At Christmas time, most people focus on God sending His Son, Jesus, to earth to save mankind from sin.

While the Holy Spirit is only mentioned in the Immaculate Conception.

But the Holy Spirit is actually throughout the Christmas story as found in Luke’s Gospel.

Luke tells us there were several people used by the Holy Spirit and we can learn some valuable lessons from them.

The first person used by the Holy Spirit is John the Baptist.

John’s dad, Zechariah, was a priest. One day, he was burning incense in the Temple, when the angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him that he would have a son, even though he and his wife were very old.

Gabriel said in Luke 1:15, “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord… and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” (MEV)

Second, Gabriel gave another message to a virgin named Mary — she was miraculously going to have a baby!

Gabriel told her in Luke 1:35, “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.” (MEV)

Mary said “Be it unto me according to your word.” (v. 38 MEV)

She was willing to receive whatever God wanted to give her.

Then, Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth (John the Baptist’s mom) who was already six months pregnant!

Luke 1:41 tells us: “When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” (MEV)

Not only was she filled with the Spirit, but Elizabeth gets a Word of Knowledge about Mary, “Why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (v. 43 MEV)

Mary hadn’t said anything about carrying God’s Son, but the Holy Ghost told Elizabeth that she was. God wasn’t finished with this family, He was going to fill them all!

Next was John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah. He didn’t believe Gabriel at first and so he was unable to speak until John was born.

Everyone asked him what to name the baby and he wrote “John,” as the angel had said. Immediately his tongue was loosed!

V.67, “His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.” (MEV)

Zechariah prophesied about what Jesus was going to do and how John was going to prepare the way for Him.

When Jesus was about 41 days old, Mary and Joseph took Him to Jerusalem for the purification rites of the Law of Moses. 

There was a man named Simeon who was “led by the Holy Spirit to come into the temple” at the same time that Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were there. (Luke 2:27)

Then he walks up, takes Jesus in his arms and starts prophesying that Jesus will be “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” (v.32)

That was back when the Jews and Gentiles refused to have anything to do with each other, it was shocking news!

Finally, there was a prophetess named Anna who was around 84 years old. Anna didn’t depart from the Temple, but fasted and prayed night and day; she lived a life of prayer. (Luke 2:37) 

She began to prophesy about Jesus to all of those who looked for the redemption of Jerusalem.

So what can we learn from these people?

Like John the Baptist – Let God fill you no matter how young you are.

Like Mary – Be willing to receive whatever God wants to give you.

Like Elizabeth –God can give you a Word of Knowledge about your situation.

Like Zechariah – seek God to tell you what your children are going to be. 

Like Simeon – Let the Holy Spirit lead you where He can use you. 

Like Anna – God can use you no matter how old you are!

Rev. Doug Johnson is the senior pastor at Lexington First Assembly of God in Lexington, Kentucky.