THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE BIRTH OF CHRIST
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OUTLINE
1.JOHN THE BAPTIST
2.MARY
3.ELISABETH
4.ZECHARIAH
5.SIMEON
6.ANNA
7.JESUS
THE MESSAGE
THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE BIRTH OF CHRIST
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1.JOHN THE BAPTIST :
JOHN WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT EVEN FROM BIRTH . WITH THIS ANOINTING HE WAS ABLE TO BRING PEOPLE BACK TO GOD AND TURN THE HEARTS OF FATHERS TO THEIR CHILDREN AND MAKE THE DISOBEDIENT PEOPLE TO LEARN WISDOM AND MAKE THE PEOPLE READY TO MEET THE LORD. WE NEED SUCH AN INFILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BE AN EFFECTIVE INSTRUMENT IN THE HAND OF THE LORD.
"for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.
Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.
And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Luke 1:15-17
2.MARY :
MARY WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND AS A RESULT WAS ABLE TO CONCEIVE SUPERNATURALLY . THIS INFILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT MADE THE IMPOSSIBLE TO BECOME POSSIBLE . WE NEED SUCH AN INFILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHEN WE FACE IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS . THIS ANOINTING WILL MAKE EVEN IMPOSSIBLE THINGS TO BECOME POSSIBLE.
"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."
"I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her." Luke 1:35-38
"This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. " Matthew 1:18-25
3.ELISABETH :
ELISABETH WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE BABY IN HER WOMB RESPONDED TO THE GREETING OF MARY . SHE WAS ABLE TO DISCERN THAT MARY WAS GOING TO BEAR THE MESSIAH AND SHE PROCLAIMED THE BLESSING OF BELEIVING THE PROMISES OF GOD IN ORDER TO EXPERIENCE THEIR FULFILLMENT. THE ANOINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES US SUPERNATURAL REVELATION.
"At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,
where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!
But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" Luke 1:39-45
4.ZECHARIAH :
ZECHARIAH WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HE PROPHESIED THAT GOD IS FULFILLING HIS PROMISE OF DELIVERING HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR ENEMIES IN ORDER THAT THEY MAY SERVE THE LORD WITHOUT FEAR IN HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. OUR GOD IS A GOD WHO KEEPS HIS COVENANT AND SHOWS MERCY TO HIS PEOPLE.
"His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,because he has come and has redeemed his people.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—
to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." Luke 1:67-79
5.SIMEON :
SIMEON WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HAD THE REVELATION THAT HE WOULD SEE THE MESSIAH IN HIS LIFETIME . HE WAS LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME TO THE TEMPLE AT THE RIGHT TO SEE THE BABY JESUS . HE WAS A MAN WHO EXPERIENCED THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PROMISES OF GOD IN HIS LIFE AND WAS PREPARED TO DEPART FROM THIS WORLD IN PEACE. THE SPIRIT OF GOD REVEALS THE SECRETS OF GOD TO US AND ENABLES US TO SEE THEIR FULFILLMENT AND COMPLETE OUR LIFE ON EARTH IN PEACE.
"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,
Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." Luke 2:25-32
6.ANNA:
ANNA WAS AN ELDERLY WIDOW WHO WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND SERVED THE LORD AS A PROPHETESS . EVEN IN HER OLD AGE , SHE WAS ACTIVE IN SERVING THE LORD THROUGH FASTINGS AND PRAYERS BOTH NIGHT AND DAY . THE LORD REVEALED THE TRUTH OF THE MESSIAH TO HER AND SHE SHARED IT WITH ALL THE OTHERS . THE ANOINTING OF GOD ON HER LIFE MADE HER TO LIVE SUCH A USEFUL LIFE EVEN IN HER OLD AGE. WE NEED SUCH AN ANOINTING IN ORDER TO LIVE SUCH LIVES OF MINISTRY AND USEFULNESS.
"There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,
and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. " Luke 2:36-38
7.JESUS:
JESUS BECAME STRONG IN SPIRIT EVEN FROM HIS CHILDHOOD . HE WAS FILLED WITH DIVINE WISDOM AND WAS ABLE TO DISCUSS THE TRUTHS OF GOD EVEN WITH SCHOLARS IN SUCH A WAY THAT ALL WHO LISTENED TO HIM WERE AMAZED AT HIS WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING. WE NEED SUCH AN ANOINTING EVEN IN OUR LIVES . WE NEED SUCH AN ANOINTING ESPECIALLY IN THE LIVES OF OUR CHILDREN SO THAT THEY ARE STRONG IN THE SPIRIT EVEN FROM THEIR CHILDHOOD AND GROW UP TO FACE THE CHALLENGES OF LIFE SUCCESSFULLY.
" And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.
When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it;
but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances.
So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.
Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.
So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”
And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.
Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." Luke 2:40-52
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