Luke 1:26-35
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.”
When she saw him, she was troubled by his words, and considered in her mind what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Listen, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. And of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you. Therefore the Holy One who will be born will be called the Son of God.
Prophecy
Prophecy is the result of being filled with the Holy Ghost. Zechariah was dumb and unable to speak until his tongue was loosed through the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Then he not only spoke some words for the first time in months, but he also prophesied: “His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied…” (Luke 1:67). Spirit-filled believers and churches should prophesy. By virtue of being filled up with the Holy Spirit, we should overflow. Filled is the Greek word pietho, meaning to imbue, influence, or supply. Spirit-filled believers should speak by the influence of the Holy Spirit because they have been imbued, influenced, and supplied with an abundance of the life of the Spirit of God. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, we utter words that bring edification, exhortation, and comfort, and there is always an abundant supply of such utterance given to us by the Holy Spirit. {eoa}
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