The Spirit of Christmas
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Intro:
30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
Intro:
Tonight, the title of my message is [The Spirit of Christmas].
Often times it is easy to get caught up in the business of Christmas that we can move past the real reason for our celebration.
My entire life I have always loved Christmas. As a child it there was something about the season and in my home you could sense the spirit of Christmas.
I feel that I was part of the reason for the Christmas Spirit. I always rushed mom in wanting to put up the Christmas tree. I would get on the roof and hang the lights.
I had an older cousin tell me, Daniel one day you will outgrow all of that and lose your Christmas spirit. I was insulted and I made a promise, that will NEVER happen to me!
The only problem, I think it finally caught up with me! Bekah told my mom, I think Daniel and I are bah humbugs this year. Bekah shared with a friend, we even got a smaller tree. She laughed and answered, you’re too young to make those downsizes that quick!
As I thought about this, it made me think of our relationship with the Lord. When we get saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit we are excited. We want more of God.
But as time goes on, if we are not careful we can become lethargic in our walk with God. And I noticed it often happens around the busyness of the Christmas season.
Therefore, I want us to notice in reading Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth. Notice the pivotal role of the Holy Spirit in the birth of Jesus.
I felt prompted to read the story of Jesus’ birth, and then I read it again and again.
There is something I noticed for the first time in reading Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth. The thing that stuck out to me this time was the pivotal role of the Holy Spirit in the birth of Jesus.
As the angel was speaking to Mary, he assured her of her concern as to how she was able have a child. The angel said the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you.
As we study His birth we realize that the Holy Spirit did more than just come upon Mary, the Holy Spirit orchestrated most of the events leading up to and surrounding the birth of Christ.
The Holy Spirit inspired the prophets of the Old Testament to write about the birth of our Savior. The details and the events surrounding the birth of Jesus were already spoken to the prophets by the Holy Spirit.
14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
prophecies he will be born of a virgin, is the fulfillment.
prophecies he will be born of a virgin, is the fulfillment.
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
prophecies he will be born in Bethlehem, is the fulfillment.
prophecies he will be born in Bethlehem, is the fulfillment.
1 “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the Lord of hosts.
prophecies he will enter the temple, is the fulfillment.
prophecies he will enter the temple, is the fulfillment.
5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
prophecies he will be of the lineage of David, is the
fulfillment.
prophecies he will be of the lineage of David, is the
fulfillment.
By the time Jesus was born it had been 400 years without the Lord speaking, it was these prophecies that caused a remnant of believers to await their coming messiah. As these believers saw the fulfillment of the prophecies it was evident that God was keeping His word.
By the time Jesus was born it had been 400 years without the Lord speaking, it was these prophecies that caused a remnant of believers to await their coming messiah. As these believers saw the fulfillment of the prophecies it was evident that God was keeping His word.
But the work of the Holy Spirit went beyond Old Testament Prophecy. In and 2 there are five references to the Holy Spirit and all of these surrounding the events leading and following the birth of Christ.
Let’s look at them:
, as the angel is telling Zacharias that he is going to have son in his old age and he says…
15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
, as Mary says hello to Elizabeth John the Baptist leaps in his mother’s womb…
41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
, after John the Baptist is born…
, after John the Baptist is born…
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
, when the Prophet Simeon met Jesus for the first time…
To me the Spirit of Christmas is more than excitement about a holiday; it is more than the desire to give gifs, to me is the need for the Holy Spirit to show up in this place!
Including when the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, the Holy Spirit is referenced at least five times at the story of Jesus birth.
This week as I was studying this, the Lord began to deal with me about the real Spirit of Christmas. To me the Spirit of Christmas is more than excitement about a holiday; it is more than the desire to give gifs, to me is the need for the Holy Spirit to show up in this place!
There are a lot of spirits in this world. There is the Spirit of the Antichrist, the spirit of the Age, there is a spirit of fear and a spirit of immorality.
But today, I want to be filled with the same spirit that prophesied about Jesus’ birth.
I want to be filled with the same spirit that overshadowed Mary.
I want to be filled with the same Spirit that filled Elizabeth when her baby leaped in her womb.
