THE HIGHEST AND SONS OF THE HIGHEST

J. M. Macfarlane

Luke 1: 32 (to ‘Highest); 6: 27–36

In Mark’s account of the entry of the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem, those who accompanied Him cried “Hosanna in the highest!”, Mark 11: 10. At His birth, according to Luke, the acclamation of the heavenly host was, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good pleasure in men”, Luke 2: 14. Right at the beginning of the life of the Lord Jesus, there is reference to the Highest in an ascription of angelic praise and then there is another by those who went with Him into Jerusalem, effectively at the end of the His pathway, within a week of His crucifixion. In the word to Mary, which we have read, there is another reference by an angel to the Highest, this time in a name which He would have suitably because of who He was—“He shall be great, and shall be called Son of the Highest”. Here, the Highest becomes a name of God. There had been earlier references to God as the Highest. The translator refers us to Melchisedec, who was priest of the Most High God and Mary’s Son would be Son of this God, a wonderful distinction.

The passage goes on to say that “the Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father”. The Person in whom the promises given to David would be fulfilled was this One, who is so distinguished by this name of Son of the Highest. The manner of His incoming was that He was to be born of Mary and we know the lowliness of the circumstances of His birth. The disparity between these humble circumstances, as a result of the arrangements of mankind, and the magnificence of the acclaim of the heavenly host on the other is extreme and striking. May we have some impression of Him who, by decree of heaven, was to be called “Son of the Highest”.

There are two further references in this chapter to God which use this name and they have their own interest but I am impressed by the link between the title of the Lord Jesus in this chapter and the promise to the subjects of the kingdom of God in chapter 6—“and ye shall be sons of the Highest”. This is Luke’s version of what we sometimes call the Sermon on the Mount. The Lord outlines the principles of His kingdom, which would operate on principles very different from anything with which men were familiar. We read a few verses before the reference to sons of the Highest in verse 35 in order to see the context in which it is placed. These earlier verses refer to lowliness, a willingness to yield and an approach to dealings with others which is entirely exceptional and not according to the customary ways in which anyone would reckon to survive in the world in which we find ourselves. The kingdom of the Lord Jesus is very different from any other. The word to its subjects, in verse 35, is to “do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward shall be great” and then the greatness of the reward is announced—“and ye shall be sons of the Highest”. What distinction to have an identity so close to the King’s who was to “be called Son of the Highest”!

As you read the character of the citizens of the kingdom of God, it would be easy to understand that those who walked by its rule would be readily associated with the lowly Nazarene. We read of the Lord’s disciples being identified in this way but this is not what Jesus promises here. They would have a reward which would be great and they would be “sons of the Highest”. What exaltation for the poor, for those who hunger, for those who weep and for those who are hated and reproached for the Son of man’s sake (Luke 6: 20–22).

Paul writes of the way in which our Lord Jesus moved and exhorts the Philippians to “this mind ... which was also in Christ Jesus”, Philippians 2: 5. He follows this with the way in which God has highly exalted Him. The citizens of the kingdom are also elevated—“your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Highest”. May we be encouraged by these things, for His name’s sake.

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