood. In John’s account of Christ’s life, he describes Jesus as the Light of the world: “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (Jh.1:9). Not only did Christ the Light come to penetrate the world’s darkness, but He is also “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”” (Jh.1:29). The baby of Bethlehem became the living, risen Christ who has rescued us from our sin. The new-born Christ-Child became the Light of the world and the Lamb of God.

But first, the angel pre-introduced her promised child to Mary as “the Son of the Highest”! And, “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Lk.2:19). Let’s for a moment try to enter into the thoughts of this young virgin who gave birth to the King of kings on that cool Bethlehem evening. Notwithstanding the Bible’s record of Shepherds rejoicing with their flocks by night, and angels singing praises to the Baby, all Mary and Joseph must have heard were the sounds of animals, birth agony, and the first cries of God in baby form. A high-intensity star shone in the night sky above, but did not obscure the dreary manger scenery. As Joseph laid the infant in Mary’s arms, a complexity of wonder, pain, fear, and joy must have coursed through her heart.

Yet Mary knew, because of an angel’s promise, that this tiny bundle of life was “the Son of the Highest” (Lk.1:32). As she pierced through the darkness of dusk into His eyes and then into Joseph’s, she must have wondered how she was going to mother this Christ-Child whose dominion was from everlasting to everlasting and whose Kingdom would never end. A few months prior, Elizabeth had added this mysterious greeting: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (v.42). Mary responded with a Spirit-inspired song of rejoicing (vv.46-55). No doubt, Mary had much to ponder in her heart on this special night: the Son of the Highest (v.32)…the Power of the Highest (v.35)!

Now, more than two millennia later, each of us needs to revisit the significance of Jesus’ birth and His ministry, death, resurrection, ascension, and imminent return. No earthly monarch can compare to the Babe born in Bethlehem thousands of years ago. His is the name above every name; He alone is our righteous Saviour and Judge, the King of the universe and King of our lives – the Son of the Highest. Let us approach the Lord with love and reverence, remembering Who He is, as well as all that He has done for us. Let us ponder the more on how we may serve the King better! Come; let’s celebrate the Son of the Highest: All glory, laud and honour to thee, Redeemer, King, To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring! Thou art the King of Israel, Thou David’s royal Son, Who in the Lord’s name comest, The King and Blessèd One.