And I want to be filled with the same Spirit that led the Prophet Simeon to Jesus!
To me, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christmas.
Do we desire an outpouring of the Holy Spirit during this Christmas season? Let’s look at the Spirit of Christmas, [It is a Spirit of Revelation], [It is a Spirit of Restoration], and [It is a Spirit of Renewal]
1. It’s a Spirit of Revelation
1. It’s a Spirit of Revelation
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
According to the Law and customs of those days, Jesus was to be presented at the temple. While Mary and Joseph are at the temple with Jesus, who is just eight days old, the Holy Spirit leads the Prophet to them.
As soon as Simeon sees Jesus, he immediately knows that God has fulfilled the promise that Simeon would not die until he saw the Savior of the World!
Verse 32 is something that has been on my heart all week; the Holy Spirit shows Simeon that Jesus is the light that will bring REVELATION to the Gentiles.
What I love about this verse is that it shows the plan and purpose for Jesus coming to earth.
Though the Israelites were awaiting their messiah, Jesus did not just come for a specific group of people.
Even at eight days old, it is already spoken that through Jesus, he will bring revelation to everyone even the Gentiles.
The gift of salvation is not for a select group of people, it is not for a certain race, a certain gender, a certain age or are certain place, it is for everybody!
Had Jesus not come to give revelation the Gentiles, none of us would be here today! But I want to point out this Christmas, that though God and sinner are reconciled, it was the Holy Spirit who came upon Simeon to tell future generations that this baby would one day die for EVERYONE!
No matter what you have done, how many mistakes you’ve made, where you’ve been, who you are and why you do the things you do, the Holy Spirit is here this morning to show you that Jesus is just for you!
I desire revelation like never before. Today can be the day that God shows you exactly what you have been praying for and reveals to you the answer to your needs!
If you are ready for that revelation, just simply ask the Holy Spirit to take you deeper than ever before and to show you exactly what you need to see.
The Spirit of Christmas is a Spirit of Revelation!
2. It’s a Spirit of Restoration
2. It’s a Spirit of Restoration
36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
Mary was a part of this faithful remnant that was looking for the coming Messiah.
Mary was a part of this faithful remnant that was looking for the coming Messiah.
She knew that the baby she was going to carry for nine months was to be the one who would save mankind from their sins, and restore a relationship with the heavenly father that was absent in their lives.
As the Prophetess (Holy Spirit Inspired) Anna looked at the Baby Jesus, she knew instantly that in this baby was going to be the restoration or redemption of God’s people.
Because of mankind’s sin, it was a requirement for Jesus to come and sacrifice His life so we could be restored to our heavenly Father.
Jesus is our restorer, he is our redeemer and he is our deliverer.
While we were still in our sins, Jesus arrived over 2,000 years ago to bring restoration.
And today, the Holy Spirit is continuing the work of Jesus! It is through the presence of the Holy Spirit that we can walk in a restored relationship with God.
44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
, No one comes to the father unless the one who sent me draws him.
, No one comes to the father unless the one who sent me draws him.
This Holy Spirit is God working in the church today. So whenever there is any type of restoration in our lives, it is a result of the moving of the Holy Spirit.
I am confident that there is a Spirit of Restoration here this morning. No matter what you’ve faced or what you are facing, God is the restorer and redeemer of all things!
God will restore whatever you have lost.
, “for the Kingdom of God is nor eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
If you have been down or depressed lately, the Holy Spirit is here to restore Joy.
If you have been troubled or distressed lately, the Holy Spirit is here to restore peace!
The Spirit of Christmas is a Spirit of Restoration!
3. It is a Spirit of Renewal
3. It is a Spirit of Renewal
39 So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
39 So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. 41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
By the time Jesus was born it had been 400 years without the Lord speaking, it was these prophecies that caused a remnant of believers to await their coming messiah. As these believers saw the fulfillment of the prophecies it was evident that God was keeping His word.
But the work of the Holy Spirit went beyond Old Testament Prophecy. In and 2 there are five references to the Holy Spirit and all of these surrounding the events leading and following the birth of Christ.
Let’s look at them:
15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
The Holy Spirit has always been there, and though he would come on people and renew them in the Old Testament it was not a continual experience.
