The other day, someone asked me, “Have you got the Christmas spirit yet?” That innocent question got me thinking, what is the spirit of Christmas?
To some people, the only spirits they will know this Christmas will come from a bottle. For many, the Christmas season is little more than an excuse to abuse their bodies with alcoholic spirits. Thousands of people will die because of alcohol and drunk driving.
To others, the Christmas spirit is the festive atmosphere in the shopping malls. Advertisers tell us to get in the Christmas spirit, by which they mean for us to spend money buying gifts.
To others the spirit of Christmas is the sound of carols and Christmas songs. I love the Christmas carols and I like most of the Christmas songs. There’s a big difference between the Christmas songs and the carols. I do have a hard time the way they are mixed. I find it difficult moving from “I saw mommy Kissing Santa Claus” to “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.”
For others, the spirit of Christmas is summed up in the happiness of a family gathering. It’s the kids and grandparents together around the tree.
“The spirit of Christmas” can mean a lot of things but what really is the Spirit of Christmas?
The Spirit of Christmas is none other than the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was intricately involved in the first Christmas and he wants to be involved in our Christmas experiences.
LET THE SPIRIT ORCHESTRATE THE EVENTS OF OUR CHRISTMAS EVENTS
That first Christmas, every detail was arranged by the Holy Spirit.
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit … an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18-2?).
… for he will be great in the sight of the Lord… and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. (Luke 1:15).
The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. (Luke 1:35).
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:41).
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit … (Luke 1:67).
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon … and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. (Luke 2:25-27).
The Spirit worked in many people, influencing them to do many different things.
Theologians speak of the Holy Spirit as God’s administrator or God’s Chief Executive Officer. The Holy Spirit administers the work of God. He carries out the plans and purposes of God.
The Holy Spirit was deeply involved in the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. The Holy Spirit fulfilled God’s will and fulfilled his purposes. He approached Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph and even Simeon.
The Spirit is still God’s CEO. He works in our lives and in the life of Christ’s church to carry out the purposes of God.
Another way to think of the Spirit is the divine orchestra leader, directing us individually and collectively as a church like a symphony. He brings each player into harmony.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christmas and he wants to administer our Christmas celebrations. He wants to show us how to express kindness to needy people and to love people who are alone and forgotten. He wants to fill our homes with the presence of Christ. He wants to orchestrate the events in our lives!
The Holy Spirit worked to fulfill Scripture. He worked in harmony with what was written in the Scriptures. Repeatedly in the New Testament account of the birth of Jesus, Old Testament prophecies are mentioned
The Spirit always works in harmony with the Scriptures. The Spirit never does anything contrary to the teachings and principles of Scripture. The Bible is the test by which we judge everything that supposedly is done in the name of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of Christmas wants to guide the events of our lives. He wants to lead us to fulfill God’s will as it has been revealed to us in Scripture.
LET THE HOLY SPIRIT BIRTH JESUS IN YOU
You cannot explain the birth of Jesus with modern science. The birth of a supernatural person required some supernatural intervention. Jesus was not an ordinary person, he is the Son of God and God could not be born through natural processes. You cannot understand the birth of Jesus apart from the intervention of the Holy Spirit.
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:34-35).
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18).
The only way to explain the birth of Jesus is God’s divine intervention. It was the Spirit who overshadowed Mary and impregnated her.
The virgin birth is not an optional aspect of our faith. Take away the virgin birth and everything else crumbles. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, then the Bible is inaccurate and untrustworthy, Jesus is not God, Jesus is a liar and a deceiver, Jesus would not have been sinless but would have inherited a sinful nature, and then Jesus could not have accomplished salvation on the cross.
The virgin birth is foundational to our faith. It took place as Mary was moved upon by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit placed Jesus inside Mary’s body.
The impregnation of Mary by the Holy Spirit is a picture of the spiritual birth we need to experience. A Christian is someone who has Jesus living in him, someone who, through a spiritual birth, has the life of Christ in his own spirit.
And how is Jesus born in us? How do we experience the new birth? It is a work of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus told Nicodemus, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. (John 3:5-6).
LET THE HOLY SPIRIT WORK THROUGH YOU
The Holy Spirit didn’t just move people around like robots or like puppets. Each individual in the Christmas story had to respond to what the Holy Spirit wanted.
Consider the words of Mary to the angel. “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. ( Luke 1:34-38).
The angel told Mary what the Holy Spirit wanted to do. Mary responded, I am the Lord’s servant … May it be to me as you have said.
There are many things the Spirit wants us to do. There are ministries to be involved in and people to help and care for.
There is a whole range of things the Spirit wants us to do, but the Spirit will never force us. We must respond to and cooperate with the Spirit. We must say, May it be to me as you have said.
When the people in the first Christmas drama were moved by the Spirit, they responded to what the Spirit wanted them to do.
We need to respond to what the Spirit wants to do in our lives, not only at Christmas, but throughout the year. If the Spirit prompts us to do something, let us respond to him and be instruments of blessing in his hands. When the Spirit gives us a nudge, let’s do what he wants us to do.
The Holy Spirit is available to everyone today. During the Old Testament, only a few people experienced the work of the Spirit. The Spirit only came on selected people at certain times; the Spirit was not available to everyone on an ongoing basis.
This has all changed. Since the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is now available to everyone.
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