The Holy Spirit @ Christmas Time

We cannot forget the Spirit of God during Christmas. Without the Spirit of God no Christmas is possible!

Usually we tend to celebrate all the lesser things during Christmas. While we forget to adore the loving Holy Spirit, gently yet full of power working the will of God and bringing it to fruition during the first Christmas.

As we look at Genesis Chapter 1, we find the Spirit of God hovering over the waters (verse 2). That was during the Creation. He was actively active when Adam, a perfect man, was formed out of the dust of the ground. But we find that Adam sinned and lost the glory of God that was his.

Now, during the first Christmas, we find the Holy Spirit again be actively active in bringing to birth Jesus, the perfect man, the last Adam (Ref. 1 Corinthians 15:45 NIV), who would restore the glory that was lost by the first man, Adam. The end purpose of all this is declared by Paul: “And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven” ( 1 Corinthians 15:49 NIV).

To make real the purposes of God, the Holy Spirit was actively active during the first Christmas, as He was active during Creation. It was the Holy Spirit of God who came upon Mary and overshadowed her with the power of God. Thus this virgin was given ability to conceive and give birth to Jesus (Ref. Matthew 1:18, 20; Luke 2:35).

When Mary visits Elizabeth, and she greets her, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaps for joy and Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit (Ref. Luke 1:41). Thus John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth (Ref. Luke 1:15b). Zechariah, John’s father, is later filled with the Holy Spirit and he bursts into song proclaiming the future work of John the Baptist (Ref. Luke 1:67 to 79). The Holy Spirit was also upon Simeon. He was moved by the Spirit of God to go to the temple while Jesus was being presented there (Ref. Luke 2:25–27).

What does all this mean to us? The meaning of all this is plain and simple. It means that for us to experience Christmas in all its reality, we need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He has to overshadow our lives for Jesus to be really born in our hearts. Jesus cannot be born in our hearts by human strength. Only the Spirit of God can create Him within us. Then we shall bear the likeness of Jesus. And that is true Christmas!

More on the Holy Spirit in the John’s Gospel Easy Notes Series


See this comparative pattern for a detailed comparison between Adam and Jesus.

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