Luke 1: 38
Theme: Christmas
THIS IS THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS
One of my favorite Christmas movies is A Christmas Carol. You know the movie. Mr. Scrooge, is the stingiest, meanest, cheapest, tightfisted, miserly, miserable man on earth. He could squeeze eleven pennies out of a dime. He was hated and feared by everyone. Even if you did not know him, you could size him up easily enough.
Of course, on Christmas eve Scrooge had a series of encounters with three spirits: Christmas past, Christmas present, and Christmas future. They convert him. He wakes up on Christmas morning a new man, full of the Christmas Spirit. Scrooge says:
"I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!" Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. "The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. Oh Jacob Marley! Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this. I say it on my knees, old Jacob, on my knees!"
He was so fluttered and so glowing with his good intentions, that his broken voice would scarcely answer to his call. He had been sobbing violently in his conflict with the Spirit, and his face was wet with tears.
Dickens thought that the Spirit of Christmas was a heart full of good intentions and the willingness to carry them out. I think these are admirable and I wish we all had them. Good intentions are one thing. It is far, far better still to carry out our good intentions. But, is this really the Spirit of Christmas?
Well, to find out, I decided to go in search of the true Christmas Spirit. There is a TV documentary program called In Search Of. Consider this sermon something like that. Let us go search the original Christmas story to find the true Spirit of Christmas.
If we could pick up and travel time like Scrooge did, I think I would stop first at Joseph’s house. Joseph was a good man, and he was engaged to a young woman named Mary. But, Joseph’s mood changed, his future seemed clouded. Mary told him she was with child. He knew it was not his child. And the story she told was just too far fetched to believe. His heart was torn in two. His Mary had been unfaithful. Yet, he loved her and instead of publicly embarrassing her, he decided to divorce her in private. He just could not accept another man’s child. We understand this! His reaction is perfectly reasonable.
But, it was in a vision that God spoke to Joseph. "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." And Joseph did as the a angel said. The outcome was good. Joseph came around to understand God’s plan. But I don’t think we can say this is the Spirit of Christmas. So, our search continues.
We travel to the little town of Bethlehem in Judea. It had been the hometown of King David. But now it was just a small quiet town. However, at this time the town was a little overwhelmed. Throngs of people were in town to register for a census that had been commanded by the governor. Joseph and Mary came into town because both were from the household of David. Mary was due to give birth any moment. It seems cruel to make his wife ride a donkey or walk that far. Why did he not leave her at home? Well where would she stay? Everyone was suspicious of her pregnancy.
Maybe it was about evening when they entered the town. They went to the local Inn and tried to register but there was no room. The Inn keeper was sympathetic to their needs. He could see that she was near term. But he told them, I am full and so are all the other Inns. All he had to offer was the Inn’s barn, a cave really, where the guest’s animals were kept. What could he do? Give up his own bed? Come now, he was in business to make money, not to sleep on the floor. It was a business decision
We can’t blame the Innkeeper, he did not know. He may have been looking for a Messiah but not tonight! And not from such a poor, lowly couple. No, it was business pure and simple, demand outran supply and they would have to sleep in the barn. It was just business. It is good to be responsible and hard working, but it is not the spirit of Christmas. Our search goes on.
Our next stop is just outside of Bethlehem in the fields where shepherds are watching over their flock. It is evening. The temperature is cool. The camp fire burns as they sit and talk and watch. The sheep can barely be seen in the dark. Suddenly, an angel appears to the shepherds and tells them wonderful things. This is not an ordinary, everyday occurrence. One could have easily doubted it is you were by yourself. But they all saw the same thing. The angel told them good news and tiding of great joy. He announced the birth of the Messiah and told them where he could be found. Why did the angel appear to lowly shepherds? We don’t know, but before it was over, a whole multitude of angels appeared in the sky with them and shouted "Glory to God in the Highest and peace on earth among men with whom He is pleased."
The shepherds were naturally curious. After talking among themselves, they decided they would go see for themselves. They found everything just as the angels said they would. Certainly curiosity is a good thing and we can commend the shepherds for following the lead of the Angels, but this is not the spirit of Christmas. I think we have to continue our search.
Sometime later wise men from the east saw something in the stars that lead them to believe an important, momentous event had taken place in Israel. So they journeyed a long distance following the star. They stopped and asked help from King Herod. Herod was that old wily king who had survived several political turnovers. He was a bit paranoid, a bit like Joseph Stalin as a ruler. He had murdered his wife and sons because he thought they threaten his rule as king–not the kind of guy you trifle with.
When Herod heard about this search for a possible newborn king, he became wildly concerned. He could care less about a Messiah. All he wanted to do was to protect his own kingdom from any would-be intruders.
The wise men found Joseph and Mary and the Baby and they honored him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Herod plotted to kill the Baby and in fact, killed all baby boys two years old and younger in Bethlehem. But, Joseph and Mary escaped. Certainly Herod did not practice the spirit of Christmas. He was just the opposite. And while the wise men honored the Baby and gave gifts, this too does not really seem to be the spirit of Christmas. It is good to give and to honor, but our search goes on.
Where do we go? We have to go back to the beginning of the story. Mary is a young woman, probably no more than 18 years old. An angel appears to her and calls her favored one. And the angel tells her something that is almost impossible to understand. Even though she is a virgin, she is going to have a baby.
Luke 1:31-33 "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 asked how can these things be since I am a virgin? The angel’s answer is that it is a work of the Holy Spirit. Mary’s response to this was, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word."
This is the spirit of Christmas. It is the complete openness to God and willingness to do anything that he calls us to do. Mary regarded herself as a slave bound to a master. She had no desire other than to serve God and to do his will.
That is the Christmas spirit. You can have all the warm, fuzzy feelings and all the Christmas cheer that you want. But if you want to be filled with the true Christmas spirit, then submit yourself to God that he may do with you as he desires, send you any place, do anything, be whatever he desires for you to be.
This is the Christmas spirit: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all you strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself."