A Holy Spirit Christmas

“. . . she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.” – Matthew 1:18

 

I’m experiencing a subdued Christmas this year. I’m working through a bout of pneumonia which requires I stay inside. Thank goodness for online shopping! But my normal gift giving and Christmas joy spreading trips to local businesses will have to wait. I haven’t been able to lead Christmas services at my church or interact with my brothers and sisters in Christ like I normally would this time of year. I miss them! It’s a little depressing and a lot disappointing, but I’m trusting the Lord and I am on the mend. I’m also on the receiving end of many prayerful messages and concerned words of encouragement. I’m spending more time with family who are taking good care of me. That’s never a bad thing. My Christmas is merry, just in a different way this year.

Christmas is a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For some people, every Christmas is spent in isolation or aloneness. I have a newfound awareness of their situation. When the body fails, it can be frustrating, discouraging, debilitating, and end in despair. The devil may have had an evil intent in my illness, but God using it for good in deepening my empathy for others. I believe my forced seclusion has been used by the Holy Spirit. Even though I am indoors and out of my normal holiday routine, I am having a HolySpirit Christmas.

You don’t have to be “Christian” to celebrate Christmas. Some people celebrate Christless Christmases. Jewish people celebrate Christmas. In an article entitled Jews and Christmas – What attitudes toward Christmas tell us about modern Jewish identity, Rabbia Joshua E. Plaut[1] writes:

For centuries, the Jews of Central and Eastern Europe feared Christmas time. At any other time, pious Jews would be studying Torah in the synagogue, but not on Christmas. Wary of being attacked in the street, they took refuge in their homes, playing cards or chess with their families.

The story was different in Western Europe, where, for the Jewish elite, holiday symbols — such as the Christmas tree — signified secular inclusion in society. Affluent German Jews often posed for portraits with their extended families in front of elaborately decorated Christmas trees. The Viennese socialite Fanny Arnstein, a co-founder of the Music Society of Austria, was among the first Jews to introduce a Christmas tree into the home, an act also practiced by none other than the father of modern Zionism, Theodore Hertzll. Indeed, after Herzl completed his seminal book on Zionism in 1895, Vienna’s chief rabbi visited him at his home during the month of December. This historically significant meeting took place with a Christmas tree in view.

In Berlin, the great scholar of Jewish mysticism, Gershom Scholem, grew up in a home that celebrated Christmas “with roast goose or hare, a decorated Christmas tree which my mother bought at the market by St. Peter’s Church, and the big distribution of presents for servants, relatives, and friends…An aunt who played the piano treated our cook and servant girl to ‘Silent Night, Holy Night.’” These celebrations, Scholem believed, reflected the view that Christmas was “a German national festival, in the celebration of which we joined not as Jews but as Germans.”

As a young adult, Scholem would reject his family’s celebration and, instead, attend a Maccabee ball for single Jews in Berlin — a matchmaking idea that has as its modern counterpart the Matzo Ball, a party for Jewish singles held in cities throughout North America.

But beginning in 1933 when the persecution of the Jewish community began to proliferate, fewer Jews celebrated Christmas.

What about Muslims, what do they think about Christmas? Some Muslims celebrate Christmas but draw the line at worshipping Jesus who they believe was only a prophet. Many if not most Muslims do not celebrate Christmas. In an article Six reasons Muslims – or anyone – should not celebrate Christmas by Frasat Ahmad, Missionary, USA. (Published in The Weekly Al Hakam)[2] it lists the following six reasons to not celebrate Christmas:

1. Jesus was not the son of God or God incarnate.
2. Christmas is a paganistic holiday.
3. Muslims do not celebrate the birthdays of prophets nor did early Christians.
4. The Bible and the Quran both affirm that Jesus was not born on December 25th (or even in Winter)
5. Christians themselves disagree over the exact birthdate of Jesus.
6. The prophet Muhammed has prohibited imitating Jews and Christians.

Yes, Christmas is a lot of different things to a lot of different people.

To other people Christmas means:

• A time to expect a bonus check or a time when employers are imposed upon to have to give a bonus check.
• A time of gift getting or a time of gift giving obligations.
• A time of added festivities or a time of added work.
• A time of decorating or a time of work and digging out the ornaments and putting up the tree.
• A time of hustle and bustle and opportunities to spread Christmas cheer, or a time of more traffic and longer lines, a time of faded inconvenience.
• A time to have a heart for the needy in a warmer way, or a time when cultural pressures force you to give to charity.
• A time to gather with beloved family, or a time to wish you had a family, or a time when you wish you didn’t have some family members.
• A time of great joy, or a time of great sadness.

