We have all read or heard how Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born to a woman still untouched by her husband. We have all read or heard of how the wise men were instructed by Herod and did not heed his request, but listened to God. We have all read or heard of how the Spirit sent Joseph, Mary and the Child to Egypt. After that Herod sent men to kill the male children of Bethlehem and its districts from the age of two and younger. The innocent, of the land, was put to death because Herod did not, could not, understand the mercies of God. When we are living under the king of darkness, we cannot understand the light. As the stars in the sky at night, we may see the light but it is a mystery to us. In the darkness we find it hard to see even what is close to us and we protect ourselves with walls, that hide our sins from us, and hate, that tells us of the sins of others. We must walk out of the darkness and into the light. But we do not make the journey alone. God has sent to us a comforter and a helper that is the Holy Spirit.

Let us look again at the conception of Jesus. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After his mother, Mary, was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with Child of the Holy Spirit. Joseph was mindful to put her away secretly but an angel of the Lord appeared and to him in a dream and said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which she conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son and His name will be Jesus, for He will save the people from their sins.” This is done so that the testimony of Isaiah may be fulfilled, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold a virgin shall conceive and bare a Son and call His name Immanuel (which means God with us).

Jesus lived on the earth and grew from child to man teaching the life of God. Jesus lived within the covenant that He fulfilled with His life and death and gave to us a covenant new. The new covenant was made with His blood that is the wine in the cup, that is the Spirit that flows through the body of Christ. That is the same Holy Spirit that came to Mary and placed in her the Lord Jesus. It is the same Holy Spirit that is the Helper sent in answer to Jesus’ promise. ‘It is to your advantage that I go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. … When the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into truth; for He will not speak on His own but what He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.’

It has been said that Jesus is God the Father and the Holy Spirit and all there is of God. While Jesus was on the earth, He said of the Father, ‘do not call anyone on earth your father, for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.’ And our Lord said of Himself, ‘As the Father sent Me, I also send you.’ And ‘because I go to the Father, greater things will those do that follow Me.’ And of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said ‘ I will send Him to you.’ Jesus, being conceived of the Holy Spirit, was God among us, the Son of God. They did not call his name Immanuel, as Isaiah foretold, but He was Immanuel. ‘I am in the Father and the Father in Me.’

‘I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, that the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him because He dwells with you and will be in you. … If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love Him, and We will come to him and make Our home with Him. … the Helper that My Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I say to you. … I am going to My Father, for My Father is Greater than I.’