The True Spirit of Christmas

The True Spirit of Christmas

Humbly accepting and submitting to our place in God’s plan is how the true Spirit of Christmas is expressed.

SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:26-56

Introduction

Christmas is a season of generosity and mutual forgiveness. “Why do that just at Christmas? Why isn’t the Christmas spirit available throughout the year?”

The gospel author who places the most emphasis on preparation is Luke. He demonstrates for us how the way was prepared for the coming of God’s Son and how we must also get ready. In the temple, Zechariah saw the angel Gabriel, who informed him that his wife would conceive a child that would pave the way for the advent of Christ. Zechariah found it difficult to accept that since he and his wife were far past the gestational age for having children. He requested a sign, but the angel gave him more than he expected, rendering him speechless until the promise was kept.

In Luke’s Gospel, Zechariah leaves the stage at this time. He’ll return, but the setting has changed. Luke takes us from the grand and revered temple in Jerusalem to a small settlement in a far-off area not well-known for its religiosity. He moves us from this well-known priest to an unidentified peasant, from an elderly man to a young woman. From Zechariah, he guides us to Mary.

Mary best exemplifies the true Spirit of Christmas than any other character in the Christmas story. The true meaning of Christmas is not about spending time with family, giving to others, or even celebrating. All of those things are admirable, but Mary shows us that the real Christmas spirit is one of humility.

Accepting the Lord’s plan with submission demonstrates the Spirit of humility

The story of Mary is told starting in verse 26 of Luke 1:

Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.

The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.”

And Mary said, “Behold, the bond slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her – Luke 1:26-38.

What happens to Zechariah and Mary has some striking parallels. The angel Gabriel comes to both of them. An apparent impossibility-seeming promise involving a child is made to both of them. One of them would receive the Holy Spirit even though he was still inside his mother. The Spirit would conceive of the other. A sign is given to both.

The similarities, however, stop there. Mary is a young adolescent from the Galilee region, in a sleepy town called Nazareth. She was married to Joseph, a young carpenter. That has more significance now than engagement does. Any breach of the contract was regarded as adultery because it was legally binding. You had to file for divorce in order to escape it. Couples who were engaged shared many of the duties and obligations of marriage but not its benefits.

What Mary was doing is unknown. Maybe she was daydreaming about her future with Joseph while doing her morning chores. Would he make a good husband? How would they choose to furnish the home? When would they have their first child? Then the unimaginable occurred. Gabriel, the angel, appears prominently. He makes an even stranger greeting as if that weren’t strange enough. “The Lord is with you,” he says, addressing her as “favoured one.” She’s perplexed! She is perplexed, so Gabriel clarifies: she would become pregnant and give birth to a child, the long-awaited Messiah.

In simple faith, Mary said yes to God. Imagine the swirl of emotions. A part of Mary wanted to fall down in grateful praise; another part wanted to protest. “Behold the bond slave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word”.

Do you see it? That is the true meaning of Christmas—humbleness. Mary consents to God’s interference because she considers herself the Lord’s bondslave. One of the buzzwords we Christians love to use is “humility,” but when it comes down to it, our entire beings rebel against it. Humility shows itself in submission. A bond slave is a person who has essentially ceded his right to make decisions. Realizing he doesn’t own himself, he says. He is not independent. He is someone else’s property. Imagine how different your life would be if you view yourself as the Lord’s bondslave. What would make you stop stressing? What would cause you to give God the finger? What would you stop wrestling with God over? What would you stop doing to secure your own place?

Have you been cheated on or mistreated by someone, or do you try to secure your own position? Humility means surrendering your rights and plans and desires and questions to the Lord: “Behold the bond slave of the Lord”.

The Spirit of humility is expressed in knowing and accepting your place in the plan of God

This brings us to the second scene. Her cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant in her old age, was also experiencing a miracle when the angel told her she would receive a sign. Mary may have thought, Maybe she’ll get it. She then gathers her belongings and travels to Judea’s hill country, where Zechariah and Elizabeth resided. The journey to Elizabeth’s home would have taken about four days. She had plenty of time to consider how to explain this to her more senior cousin. She might have even prepared a brief speech. She didn’t require it, though.

Look what happens when she arrives:

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb for joy. She cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:39-45).

I believe this was one of those occasions where you can literally feel a weight lifted off your shoulders. Mary had this reassurance that she wasn’t crazy. I did indeed hear the angel correctly. God has the final say. Mary did not even need to speak. Elizabeth blessed Mary and her child under the guidance of the Holy Spirit before she could finish her sentence.

