The Spirit of Christmas...what is it? Traipsing your local malls, trimming your tree, turning your kitchen into an international bakery? Or is it singing Christmas carols, lighting candles and listening to cantatas? Or maybe it's wrapping gifts, sharing goodies--and growing very tired! The "spirit of Christmas" is all of these things to me--and I love it! But there's much more! For you see, there's an unseen Spirit that hovers over the world and within the heart of every Christian every day--THAT'S the real Spirit of Christmas: Emmanuel...God with us--in our world, in our families, and in our hearts! Now THAT's something to celebrate! Come with me to the Well, and let's eavesdrop on a familiar scene from God's Word!
A Helping Word...or
Two!
God with Us...Overshadowing Love!
If ever a young maiden needed God's overshadowing love, it was Mary! Stunned by an angel visitor's message, "Hail, thou who are highly favored, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women" (Luke 2:28), Mary discovers the angelic visit is a wonderful love note from God to her--"Mary, I love you...I have chosen you...you will be the mother of the Son of God." Such stunning news needed a little more explanation, and Mary got it--now not enough to answer all her questions, but enough to satisfy her soul. The angel said, "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee..." (verse 35).
Overshadowed by the love of God! It became Mary's awesome experience as for nine months, she carried the Son of God within her, awaiting His birth. But that awesome "overshadowing love of God" is not for Mary alone. It is for every child of God who walks the face of this earth. Daily He overshadows us with His presence....why? Because He is "God with us" - and His Holy Spirit dwelling inside us KNOWS how much love we need. He's got an inexhaustible supply in heaven--just for you. For just as He overshadowed this one very blessed virgin with His love, He overshadows you and me daily with His wonderful loving care...now THAT'S the Spirit of Christmas!
God with Us...Overwhelming Peace!
If ever a young maiden needed God's overwhelming peace, it was Mary! Certainly people in the village would talk--what would her mother say? what would her best friends whisper? what would her beloved think? WHAT WOULD SHE DO? Troubled thoughts must have filled her mind and heart, and yet, because she trusted the God she loved, she found peace. Read verse 38, "And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." In acceptance lieth peace--and Mary found it that day.
Overwhelmed by the peace of God! It too became Mary's awesome experience as for nine months, she carred the Son of God within her, awaiting His birth. But that awesome "overwhelming peace of God" is not for Mary alone. It is for you--and me--in the midst of our own troubling situations, be it physical, spiritual or emotional. Notice it was God's words which brought Mary's peace. And it will be HIS words, quickened by the Holy Spirit, which will bring us peace. Oh that we would hide that Word deeply within our hearts, so when troubles come, the Word simultaneously rises to squelch the fears and faithlessness--speaking peace, quieting nerves, bringing comfort. His Word worked for Mary and it will for you and me. He promises "the peace of God which passes all understanding." Now THAT'S God's overwhelming peace...and THAT'S the Spirit of Christmas!
God with Us...Overflowing Joy!
If ever a young maiden ever had cause to rejoice, it was Mary! Her heart overflowed with new-found, unbelievable joy--she would be the mother of the Savior of the World, and she burst into the joyful words of the "Magnificat" (verses 46 to 55). The joy of the Lord was apparently and obviously Mary's strength. She still had not yet seen fulfillment of the angel's message--it was nine months away, but it was on its way, and she believed. That was enough to fill her heart with joy, words that ring down through the years to our own hearts especially at Christmas.
Overflowing joy of the Lord! It's an awesome "God-thing" to believe when you cannot see--that's real trust in a real God, the God whose Spirit is WITH us. The joy He gives is not from this world; it is from ANOTHER world...and only a Christian who knows Christ as personal Savior can truly experience it. He causes joyful praises to rise from deep within your soul, not because of what He does for you, but because of who He is. Read the Magnificat again (verses 46 to 55), and notice the focus. It's not on Mary and what she needs (and she needed a lot!). No, it's on her Lord! (Perhaps if we learned that secret, we too would know a fuller cup of joy!) The Holy Spirit within us who stirs up that joy does not direct attention to Himself, but to Jesus, the One who IS our Joy. Knowing Him, knowing He is with us daily, that He can give us a spiritual song in the middle of a raging storm--that's cause for overflowing joy...and THAT'S the Spirit of Christmas!
Enjoy the tree-trimming, the carol-singing, the cookie baking, the gift wrapping! The spirit of Christmas fills our world with a warmth even a non-Christian can feel. But remember, there's much more--it's to be found in KNOWING "Emmanuel"--the God WITH us, who brings us daily His overshadowing love, His overwhelming peace and His overflowing joy. HE has come to be "with us"--now THAT'S what Christmas is really all about!
