The Spirit of Christmas Past, Present and Future

In Charles Dicken’s famous story, A Christmas Carol, misery Ebenezer Scrooge receives three night visitors on Christmas Eve. Written as a political commentary on the deplorable working conditions, especially for children, created during the rise of the Industrial Revolution in England, A Christmas Carol is a story of redemption. Dickens and his illustrator became famous overnight, as did the characters in his story. It was initially subtitled “A Ghost Story of Christmas” as the three visits were from spirit messengers showing Scrooge his life and destiny past, present, and future. As a result of their tidings, Ebenezer sees himself as he has become, hard- hearted and dispassionate for the circumstances of those around him, and he awakens from his Christmas sleep a changed man.

In the morning of his visitation, Scrooge hurries to his window and throwing it open anxiously asks a young boy in the street if Ebenezer has “missed Christmas” to which the boy replies it is Christmas day. In Dickens’ time the frenzy of commercial business had usurped the celebration of England’s most joyous holiday. Many people were hardly allowed to celebrate Christmas. A Christmas Carol reminded society that Christmas is a time for kindness and generosity when folks should rejoice with friends and family. So the spirits of Christmas Past showed Scrooge how he had been as a child, happy and grateful; how he had become selfish and miserable; and how he would end alone and missed by no one if he didn’t allow the spirit of Christmas to revive a true heart within him.

The real Spirit of Christmas is the One who prophesied the very first Christmas message in the beginning through the seer Balaam. The king of Moab had hired Balaam to curse the former slaves, Hebrews, coming out of Egypt into the land God had promised to give the sons of Abraham. “The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, the oracle of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, but having his eyes uncovered: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:15). All creation danced the night of the advent of the One Balaam saw. Angels appeared over the shepherd fields announcing that the Morning Star, clothed in wrappings of a babe, was born.

The Holy Spirit reminds Israel of this promise made to a nascent nation through Micah who declares: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me One who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2). He is the One conceived in a virgin’s womb during a night visit by the Holy Spirit. Kings of the earth came and bowed down to the King of heaven, presenting Him with gifts. The prophet Micah says by the Spirit: “He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord; in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall live, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; and this One shall be peace” (Micah 5:4-5).

Micah’s contemporary Isaiah also speaks of Him, as do Amos and Hosea. 750 years before He appeared, in a time Israel was in need of awakening and return to their God and to their national and spiritual destiny, Isaiah declared: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon His shoulders and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace; and of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end” (Isaiah 9:6-7a). “For the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel, God with us” (Isaiah 7:14). The shepherd Amos, also, like the first shepherds who heard the Christmas tidings, told his story to all who would hear: “’In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of humanity and all the nations who are called by my name,’ declares the Lord who does this” (Amos 9:11-12).

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christmas. He created the Christmas story. He gave the first words to the carols sung by men and angels of the Star that arose out of Bethlehem so long ago. He anointed the Messiah, accompanying Him from cradle to grave to Throne in heaven. He is the One who reveals Immanuel and makes it possible for us to keep company with Him today. The true Spirit of Christmas is the same yesterday, today and forever. And He is with us, waking and asleep, keeping watchful care over each child of the Heavenly King as He watched over the King when He slept as a babe in a manger on Christmas night two thousand years ago.

He first told the Christmas story through His messengers, the prophets, then through angels and shepherds and even the stars of heaven themselves. He still tells the Christmas story today and He tells it through each one who has made room in their heart for the Savior to give them rebirth. This Christmas tell your story, the story of Jesus in your life. Tell it to friends, tell it to strangers, tell it to family members as you gather around your feasting tables, tell it to yourself again. Tell what Jesus has done for you. Tell your story of Christmas.

Jesus worked a great miracle of deliverance and healing for a man who had no future before the Son of God passed by. In Mark’s gospel the man had been cast out of city and family because of his torments. Jesus reached out to him and gave him back his sanity and destiny. “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee" (Mark 5:19).

Tell your personal experience. Tell what you have felt; what you really know to be your own; not what great things you have read, but what great things the Lord has done for you. There is never a more interesting story than the one a man tells about himself. Tell it for Jesus’ sake. Tell it to bring Him glory. Tell it to magnify His name. The man in Mark’s gospel "Departed and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him, and all men did marvel" (Mark 5:20). Tell the story of Jesus in order to make the hearts of others glad. Imagine the scene when that poor man, now perfectly whole, appeared at the door of his family home. What Jesus did for that man restored a son to their family. Tell your story so “those who sit in darkness, to them a great light” may appear. Tell your experience truthfully, do not tell more than you know; tell your experience humbly, not as a preacher, but as a friend, as a son. Tell it earnestly from your heart; let them see you mean it. And most of all tell it bathed in prayers for them first.

The story of Christmas, from start to finish, the birth, the life, the death and burial, the resurrection, ascension and certain return of Christ is the greatest story to be told. It is the only truly happy ending and it is for everyone no matter who they are, what the circumstance of life has wrought, no matter their family, language or age, the story of Jesus belongs to them. He is the Deliverer for whom the world in every age awaits, the Light shining in our darkness. We continue to see His miracles.

A few days ago Bonnie inadvertently contracted an allergic reaction to poison oak as she was making our home festive with greenery for the holiday. At 3:00 a.m. heated blisters erupted on her face, arms and feet. We cried out to the Lord for a Christmas miracle. As she knelt in prayer, before her rose a vision of a lion’s head door knocker like the one used by Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. The lion came alive as the Lion of Judah and opened His mouth as if to roar. But instead He breathed on her. His breath seemed to pass over her entire body just under her physical skin. She said it felt like a layer of fine oil from head to toe. Then the Lord said, “Go to sleep.” The next day she went to the doctor who confirmed the outbreak was indeed poison oak but appeared already to be under control in terms of further outbreak. However it would take several days for the thing to pass through her system and the appearance and symptoms would get worse before they got better. Instead, by the next morning, she was without any symptoms at all!

As you keep Christmas this year receive a visit from the Spirit of Christmas, the Holy Spirit of Christ who is with us and is the same yesterday, today and forever. From our house to yours we pray you have a very Merry Christmas—as Tiny Tim said at the end of Dickens’ tale, “God bless us, everyone!” Merry Christmas!

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