The Child Filled with the Spirit

Four hundreds years after the Spirit moved Malachi to deliver those words of God, the Spirit would superintend the coming of the Lord, the forerunning of the Lord’s messenger, and the Lord’s arrival in the temple.

We see all of this in the story of Jesus’ birth in Luke.

[ILLUS] The Baptist Faith and Message says...

“The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ.”

R. C. Sproul told the story of how his fiancé, Vesta, came to Christ.

She and R. C. were already engaged when R. C. became a Christian. When R. C. told her about his conversion, Vesta thought he had lost his mind. This troubled R. C. because he knew that a Christian wasn’t supposed to marry a non-Christian, and he knew that if she didn’t become a Christian soon, he would have to break off the engagement. In hopes of seeing Vesta come to Christ, R. C. invited her to attend a Bible study with him at the college he attended.

Vesta arrived, accompanied R. C. to the Bible study, but was silent as R. C. walked her to the women’s dormitory. Although he had prayed fervently, R. C. wasn’t sure what, if anything, had happened in Vesta’s heart that night. But the next morning when he picked her up, it was like she was walking on air. She said that she had trouble sleeping the night before because she kept waking up and pinching herself to see if she still had it — “it” being the feeling of salvation, the sense of Christ’s presence. As Vesta heard the Gospel the night before, she had personally trusted in Christ.

R. C. said, “One of my clearest memories of that wonderful morning is of the moment when we were getting into my car. As she was telling me about her experience, she looked at me with great excitement and said, “Now, I know who the Holy Spirit is!”

Do you know who the Holy Spirit is?

Do you know that the Holy Spirit is He who gives life?

Do you know that the Holy Spirit is He who exalts Christ?

Look with me to Luke 1:8-17...

[READING - Luke 1:8-17]

Luke 1:8–17 NASB95

8 Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14 “You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. 16 “And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Major Ideas

#1: The Lord’s Messenger (Luke 1:8-17)

[EXP] Zacharias (i.e., Zechariah) was the father of John the Baptist, the Lord’s messenger, the one who would clear the way before Him, the one who would be filled with the Holy Spirit, the one who would exalt the Lord.

After his birth, John would continue to grow and become strong in spirit, living in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel (Lk. 1:80)...

...and when he appeared He exalted Christ.

Luke 3:15–16 NASB95

15 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, 16 John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

John had opportunity to exalt himself, but at every opportunity he exalted Christ.

As John said about Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease,” (Jn. 3:30).

[ILLUS] At one time, the twelve disciples of Jesus hadn’t learned this lesson. As they walked with Jesus, they once argued about which one of them was the greatest (Lk. 22:24). They were worried about their own increase, rather than the increase of Jesus.

[APP] Whose increase are you most worried about? You own increase, or the increase of Christ?

In John 15:26, Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Spirit of truth and said that He would testify of Him.

In John 16:14, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would glorify Him.

Those truly filled with the Holy Spirit testify of Him, glorify Him—they exalt Christ as John the Baptist did.

In the next few days leading up to Christmas, you will have opportunity to make much of others—your children, your grandchildren, and maybe even yourself.

Perhaps you’re imagining how they will sing your praises when they open the gifts you got them.

Make sure you take every opportunity to make much of Christ.

[TS] Look with me to Luke 1:34-35...

#2: The Lord (Luke 1:34-35)

Luke 1:34–35 NASB95

34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

[EXP] The conception of Jesus within the womb of Mary was miraculous. The Holy Spirit came upon her, and the power of the Most High overshadowed her, and so the virgin came to be with Child.

For that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

As the bearer of the Spirit, the Lord was always filled with the Spirit; He was and always will be holy.

When Isaiah saw Him in Isaiah 6, the seraphim said that He was holy, holy, holy—the holiest, the one who was and always will be perfectly sinless.

Peter said in 1 Peter 2:22 that He committed no sin.

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that He knew no sin.

The author of Hebrews said in Hebrews 4:15 that Jesus was tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

If we are filled with the Spirit, then we will be holy as He is holy.

[ILLUS] Are you pursuing holiness this Christmas?

Just a few weeks ago Madelyn and I were cutting down some little trees that were too close to our house. As we tried to get the roots up, we notice that the flower beds had landscape fabric beneath the soil. When Cheryl saw it, she said to Madelyn, “That’s why the flower beds don’t have weeds.”

[APP] Because Jesus was filled with the Spirit and because He always perfectly followed the Spirit, there were never any weeds in Jesus’ flower bed.

If we have trusted in Jesus as Savior and Lord, then we too have been filled with the Spirit, but because we haven’t always been filled with the Spirit and because we don’t always perfectly follow the Spirit, we have some weeds to pull; we have some sins to put to death.

In this season, what sins tempt you most?

For many, any holiday serves as an ripe occasion for debauchery.

For Christians, maybe we will slip into gluttony or envy or bitterness without even recognizing them as weeds to be pulled.

Whatever our sins, let us be filled with the Spirit and pursue holiness like Jesus.

[TS] Look with me at Luke 2:25-32...

#3: The Lord’s Messenger (Luke 2:25-32)

Luke 2:25–32 NASB95

25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

[EXP] The Lord suddenly came into His temple, and how was He revealed but by Simeon, a man filled with the Holy Spirit.

He was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation (or comfort) of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon Him.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Christ.

So he came in the Spirit to the temple.

No one had to point out Jesus as the Christ to Simeon; a man so sensitive to the Spirit recognized the Spirit-bearer; his spirit testified with His that this was the Christ.

He took Him in His arms, blessed God, and then revealed Jesus as the Christ.

Luke 2:29–32 NASB95

29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

Jesus is salvation for sinners.

Jesus is light to those trapped in darkness.

Jesus is glory to God in the highest.

This is what the Holy Spirit reveals about Him.

[ILLUS] Has the Holy Spirit revealed this to you about Him?

J. I. Packer was walking to the evening service at his church. With each step he was praying that the Lord would give him some word-picture that described how the Holy Spirit revealed Christ.

On the initially leg of his journey, no answer to his prayer came, but as he rounded the corner and saw the accent lights shining up the building, illuminating the outside features of the church sanctuary in dark, he knew he had his illustration.

[APP] The Holy Spirit reveals Christ by illuminating Jesus in all His beauty. The Holy Spirit throws light onto His humanity, His divinity, His humility, His sovereignty, His wisdom, His power, His mercy, His forgiveness—and in all this and more we see Jesus as the Christ.

Do you see Him as the Christ—the anointed one—the promised seed of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head, the promised descendent of Abraham through whom the whole world would be blessed, the promised Son of David who would sit on the throne of Israel forever, the promised Son of God who laid down His life for us on the cross and then took it up again in His resurrection from the dead? Do you see Jesus as the Christ?

Do you help others to see Him too?

When the Holy Spirit revealed Jesus to Simeon, Simeon didn’t keep his mouth shut; no, he spoke up and made clear who Jesus is.

Will we do the same this Christmas?

Will we, filled with the Spirit, speak up and reveal Jesus to others?

[TS]...

Conclusion

This Christmas I hope that you are filled with the Spirit—examine yourself with these tests...

Are you exalting Christ?

Are you pursuing holiness?

Are revealing Christ to others?

If we are filled with the Spirit, we are.

[PRAYER]

Response

Emmanuel (Hymn 201)

If we know Him, He is God with us, revealed in us...

...that’s why we call Him Emmanuel.

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