Text: Luke 1:26-38, Job 33:4
Oh, how I love Mary. I love that God chose her. I love that she believed the words of Gabriel with obedience and without hesitation—never asking if, but only “how?” She is chosen, she is key, and indeed Mary is blessed among women!
But the Holy Spirit! This new information about the character of the Holy Spirit as an inseparable member of Almighty God is a game changer. What the angel Gabriel says to Mary teaches us so much about the Spirit’s role and our own relationship with the Father and the Son! You see, the Holy Spirit is a promoter of Christ.
John Piper wrote an essay back in 1984 titled “Christ Conceived By The Holy Spirit,” and in it he says the Holy Spirit’s ministry “is to point away from Himself to the wonder of God the Son and God the Father. Being filled with the Spirit means being filled with love for Christ… The Spirit is shy; He is self-effacing. When we look toward him, he steps back and pushes forward Jesus Christ” (emphasis mine).
How about that?
Come to think of it, Mary’s role imitates the Holy Spirit’s in the most simple, beautiful way, doesn’t it?
While the members of the Trinity are coequal in power and in standing with one another (all equally God), they are also distinct. Most typically we pray to become more like the Son in love, humility and passion for the Father. We look to the Father as the creator of heaven and earth; mighty in power, yet intimate and present. And it’s probably fair to assess that we look to the Spirit primarily as a helper. The Spirit is indeed our Great Helper, but let’s not miss His distinct example as well.
“From the very beginning of Christ’s incarnation the Holy Spirit was quietly doing what needed to be done to put forward Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of man.” -Piper
What would it look like if the same were said of us in our daily lives?
“From the time she wakes up, ___________ is quietly doing what needs to be done to put forward Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of man.”
Reading that over—inserting our names—puts flesh on bones of our calling as Christians. It reminds us that we, like Mary, have been called by God to participate in the coming of His Kingdom in a way that is unique to us and precious to Him. The mother of Jesus daily and quietly put flesh on her faith by “doing what needs to be done to put forth Christ as the Son of God and Savior of man.” Dear friends, we can do the same!
Let’s ask ourselves today: What does this look like, in my real, everyday life? What does it mean to quietly put forth Christ?
As we consider the Holy Spirit’s wonderful, powerful and mysterious role in the birth of Jesus—Emmanuel, God with us—may we also remember that He is our promised Helper (John 14:26). If the Spirit’s role is to ever magnify the Father and Son, and our role as Christians is to do the same, don’t you think the Helper will undergird us in all things? Yes! Thanks be to God.
AND A HAPPY BONUS: You can find a lovely lock screen (created in collaboration with True Cotton Art!) that corresponds with today’s reading in the lock screen section of the She Reads Truth Android or iOS app!
For an added layer of worship during this sweet season of adoration and expectation, we’ve created a Spotify playlist for Advent 2014! You can find the complete SheReadsTruth | O Come Let Us Adore Him playlist at this link, or listen to today’s track on the player below. Enjoy!
Being filled with the Spirit means being filled with love for Christ…My devotion today is about understanding the Christ truly loves us (me), to really know that and be confident in that very fact, In order to be filled with the love for Christ we must first know that we (me) are loved. My prayer today is that I will never underestimate or doubt the love that He has for me!
I am having a difficult time thinking of what it means to quietly put forth Christ in my own life.. please help me by shedding some understand on this!
I think of it as what can I do today to show that I am a follower of Christ? I can be unafraid of sharing his love with my friends at work. Perhaps there is someone who would benefit by knowing about this study. Or even more simply I can choose joy today and work on loving others. Maybe that means just doing my best today at work and thereby giving glory to Jesus. We all have opportunities to pu forward Jesus, we just need to be aware of them in the moment and be brave. Something I am working on as well.
The Holy Spirit as a helper and an example. Sometimes I think that promoting Christ has to be done loudly- worn on a t-shirt, in blasts of Christian music in my car, talked about when I eat in our staff lunchroom. And while those promotions are good and can point others towards Christ, I forget that I can quietly promote Him too- praying in the stillness each morning before my family wakes up, picking up the tab of the person behind me in the Starbucks drive through, donating food, toys, and clothing to people I will never meet, not raising my voice in anger at my children, wiping up someone else's mess at work. I pray that Yhe Spirit will reveal to me more quiet ways to promote Christ.
This is so appropriate, because literally just 2 days ago I wrote a blog post about how I'd been thinking about Mary and her ability to say "yes" without hesitation. It said so much to me about WHOM she believed in.
I love that, Emily! It's amazing to revisit this story each year and learn something new about Our Savior!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
This is so exciting to me!! To have the Holy Spirit as my helper to put forth Christ in my life. I’m a demo lady at Trader Joes, and I’m in contact with customers constantly. I ask every morning before work, that The Lord would let me be a blessing or a light to people at my stand….let me tell you, I KNOW when he has sent the Holy Spirit to help me!! There can be some “stinker” people out there, but I can feel that unmistakable power that can only be from him,,Not Me,, it’s wonderful! I’m so grateful we serve/have a Father who wants to help us in so many ways, especially in promoting His Son. Enjoy your day ladies,xo
Beth, first of all, demo ladies at Trader Joe's are my FAVORITE! I can only imagine the incredible ways He uses you in that position! What a wonderful opportunity to insert joy in the most unexpected places! Love to you, friend!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
Haha,,thanks! One of my customers calls my demo stand, “my pulpit”, love that!!
Great stuff! Next read: that John Piper paper! I love the idea that the Holy Spirit is powerful but shy– and yes, I do find “shy” an appropriate word. Not as a measure of its might, but of its humility. I’ve actually tried to put this in words before and failed so thank you for this post! I think this applies very much to us as believers, and the responsibility we have of the Spirit flowing through us– to take it seriously and let it help, but also to do so with humility (as was said here) pointing back to Christ. The topic in which I’ve explored this idea before is Spiritual Gifts, that we should use ours with that posture.
Whooeee. Convicting. Wow.
I love the comparison of Zachariah and Mary here. Zachariah asks WHY and Mary asks HOW. A great question was asked at the end of this message: HOW are we quietly putting forth Jesus up front, daily in our lives. Prayers SRT.
That's my favorite part too, Eryn! May my action's be like those of Mary, today and every day! Blessings to you, sister!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth