A CHRISTMAS BLESSING
By Rob Cresswell
A CHRISTMAS BLESSING
By Rob Cresswell
Christmas is a time for giving and receiving and a time for blessing others but who was the first person to bless Jesus? Was it a shepherd or one of the wise men? Or, if you know your scriptures, you may remember Simeon or Anna at the temple (Luke 2)? However, in the gospel accounts did you know that one of the very first acts of blessing upon Jesus is proclaimed over him while he is in the womb?!
In Luke 1 we read how Mary (having conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit) visited her Aunt* Elizabeth who was six months pregnant with her own baby, John (the Baptist). Elizabeth’s pregnancy was an unexpected miracle too:
“because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they (she and her husband Zechariah) were both very old.” Luke 1:7
Her pregnancy had been a long time coming, so long in fact that when it was announced to her husband Zechariah (by the archangel Gabriel no less), he was so full of doubt about it that the angel had to silence him with muteness – for over 9 months! (Read more: ‘How not to stop your miracle’). Little wonder then that 4 months into her pregnancy Elizabeth was so excited to see her niece Mary visit her home in the hills for some much needed companionship and conversation!
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS ALL ABOUT ME!
For this reason I can imagine that Elizabeth was looking forward to being the centre of attention, after all, it was her husband who had been visited by the Angel Gabriel, and it was she who had miraculously conceived. But this was not to be, because, as Mary arrived, before she had any chance to tell her Aunt anything, Elizabeth, filled with the Spirit, launched into a spontaneous blessing over her niece instead:
“But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”” Luke 1:43-45
Wow! Talk about an unexpected turnaround of events! Elizabeth felt her unborn child ‘leap’ in her womb and was simultaneously filled with the Holy Spirit! All at once she had a revelation about Mary and her baby.
“In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” Luke 1:42
And so Elizabeth is likely the first person on earth to recognise and declare the present incarnation of Jesus before he is even born.
THE POWER OF BLESSING OTHERS
Don’t get me wrong, this first ‘Christmas Blessing’ between Mary and Elizabeth is of a highly significant prophetic order. However, one of the insights this highlights is that the act of blessing doesn’t only initiate and release others into their destiny but it also activates ours. Because, as Elizabeth announced this blessing she also inaugurated the ministry of her own son John to ‘prepare the way of the Lord’ – in affect declaring (as John would), “He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30
So remember this Christmas that though you may need many things from God: a divine healing, a prophetic word of guidance or a miracle provision, often these blessings come as we bless and proclaim the favour of God upon others. And this is the great power of blessing others – that as you bless others it releases and draws down the blessing of God on your own life too:
“Those who live to bless others will have blessings heaped upon them, and the one who pours out his life to pour out blessings will be saturated with favour.” Proverbs 11:25
So this Christmas why not ask the Lord for an opportunity to speak out and express Gods blessing and favour over others and see what God will do in your own life as a result?
Read more: THE POWER OF BLESSING
* It is possible that Mary and Elizabeth were cousins but given their age difference I’m going to favour aunty and niece.
About the Author: Rob Cresswell
Christmas is a time for giving and receiving and a time for blessing others but who was the first person to bless Jesus? Was it a shepherd or one of the wise men? Or, if you know your scriptures, you may remember Simeon or Anna at the temple (Luke 2)? However, in the gospel accounts did you know that one of the very first acts of blessing upon Jesus is proclaimed over him while he is in the womb?!
In Luke 1 we read how Mary (having conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit) visited her Aunt* Elizabeth who was six months pregnant with her own baby, John (the Baptist). Elizabeth’s pregnancy was an unexpected miracle too:
“because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they (she and her husband Zechariah) were both very old.” Luke 1:7
Her pregnancy had been a long time coming, so long in fact that when it was announced to her husband Zechariah (by the archangel Gabriel no less), he was so full of doubt about it that the angel had to silence him with muteness – for over 9 months! (Read more: ‘How not to stop your miracle’). Little wonder then that 4 months into her pregnancy Elizabeth was so excited to see her niece Mary visit her home in the hills for some much needed companionship and conversation!
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS ALL ABOUT ME!
For this reason I can imagine that Elizabeth was looking forward to being the centre of attention, after all, it was her husband who had been visited by the Angel Gabriel, and it was she who had miraculously conceived. But this was not to be, because, as Mary arrived, before she had any chance to tell her Aunt anything, Elizabeth, filled with the Spirit, launched into a spontaneous blessing over her niece instead:
“But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”” Luke 1:43-45
Wow! Talk about an unexpected turnaround of events! Elizabeth felt her unborn child ‘leap’ in her womb and was simultaneously filled with the Holy Spirit! All at once she had a revelation about Mary and her baby.
