REVITALISED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
25th Dec 2019
I have been asking the Lord for a fresh revelation regarding the Christmas Story, it’s so easy to be over familiar. I began by reading Luke’s narrative and was struck by the radical changes in Zechariah as he encountered the presence of the Holy Spirit, saw visions and met with the angel Gabriel.
Zechariah is known as one “who was righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly”. He is a priest on duty in the temple, he sees himself and Elizabeth as old, and barrenness has defined them. They were, in the natural unfruitful, childlessness being attributed to Elizabeth, but could the problem have been Zechariah? The picture is one of faithful service, tinged with sadness, and not much joy.
When Zechariah meets with the angel, he enters a new dimension, a supernatural realm - angels, visions, revelation, promises. Future is to become more significant than the past. Physically he is unable to speak as he has just had a profound encounter with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
Maybe he was healed, and as he is reunited with Elizabeth she becomes pregnant. Later Mary visits Elizabeth whose six month old baby leaps in her womb as he responds to the presence of “Emmanuel” growing in Mary’s body. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and begins to understand the spiritual reality that Mary is carry the Lord of Glory.
Fast forward to the events surrounding John’s birth. Zechariah is a changed man, revitalised by the Holy Spirit, so full of praise, the whole district are talking about it and he begins to prophesy over his newborn son (recorded in Luke 1:67-80) and you feel hope and purpose, future and expectancy. These are the words of the same old man, now invigorated by his Holy Spirit encounter and more alive than he has ever been!
We need new encounters with the Holy Spirit, to be filled afresh releasing new joy and hope. The Holy Spirit gives new life, new joy, new praise, new vision and can transform every barren circumstance.
Jesus, Jesus you make the darkness tremble, You silence fear,
Breathe, then call these bones to live, call these lungs to sing,
Once again I will praise, Jesus Jesus
by Joyce Sibthorpe
