The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”
Luke 1:35-37
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Luke 1:26-33
The mystery of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity appears always to be working in the background. Quietly and behind the scenes helping Mary to understand what’s happened to her. Gently bringing us a newborn, from an ordinary young woman who says yes to the unimaginable.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:38
The Holy Spirit seems to be around when fillings occur. He fills Mary with child, thereby filling the world with God’s presence. But how this happens is the ongoing mystery. In Greek, the word for spirit is pneuma and means breath, wind or spirit. Breath giving life. Wind blowing where it will, in heaven, on earth, in you.
The Holy Spirit hovered over the waters at the beginning of creation (Genesis 1:3), was with David in the Psalms (Psalm 139:7), with Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 11:29), with Mary as she says yes (Matthew 1:18), and with you, the believer when you confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:5-8
What a gift! Comforter, counselor, teacher, gifts giver and so much more.
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:25-26
Come and learn what the Holy Spirit can give. You only have to say yes, and the entire direction of your life, it’s meaning and purpose will be changed, to the glory of God through his son, Jesus. Be filled with the mystery, for nothing is impossible with God.
Come Lord Jesus,
Laurie
Print this post by clicking on the green ‘printer friendly’ bar below, and write your answers to these questions.
Question (feel free to journal your answer here) Are you willing to say ‘yes’ as Mary did? Can you imagine being borne of the spirit and being free to blow in the wind of God’s spirit?
Your prayer (feel free to write your prayer here)
Saying yes to the impossible,
Laurie
Holy Spirit Dove jewelry can be found at shop.livedan330.com.