Enthroned: The King is Magnified

There is a deep question that reverberates all throughout Luke's Gospel: Who is on the throne? In this Advent message, we journey through Luke chapter 1, where the stage is deliberately set with earthly kings—Herod ruling Judea, Caesar Augustus commanding the Roman world—only to have the angel Gabriel announce that a child will be given the throne of David, establishing a kingdom without end. This isn't just ancient prophecy; it's the fulfillment of God's promise to David from 2 Samuel, a covenant that seemed dead for a thousand years but was about to spring to life. Mary's Magnificat gives us the uncomfortable truth: for Jesus to be enthroned, the mighty must be brought down from their thrones. This applies not just to political powers but to our personal kingdoms. We cannot have Jesus as Savior without surrendering to Him as Lord. The gospel asks us pointedly: Are we like Herod, desperately clinging to control, or like Mary, who said, 'My soul magnifies the Lord'? When we magnify Jesus, He becomes greater and we become less—and paradoxically, this is where we find true freedom and exaltation. The King is coming, and He will be given the throne one way or another. The only question is whether we will surrender ours willingly.