The Holy Spirit began its work at the beginning. In , the Spirit hovered over the waters.
I want to be filled with the same spirit that overshadowed Mary.
I want to be filled with the same Spirit that filled Elizabeth when her baby leaped in her womb.
And I want to be filled with the same Spirit that led the Prophet Simeon to Jesus!
To me, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christmas.
After the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and began to carry Jesus, she had a unique supernatural encounter with Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist in , as soon as she heard the news, John the Baptist, who was full of the Holy Spirit from birth, leaps in Elizabeth’s womb and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit began its work at the beginning. In , the Spirit hovered over the waters.
The Holy Spirit was with them, but not in them. The Holy Spirit would fill them, but they were never baptized in the Holy Spirit.
There were many instances throughout the Old Testament and before Jesus was born that the Holy Spirit would come on people and he would anoint them for a specific purpose.
The Holy Spirit has always been there, and though he would come on people and renew them in the Old Testament it was not a continual experience. The Holy Spirit was with them, but not in them. The Holy Spirit would fill them, but they were never baptized in the Holy Spirit.
During this Holiday Season, God wants to renew us in His presence! This week as I have been praying and studying for this service, I felt that the Lord specifically spoke to me about renewal!
And the Baby that caused John the Baptist to leap in his mother’s womb was about to change the occasional renewal of the Holy Spirit to a constant renewal of the Holy Spirit.
Through Jesus we are no longer confined to occasional renewals, but we can live in a constant renewal with the Holy Spirit. Because through Jesus birth, life, death, burial and resurrection, he provided to us the power from heaven!
, the same Holy Spirit who anointed the O.T. prophets,
the same Holy Spirit who came upon Mary
the same Holy Spirit who led Simeon and Anna is the
Same Holy Spirit who can fill you this morning.
Once you have been filled with the Power that the O.T. men and women experienced you will speak in tongues and you can live a life of constant renewal.
, but ye beloved, building yourself up on your most holy faith, BY praying in the Holy Spirit!
Today is the day we can leave this house with the understanding and decision that I will live a life of constant renewal.
Because of the Spirit of restoration and revelation, we can live a life of constant renewal!
The Spirit of Christmas is a spirit that generously renews our lives on a daily basis!
Close:
Often times during the Christmas season, it can be easy to become spiritually lethargic due to the business of life.
Often times during the Christmas season, it can be easy to become spiritually lethargic due to the business of life.
Some even get to the point where they are miserable during this time because of life circumstances.
But this morning I am here on assignment to declare to you that the Spirit of Christmas is here in this place
This Holy Spirit is here for each of us and, I want to be filled with the same spirit that prophesied about Jesus’ birth.
But today, I want to be filled with the same spirit that prophesied about Jesus’ birth.
I want to be filled with the same spirit that overshadowed Mary.
I want to be filled with the same Spirit that filled Elizabeth when her baby leaped in her womb.
And I want to be filled with the same Spirit that led the Prophet Simeon to Jesus!
To me, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christmas.
After the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and began to carry Jesus, she had a unique supernatural encounter with Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist in , as soon as she heard the news, John the Baptist, who was full of the Holy Spirit from birth, leaps in Elizabeth’s womb and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.
If you need God to speak to you and give you specific direction, the Spirit of Revelation is here today.
Or maybe you have not been serving the Lord the way you should and you need to be restored into a right relationship with the Father, the Spirit of Restoration is here today.
And, if you are in need of a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Constant Renewal is here today!
The same Spirit that spoke to Zacharias about John the Baptist Birth can fill you this morning.
The same Spirit that came upon John the Baptist can fill you this morning.
The same Spirit that overshadowed Mary can fill you this morning
The same Spirit that leaped in Elizabeth’s womb and filled her can fill you this morning
And the same Spirit that caused the Prophet Simeon to see Jesus can fill you this morning.
That is the real Spirit of Christmas that is what it is all about. Even at Jesus’ birth, the Holy Spirit was already pointing men to Him! He is here right now.
I am ready to contend for the REAL Spirit of Christmas to fill this place in an unprecedented way. To bring revelation, restoration and constant renewal!
Today is the Day!