—by love—and Christ’s words, “My Father and your Father, and my God and your God,” which occur in several passages of the Gospel; together with God’s calling Jacob and others His sons in particular. Accordingly, with regard to the Messiah—if you will not include him under this title along with the general multitude—you must at least apply the designation to him in the same way it applies to that select company of prophets and righteous men who were favored with it. The angel’s ascribing him to his forefather David confirms that David is indeed his ancestor, and that the first designation was meant as a mark of election and love. Likewise, the Spirit’s descent upon him is of the very sort that Matthew the disciple reported to the people from the Messiah in the Gospel: “It is not you who speak; rather, the Spirit of God comes to you and speaks through you.” Thus he made it clear that the Spirit descends upon the whole community and speaks through them. Furthermore, when the angel announced the Messiah—peace be upon him—to Mary, he said that he would be king over the house of Jacob, thereby limiting his rule to the descendants of Jacob and no one else, and he did not say that he would be a god to all creation. As for the meaning of Gabriel’s statement,