“In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” Luke 1:42
And so Elizabeth is likely the first person on earth to recognise and declare the present incarnation of Jesus before he is even born.
THE POWER OF BLESSING OTHERS
Don’t get me wrong, this first ‘Christmas Blessing’ between Mary and Elizabeth is of a highly significant prophetic order. However, one of the insights this highlights is that the act of blessing doesn’t only initiate and release others into their destiny but it also activates ours. Because, as Elizabeth announced this blessing she also inaugurated the ministry of her own son John to ‘prepare the way of the Lord’ – in affect declaring (as John would), “He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30
So remember this Christmas that though you may need many things from God: a divine healing, a prophetic word of guidance or a miracle provision, often these blessings come as we bless and proclaim the favour of God upon others. And this is the great power of blessing others – that as you bless others it releases and draws down the blessing of God on your own life too:
“Those who live to bless others will have blessings heaped upon them, and the one who pours out his life to pour out blessings will be saturated with favour.” Proverbs 11:25
So this Christmas why not ask the Lord for an opportunity to speak out and express Gods blessing and favour over others and see what God will do in your own life as a result?
Read more: THE POWER OF BLESSING
* It is possible that Mary and Elizabeth were cousins but given their age difference I’m going to favour aunty and niece.
About the Author: Rob Cresswell
Christmas is a time for giving and receiving and a time for blessing others but who was the first person to bless Jesus? Was it a shepherd or one of the wise men? Or, if you know your scriptures, you may remember Simeon or Anna at the temple (Luke 2)? However, in the gospel accounts did you know that one of the very first acts of blessing upon Jesus is proclaimed over him while he is in the womb?!
In Luke 1 we read how Mary (having conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit) visited her Aunt* Elizabeth who was six months pregnant with her own baby, John (the Baptist). Elizabeth’s pregnancy was an unexpected miracle too:
“because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they (she and her husband Zechariah) were both very old.” Luke 1:7
Her pregnancy had been a long time coming, so long in fact that when it was announced to her husband Zechariah (by the archangel Gabriel no less), he was so full of doubt about it that the angel had to silence him with muteness – for over 9 months! (Read more: ‘How not to stop your miracle’). Little wonder then that 4 months into her pregnancy Elizabeth was so excited to see her niece Mary visit her home in the hills for some much needed companionship and conversation!
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS ALL ABOUT ME!
For this reason I can imagine that Elizabeth was looking forward to being the centre of attention, after all, it was her husband who had been visited by the Angel Gabriel, and it was she who had miraculously conceived. But this was not to be, because, as Mary arrived, before she had any chance to tell her Aunt anything, Elizabeth, filled with the Spirit, launched into a spontaneous blessing over her niece instead:
“But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”” Luke 1:43-45
Wow! Talk about an unexpected turnaround of events! Elizabeth felt her unborn child ‘leap’ in her womb and was simultaneously filled with the Holy Spirit! All at once she had a revelation about Mary and her baby.
“In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” Luke 1:42
And so Elizabeth is likely the first person on earth to recognise and declare the present incarnation of Jesus before he is even born.
THE POWER OF BLESSING OTHERS
Don’t get me wrong, this first ‘Christmas Blessing’ between Mary and Elizabeth is of a highly significant prophetic order. However, one of the insights this highlights is that the act of blessing doesn’t only initiate and release others into their destiny but it also activates ours. Because, as Elizabeth announced this blessing she also inaugurated the ministry of her own son John to ‘prepare the way of the Lord’ – in affect declaring (as John would), “He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30
So remember this Christmas that though you may need many things from God: a divine healing, a prophetic word of guidance or a miracle provision, often these blessings come as we bless and proclaim the favour of God upon others. And this is the great power of blessing others – that as you bless others it releases and draws down the blessing of God on your own life too:
“Those who live to bless others will have blessings heaped upon them, and the one who pours out his life to pour out blessings will be saturated with favour.” Proverbs 11:25
So this Christmas why not ask the Lord for an opportunity to speak out and express Gods blessing and favour over others and see what God will do in your own life as a result?
Read more: THE POWER OF BLESSING
* It is possible that Mary and Elizabeth were cousins but given their age difference I’m going to favour aunty and niece.
About the Author: Rob Cresswell
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