The Christmas Spirit

Over the last few days, I have been reflecting on Luke's account of the Christmas story and the events that led up to the birth of Jesus. My mother-in-law was teaching a Sunday School lesson on the same passage, and told me that every time she reads that passage, one word in particular jumps out at her, though she was not sure of its significance. The word is found in Luke 1:35, and is commonly translated "overshadow." In context, we read that, "the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." It is a reference to God's power in the incarnation.

I had never before noticed this word, but was intrigued by it as well. Further study showed that the word is only used four more times, three of which are in the Synoptic accounts of the Transfiguration, and the other in Acts 5 as Peter and the disciples are healing people in the early days of the church.

These two passages are also testimonies to the power of God. At the Mount of Transfiguration, the glory of God is revealed to the disciples, who decide they would rather hang out on that mountain worshiping with Jesus and the heroes of old than do anything else. In the Acts passage, the shadow is Peter's, but the people are being healed, not because they believe in Peter, but because the believe in Jesus. They are truly in a spirit of worship.

If each of the other usages of this word lead to worship, how does the Luke passage end up. We start Luke 1 with Mary asking how it will be that she carries the Son of God, and it ends up with the Song of Mary, also known as the Magnificat. There may not be a more worshipful prayer in all the Bible than the one uttered by Mary in Luke 1. We would all do well to read and reflect on her prayer, claiming it as our own, as we worship the One who sent his Son to save us.

Mary's response to God's power was worship. She responds that way again after Jesus birth (Luke 2:19). In all that goes on during the Christmas season, let us not forget to worship.