Still others use Christmas for political reasons. I saw a post of supposedly Muslim men climbing a decorated Christian Christmas tree and throwing off ornaments as they climbed to the top. At first glance you’re tempted to think this was an act of persecution by Muslims against Christians. But in reality, it was simply a clean up after the Christmas holiday. There is indeed a proliferation of brutality by Muslims against Christians throughout the world. But this time it was a false message used to incite already contentious groups against each other. Who would do such a thing? Maybe it was militant factions of these two religious groups to incite a holy war. Or maybe secular atheists who would love nothing more than the two major religious groups in the world to go to war and kill themselves off or at least reduce their size to numbers more manageable for the godless. Some people will use anything, even holy things, for their unholy purposes.

Yes, Christmas is a lot of different things to a lot of different people.

How can we ensure that Christmas is what it ought to be? For our Christmas to be what it ought to be, we need to turn to a Person who is often left out of Christmas. (I’m not talking about Jesus, though He most certainly is often left out of the celebration of His own birthday!) I am talking about the Holy Spirit.

What Does It Look Like When the Holy Spirit is Working?

The first Christmas was filled with the Holy Spirit.

In Matthew 1 it states:

Matthew 1:18 – Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

“She was found with child of the Holy Spirit.” What does that short phrase tell us that can be applied to our Christmas celebration?

1. Christmas is closely linked to the work of the Holy Spirit.
2. The Holy Spirit can work outside the realm of natural means, e.g., natural procreative means.
3. The Holy Spirit can work in ways that challenge cultural mores, e.g., Mary became pregnant before she was married.
4. The Holy Spirit works in unconventional ways.
5. The Holy Spirit can work miraculously.
6. The Holy Spirit is not hesitant to intrude in our lives to accomplish His will and ways in and through us – will we be ready? Willing? Obedient?

The birth of Jesus was an extraordinary incarnation of God in the flesh. The first Christmas was extraordinary. I don’t say that to open the door for some who are self-serving to justify extraordinary counter cultural unbiblical actions that are self-serving or even sinful. The Holy Spirit is not the Author of sin. The Holy Spirit will not lead you or operate outside the parameters of the Word He inspired. But I point us to the extraordinary to inject into our heart and mind that when the unexpected crashes in, rather than fret or frown, we should prayerfully consider the possibility that we are about to experience a Holy Spirit Christmas.

How Should We Respond When the Holy Spirit comes Knocking? Be like Joseph

When we are caught up in one of those Holy Spirit moments, one of those Holy Spirit works, intrusions, how should we respond? The rest of this passage is instructive in answering that question. The response we see here to the Holy Spirit at the first Christmas provides us with instructions about how we should respond so that we can experience a Holy Spirit Christmas.

Matthew 1:19–25 – 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 2

Be like Joseph. We know Joseph of the Old Testament (Genesis 37-50). He is a type of Christ in the Old Testament. But what of Joseph, the foster or adoptive or stepfather of Jesus? We don’t know a lot about him. He played an integral role in the life of Jesus. What do we learn from Joseph’s response to the Holy Spirit that can help us have a Holy Spirit Christmas?

1. He was a just man. The just shall live be faith (Habakkuk 2:4; cf. also Genesis 15:6). A just man was a man of faith in God. Mary was “highly favored,” but Joseph was described as “just” (Greek dikaios) a word associated with being equitable in character or actions, innocent, holy, right, observing God’s law, virtuous, keeping the commands of God. The justness of Joseph was his starting point. His justness grounded him. His justness prepared him and suited him to be part of the Spirit’s plans.

 

2. He was an empathetic man. It says when he learned of Mary’s conception, though it implied unfaithfulness, he was “not wanting to make a public example” of her. He loved Mary. The normal response of a husband to be in such a situation would be to be brokenhearted. He was feeling or at least pondering the likelihood of his beloved Mary having betrayed him. And yet, he didn’t let his emotions run away with him. He kept his head and empathized with the shame and scorn Mary would suffer if she was publicly exposed to be pregnant outside of marriage.

Empathy is a byproduct of true love, the Spirit’s fruit –

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 – Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

Galatians 5:22 – But the fruit of the Spiri tis love. . ..

That Joseph didn’t expose Mary’s condition “not wanting to make a public example,” is evidence of his love for Mary. But it is also evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in his life.

