By the time I’d reached about halfway through Luke 2 this year, a few things had stood out to me when looking at the broad brushstrokes of the first Christmas recount.

One, being that there was a clear movement and presence of the Spirit at that time. It was particularly evident in a select few, too:

Zechariah – Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

Mary – The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Elizabeth and John the Baptist in utero – When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Zechariah 2.0 – His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied

John the Baptist, as a child – And the child grew and became strong in spirit

The Shepherds – An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified

Joseph (cross-checked with Matthew’s gospel) – an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream

There was a new wave of Spirit, impacting those with open hearts (more on those tomorrow) and it is pretty obvious why:

Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Or, to cross check with Matthew, again:

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.”

God with us.

An Angel of the Lord.

Angels.

The glory of the Lord.

Filled with the Holy Spirit.

That’s what happens when God shows up.

Yours looking at the broad brushstrokes,

Alison