Luke 1:32

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give him the throne of his father David.

The Son of the Most High ... Strangely, this is the title given by the demoniac (Mark 5:7) to our Lord, suggesting that this is one of the titles given to the Son of God throughout the unseen world of angels and demons. Ash noted that "Most High" is used seven times in Luke (Luke 1:32,35,76; 2:14; 6:35; 8:28; 19:38) and only four times in the rest of the New Testament.[25]

The throne of his father David ... The virgin maiden of Nazareth might easily have understood these words as a reference to the secular throne of the Hebrews, despite the fact that the very name JESUS emphasized the moral and spiritual purpose of God and pointed away from any literal kingdom. Jesus was indeed destined to sit upon the throne of David, but it was to be upon the throne of the universal spiritual kingdom of which David's throne was merely a feeble type. Jesus' ascension to that throne would not come through military power, political change, or earthly favor; but it would be accomplished by his resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:31). The holy Mary may be forgiven if she misconstrued this promise; but one finds no extenuation for such a view as that of Spence who said: "These words of the angel ... yet unfulfilled ... speak of a restoration of Israel ... still ... very distant!"[26]

Inherent in these words of the angel is also the fact of Mary's descent from David. Mary herself being the only physical link that Jesus ever had with that monarch. Joseph, the husband of Mary, was also the direct heir to the Davidic throne, through Solomon, thus making Jesus the legal heir of David, as well as his fleshly descendent.

[25] Anthony Lee Ash, op. cit., p. 37.

[26] H. D. M. Spence, op. cit., p. 8.