THE HOLY SPIRIT
& CHRISTMAS
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. Two Aggies moved to a northern Canadian island. At Christmas they boarded a ferry off the island and went deep into the woods on the mainland, searching for a Christmas tree.
2. After hours of subzero temperatures and a few close calls with hungry wolves, one Aggie turned to the other and said, "I’m chopping down the next tree I see. I don’t care whether it’s decorated or not!"
B. THESIS
1. When we think about Christmas as it's described in the Bible, we think about the shepherds in the field, the Magi from the east, the trip of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, and the murderous plots of King Herod.
2. But one thing that is overlooked is the role of the Holy Spirit in orchestrating most of the different events surrounding the birth of Christ.
I. THE H.S.’ ROLE IN THE CHRISTMAS STORY
A. JOHN THE BAPTIST’S PARENTS
1. Zechariah, his father was told about his son, “…he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.” Lk. 1:15.
2. Elizabeth, John’s mother, when she met the Virgin Mary, “When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Lk. 1;41.
3. At John’s birth, “His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied…” Lk. 1:67.
B. SIMEON AND ANNA
1. Simeon, a prophet, “Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.” Lk. 2:25-29.
2. Anna also was led by God’s Spirit to be involved in that great moment.
3. But the Holy Spirit's largest role is found in an event that we have yet to mention; the miraculous birth of Christ!
II. THE CONCEPTION OF THE CHRIST-CHILD
A. THE EARLY CHURCH
1. THE APOSTLES’ CREED: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary...”
2. To an unbelieving world – who don’t believe in a Creator and miracles – the Virgin Birth sounds like myth and impossible.
3. Why did the Early Church believe it? Because:
a. It was prophesied in the OT and therefore expected.
b. There was never a time that the church did NOT believe in the virgin birth. The writing of Gospels date back to the lifetimes of the original followers of Jesus. There was no adequate time for the growth of a myth surrounding the birth of Christ. (compare that to the miraculous conception stories surrounding Buddha which began-5-10 centuries later!)
c. The Virgin Birth and miraculous conception are compatible with other beliefs about Christ and His mission in coming to this world.
B. THE HOLY SPIRIT & THE CONCEPTION
1. "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Lk. 1:34-35.
2. When Mary’s pregnancy was discovered, Matthew describes it as, “…she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.” Mt. 1:18.
3. This was confirmed to Joseph her husband in a dream, when God told him, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” Mt. 1:20.
C. HUMOR: Is Jesus Still a Baby?
1. A girl of ten years went with a group of family and friends to see the Christmas light displays at various locations throughout the city.
2. At one church, they stopped and got out to look more closely at a beautifully done nativity scene.
3. "Isn't that beautiful?" said the little girl's grandmother. "Look at all the animals, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus."
4. "Yes, Grandma," replied the granddaughter. "It is really nice. But there is only one thing that bothers me. Isn't baby Jesus ever going to grow up... he's the same size he was last year."
5. Hopefully, Your concept of Jesus has gotten bigger – He is a bigger God than when you 1st met Him!
III. 5 REASONS THE VIRGIN BIRTH (HOLY SPIRIT CONCEPTION) WAS NECESSARY
A. IT’S IMPORTANT AS A SIGN
1. Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a SIGN: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
2. Several times during the Old Testament, God promised to deliver his people through supernaturally born deliverers. Their birth was foretold and sometimes involved the miraculous.
3. Three of them were born to women who couldn't conceive (were sterile): Samuel, Samson, and John the Baptist. Two of them were also Nazarites from birth.
4. But the sending of the Savior, the ultimate Deliverer, went far beyond them. Jesus didn’t simply deliver us from people, or from our past sins, but also FROM OUR SIN-NATURES!
5. The Virgin Birth separates Jesus from all other historical figures.
6. Larry King, a Jew, was once asked, "If you could select any one person across all of history to interview, who would it be?" King said he would like to interview Jesus Christ.
7. "And what would you like to ask him?" "I would like to know if he was virgin-born. The answer to that question would define history for me."
B. IT SUPPORTS THE DEITY OF CHRIST
1. Paul says in 1 Tim. 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh…”
2. This, and many others Scriptures, affirm that Jesus was not only God in his spiritual nature, but even God in his physical nature.
3. In the conception of Christ, the Holy Spirit provided the male genetic pattern that was combined with Mary’s genetic pattern to produce the physical body of Jesus. Jesus was and is God in the flesh.
C. IT TEACHES THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST
1. Heb. 2:14 says “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil….”
2. The doctrine of Jesus being truly human became a cardinal doctrine of the early church; “Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” 1 Jn. 4:2.
3. This was the important thing to Ignatius and the second century fathers. Jesus was really born; He really became one of us.
4. The apostles make it clear that HE ATONED for sin IN HIS FLESH ONLY; once He was dead, sin was atoned for. There was no “spiritual suffering” to follow His death – such as having to suffer in hell as a sinner (Eph. 2:15; Col. 1:22; 1 Pet. 3:18; 4:1).
5. “But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight…” Col. 1:22.
6. The Redeemer MUST be human or He could not atone for humans. “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.” 1 Cor. 15:21. So both the human and divine natures were necessary in Christ.
D. IT UPHOLDS THE SINLESSNESS OF CHRIST
1. If he were born of two human parents, it is very difficult to conceive how He could have been exempted from the guilt of Adam's sin and become the new head of the human race.
2. Paul’s teaching that Adam sinned on purpose (and therefore was guilty of willful disobedience; 1 Tim. 2:14) but that Eve did not – but was deceived – may have some bearing on why Jesus was to be the Seed of the Woman (Gen. 3:15) and not of man.
3. “Genetic” guilt for original sin might be considered absent from the woman, therefore her side of the gene pool could be used and would not taint the Holy nature of Christ.
4. Regardless of this, the Bible is clear in stating that during His earthly life Jesus was without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22-24; Hebrews 4:15; 7:26; Romans 5:18-19). If Jesus was not sinless then He could not have been the sin-bearer.
E. IT PICTURES THE NATURE OF GRACE
1. The birth of Christ, in which the initiative and power are all of God (except for Mary’s willingness), is an apt picture of God's saving grace. It teaches us that salvation is by God's act, not our human effort.
2. The birth of Jesus also pictures our new birth, which is also through the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit. He invades our spirits and makes us a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
IV. HOW DID GOD DO IT, EXACTLY?
1. "How will this be...?" asked Mary. How many people stumble over this! How many write off Christianity because of this. Gabriel responded by saying, "Nothing is impossible with God" (v.37) If you believe in God & the supernatural, then it really isn’t too difficult to believe in the Virgin Birth, is it?
2. "How will this be since I am a virgin?" Mary herself struggled with this. The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one (“thing,” KJV) to be born will be called the Son of God" (v.35)
3. That same Spirit and power that hovered over the waters and gave birth to the universe (Genesis 1), would come upon Mary and produce His greatest work of all. What happened to Mary is what must happen to all of us. The Holy Spirit comes upon us. He produces something us; creates something in us. Salvation is His work.
CONCLUSION
A. MARY’S RESPONSE & OURS
1. "I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said."
2. This is how we are to respond to the Gospel: "You’re God, in control, You rule; You’re worthy of my trust, service and life. I believe your promise, what You say, what You have done on my behalf." Have you done this?
3. "But I’m not worthy; I don’t deserve it." Neither was Mary! But she found favor with God. Salvation is by God’s grace. His call on our lives is to believe.
B. ALTAR CALL
1. Pray for needs present.
2. Prayer to put faith in Christ, the Redeemer.