This Christmas, will you respond to those in need with love, with empathy, charity?

3. Joseph was a man of character. Joseph “was minded to put her away secretly.” Jospeh could have just overlooked Mary’s pregnancy. He could have let his love override his justness. But no, even though he loved Mary, he must do what was right in the sight of the LORD. Joseph was a man of character. It would be hard to put away his true love, but he would do it because at the time, with what he knew, it was what he thought would best please God.

If you want the Holy Spirit to work, you need to be willing to be a person of character who will make the hard decisions and do what is right even at great personal cost.

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

4. Joseph was thoughtful, not impulsive. Joseph “thought about these things.’ He didn’t jump to conclusions. He didn’t respond in rage. He reserved judgment and took his ponderings to the Lord. He slept on it. And it was in his dreams that the angel of the Lord appeared to him to assure him.

 

5. Joseph was reverent. The angel told Jospeh not to be “afraid” to take Mary as his wife. The term “afraid” is from the Greek phobeo which means to be frightened, alarmed. It is a word that also means revere, or in awe. It wasn’t that Joseph was cowardly or worried about being disgraced. (The Greek term deilia means timidity, cowardice – 2 Timothy 1:7. That word isn’t used here.) Joseph was concerned that he respond in a way that didn’t offend God.

 

6. Joseph was living in a way that made him receptive to the Spirit’s workings. Because Jospeh was just, lovingly empathetic, a man of character, thoughtful, and reverent, he was positioned to hear from the Lord.

How are you positioned? Are you positioned like Joseph to hear from the Lord? When you hear Him, will you obey Him?

21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

7. Joseph was involved in bringing Jesus to the world. Though Joseph was only slightly mentioned in the Christmas narrative, he still had a role, an important role in bringing Jesus into this world. He played a part in the redemptive plans of God in Jesus. This is the most important thing in life.

How about you, will you allow the Holy Spirit to “intrude” in your life this Christmas to use you for His redemptive purposes?

22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

8. Joseph was involved in the fulfillment of God’s prophetic word. Joseph may not be mentioned a lot in scripture, but because of who he was and how he walked with God, the Holy Spirit was able to use him to fulfill prophetic scripture that foretold the birth of Messiah eight centuries in advance (Micah 5:2 and Isaiah 9:6). Joseph was used by the Holy Spirit to bring “God with us.”

How about you, are you willing to be used by the Holy Spirit to fulfill His word in your life and the lives of those around you?

24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,

9. Joseph was obedient. Obedience is indispensable to being used by the Holy Spirit. Later in the New Testament when the Apostles are recounting the empowerment and use of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives they say, “And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:32).

What the Holy Spirit puts you in a situation where you can be used by Him, will you listen and obey Him? Will you submit your will to His? Will you override your fear with faith and trust the Holy Spirit to use you in His plans?

25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

10. Joseph put God before himself. Joseph might have adopted a modern-day attitude that said, “Well, Mary is pregnant, what’s the difference of we have sexual relations now?” He might have thought that. To think that would have been carnal. To act like that would have brought into question who the real Birth Father was. But Joseph didn’t give into carnal desires.

Joseph resisted any carnal temptation he might have had. He revered God and His plans. His priority was not fulfilling his desires but fulling His desires.

Are you willing to sacrifice and resist your carnal desires and prioritize God’s plans? If you do, you will experience a Holy Spirit Christmas.

Christmas comes to us in different ways. For some it is intimately individual; just you and the Holy Spirit. For others Christmas involves unexpected intrusions, different God-incidental meetings that are opportunities for the Spirit to work through us. In whatever kind of Christmas you experience, make sure it is a Holy Spirit Christmas. That is the best kind of Christmas. That truly is the only kind of Christmas God ever intended there to be and for us to experience.

Let us pray: Father in Heaven, thank You for loving us and giving and sending us Your Son Jesus. Jesus, thank You for leaving Your throne to be with us, showing us a life-purposeful way, dying for our sins, rising again, and offering the benefits of all that, as a gift of Your Grace received through faith. Holy Spirit, thank You for making all that known to us and then empowering us and including us in Your plans to share that good news with the lost. In Jesus’ name we pray You would help us have this year, and as many more years as You give us, a Holy Spirit Christmas. Please make us what we need to be, to do what You call us to do, for Your glory, until Jesus’ return. In Jesus’ name, amen!

 

 

 

[1] https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jews-christmas/

[2] https://www.alislam.org/articles/six-reasons-muslims-or-anyone-should-not-celebrate-christmas/