I read a sermon this week preached by the "Prince of Preachers" Charles H. Spurgeon in London on Sunday, June 17, 1855. The message, "The Power of the Holy Spirit," was based on Romans 15:13. At one point, Spurgeon speaks of the power of God in creation and of the Holy Spirit’s special power in creating Jesus in the womb of Mary:
We have seen some of his works in creation. But there was one particular instance of creation in which the Holy Spirit was more especially concerned; viz., the formation of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though our Lord Jesus Christ was born of a woman, and made in the likeness of sinful flesh, yet, the power that begat him was entirely in God the Holy Spirit—as the Scriptures express it, "The Holy One of Israel shall overshadow thee." He was begotten, as the Apostles' Creed says, begotten of the Holy Ghost. "That holy thing which is born of thee shall be called the Son of the Highest." The corporeal frame of the Lord Jesus Christ was a masterpiece of the Holy Spirit. I suppose his body to have excelled all others in beauty; to have been like that of the first man, the very pattern of what the body is to be in heaven, when it shall shine forth in all its glory. That fabric, in all its beauty and perfection, was modeled by the Spirit. "In his book were all the members written, when as yet there were none of them." He fashioned and formed him; and here again we have another instance of the creative energy of the Spirit.
Let’s not forget that December 25 is not the birthdate of Jesus. If a Christian is to discover any meaning in the holiday madness, it will come in quiet contemplation of the mysterious goodness and power of God in the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us.
Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle
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