Dear Christian friends:

I read an article about a family that decided not to exchange gifts on Christmas. The father and mother felt that everyone was forgetting the real meaning of Christmas. "It is Jesus' birthday, not ours," the father told the children. But the children cried, and were very sad. One said, "We love Jesus, too, but we want to exchange gifts to show our happiness." So the father said, "Let's go and ask our pastor. So they went to the pastor. The pastor told them, "Exchanging gifts at Christmas may be good and if may be bad. It depends on how you feel in your heart when you do it or do not do it. Even those who do not exchange gifts may have a bad heart and spirit, cheap."


The Holy Spirit of God gives us the right spirit of Christmas. Both Elizabeth and Mary were filled with the Holy Spirit. (verse 41)

The angel Gabriel before had appeared to Mary and told her that God had chosen her to be the mother of His Son, the Savior He promised to Abraham and his children. (Luke 1:26-38) The angel also told her that her Aunt Elizabeth, who was past the age for her to have a baby, now was pregnant and expected a son. The angel said her son will prepare the way for Jesus. God's Holy Spirit came to Mary and she believed the angel's words he said to her.

Then Mary went to visit Elizabeth. When she came into her house and said, "Hello" to her the baby leaped with joy in her womb and Elizabeth received the Holy Spirit and said to Mary, "God likes you more then all the other women, and chose you for the mother of His Son. Your baby will receive God's mightiest praise. You honor me, mother of my Lord, because you come visit me ... You believed that God will do what He promised; that is why He has given you this wonderful blessing."

So we see that both Elizabeth and Mary have the Holy Spirit in their hearts. The Holy Spirit of God helped them believe God's Word and promises about their two babies, John the Baptizer and Jesus. That's why they have the true spirit of Christmas.

You, too, can have the true spirit of Christmas if you will listen to God's Word and promises about Jesus. The Holy Spirit will come to you and help you believe that Jesus, Mary's Baby, is also the Son of God from heaven, who came from heaven to earth, became a Baby to be the Savior for sinners.

Often people try to get the Christmas spirit by having drinks. Drinking will not give you the true Christmas spirit. It may make you feel good and foolish but won't give you the real Christmas spirit.

Paul says, "Don't be filled with wine, but become filled the Holy Spirit. By hearing again God's Good News about the birth of Jesus you can receive His Holy Spirit and the true spirit of Christmas. Now what will you do when you have the true Christmas spirit? Praise the Lord; rejoice in God your Savior!

That's what Elizabeth and Mary did. Mary said, "Oh, how I praise the Lord. Oh, how I rejoice in God my Savior." (verses 46, 47) "He chose me, a lowly servant girl, and everyone in the future will call me blest. The mighty One has done great things to me." (verses 48,49)

Mary praises God and is happy in the Savior Jesus, because of the wonderful thing He did for her personally. Secondly, she praises God for the wonderful things He does in Jesus for all other believers, Israel, the whole Christian Church on earth. (verses 50-55)

So Mary praises and rejoices in God, worships God, because of His wonderful love and mercy He shows in her Baby. If you and I have the true spirit of Christmas we will also have praise and joy in our hearts, and we will tell our praise and joy in the Baby Jesus, like Mary and Elizabeth. We will tell it at home and how we decorate our homes for Christmas.

We will tell it by the Christmas cards and letters we send, cards that show Jesus birth, not Santa Claus or beautiful winter pictures only. Will show the true spirit of Christmas by our gifts: not just exchange gifts to one another, but a gift for Jesus, Christmas offerings. A gift for the poor and needy who can't give one back to us. Like now we do.

We also will, if possible gather in Church with our Christmas friends to praise God and rejoice in Jesus our Savior on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and Sunday after Christmas.

If we have the real spirit of Christmas we will not lose our joy after Dec. 25th like the unbelievers do. That joy and praise in our hearts will continue into the New Year and help us serve our wonderful God with eagerness and joy.

May God's Holy Spirit come into our hearts today and help us to see the real value of Christmas, the Baby Jesus, God's Son, our Savior. Let us say with Mary:

Oh, how I praise the Lord.
Oh, how I rejoice in God my Savior!
He has done wonderful things for
me personally! And He has done
wonderful things for His Church on earth!

Amen.