Our Pastor began a teaching this last Sunday on the Spirit of Christmas, from the narrative through the eyes of the Holy Spirit.
We all know the Father, Son and Holy Spirit concept but do you know and realize it began many years ago?
The Gift of Christmas is Jesus, the Christ child. The real present who gives life and meaning.
Pastor told us the story of a family who had decorated for Christmas and then had all the gifts under the tree and yet never opened them.
People who knew them wondered why the packages were never opened, they sat in the corner and stayed there, season after season.
They had all the ‘look’ but never appreciated what was given to them.
He shared it so that we can see the imagery of ‘not’ appreciating the gift God gives us.
For some they don’t appreciate or open the gift because they feel unworthy or undeserving.
For others they just see it as an illusion, a story or an empty box representing Christmas, kind of like a decoration.
For others they won’t open it or receive it because it may not be what they want or even more than that, perhaps it might be life changing for them.
God is a father who loves to give good gifts to us. He delights in the giving and us receiving.
That is the whole point of Christmas. For God gave his SON so we can have life.
Sometimes we choose to not receive it. We say we want the season but no so much the meaning of it.
We can say just give us the stories and the songs and the feel good times of sharing.
The question to ask is how do we become people who both receive and believe the story of Christmas.
The Holy Spirit is supernatural all throughout the story, beginning with Angels.
So many angels in the story. All throughout the spirit of Christmas the angels were a part telling the news.
Announcing the message, proclaiming the truths.
“Glory to God in the highest” the multitude of angels were singing.
Can you even imagine the glory of the Lord in that moment?
It would have been wonderful to see and feel the ‘spirit’ of Christmas.
Let us prepare our hearts and our homes for the story to be real to us, perhaps for the first time this year.