This blessing serves as yet another illustration of the Christmas spirit. Elizabeth’s humility is evident in her acknowledgment of Mary as the most fortunate woman. She doesn’t feel worthy, so she is humbled that Mary would visit her. She claims that Mary, unlike her own husband, trusted that the Lord would keep his promise. She also understands that the child in Mary’s womb is bigger than the one in her own. “The mother of my Lord,” she refers to Mary as. She acknowledges that the unborn John did a happy somersault inside her when she saw her. Even while still in the womb, John is pointing to Jesus. Later on, John would admit, “He must increase; I must decrease.”

When we stop comparing ourselves with others, and when we start doing what we were called to do, the result is joy. You can’t have joy if you’re always chafing under the fact that God’s plan for you doesn’t seem as important as someone else’s plan.

The Spirit of humility is seen in grateful worship for God’s salvation.

As you can imagine, Mary found all of this to be quite overwhelming. She becomes so excited that she starts singing. That is not what I mean literally. However, Mary’s writing does have a poetic quality to it.

One of the interesting things about this song is that it has at least 15 quotations from the Old Testament. Mary knew her Bible. The Spirit of the song is one of praise and thanksgiving. If I were to name this song, I would call it “The Great Reversal.” Its theme is God’s great reversal of fortune for the poor in Spirit. It has two parts to it. The first part focuses on what God did for her. She says in verses 46-49:

My soul exalts the Lord, and my Spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has had regard for the humble state of his bond-slave; for behold, from this time on, all generations will count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is his name.

See how it reverses? God took into account her “humble state.” She came from a town where nobody lived. But now, she claims, God has acted in a way that people in the future will consider her blessed. She sees the same principle at work in others:

And his mercy is upon generation after generation to those who fear him. He has done mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble. He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed. He has given help to Israel his servant, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever (Luke 1:50-55).

Do you still see the reversal? It is now active in other people. The haughty are exalted, the hungry are fed, and the haughty are brought to their knees. Some have interpreted this as a call to action for the political liberation of the world’s poor and oppressed. That was never the intended outcome. She speaks of a spiritual liberation rather than a political or economic one. Mary would be considered blessed because her Son would deliver her and others from sin. The poor who fear God, trust God, and look to God for salvation are the ones who will experience liberation, not the poor in general.

However, the truth is that the oppressed and poor have it easier than the wealthy and powerful. Who needs God? is a more common statement made by the wealthy and powerful. They have a tendency toward pride and independence. They will be brought down as a result.

The Christmas spirit is an attitude of humility. Each of us is born into a humble state, just like Mary. We are spiritually inclined toward sin and cut off from God. But in order to change our fate, God sent his Son. The phrase “The Son of God became a man so that men might become the sons of God” has been used. There is a turnabout there.

The Bible has a word for it: salvation. These first chapters of Luke have that as their central theme. Mary was told by the angel, “You shall name him Jesus.” Its meaning is salvation. “God, my Savior” is a song by Mary. From what was Mary being rescued? Obviously, her sin. Zechariah will later give thanks to God for establishing a “horn of salvation” for us. And as we start to make use of that salvation, gratitude and joy will start to enter our lives. But only those with a poor spirit can find salvation. Only the humble of heart receive it.

Thanksgiving is an act of humility. Humility isn’t all, “Woe is me.” It begins with “Woe is me” and ends with “Look what God has done for me.” Every one of us has a choice: will we humble ourselves before God and live gratefully, or will we continue to wallow in self-pity?

That question can certainly come to light during the Christmas season, don’t you think? Many people are struggling during this time. But regardless of how challenging things may be, Mary’s song’s message is that God has taken action to change things for the better by sending his Son to earth to serve as your Savior. And if you allow it, that will truly make you happy.

Conclusion

The Christmas spirit is an attitude of humility. It’s a humility that shows itself in a willingness to state: “I am a bond slave. Please treat me as you have said.” Being willing to accept your place in God’s plan is also an expression of humility. In worshipful thanksgiving for salvation you did not deserve, it is humility that is expressed.

That’s the Spirit of Christmas—the Spirit of humility.

From all of us at RCCG Victory Temple Fayetteville NC, wish you merry Christmas and a happy new year in advance!

 God bless you.

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