Dial In with Jonny Ardavanis - Five Hallmarks of the Christmas Spirit Pt. 2

Episode Date: December 14, 2023

Today, the spirit of Christmas (as we have come to know it)  is often disconnected from the Christ of Christmas. There is obviously nothing wrong with candy canes, christmas carols, gifts, decor, traditions, and hallmark movies (well maybe something wrong with those), but in the hullabaloo of it all, Christ is so often pushed to the peripheral corner of the day in which we celebrate His birth. In order to examine the “spirit of Christmas” we must turn to God’s word and in doing so, we must examine “Five Hallmarks of the Christmas Spirit” in Luke 1:46-55.In this episode, Jonny Ardavanis picks up where he left of in his previous episode and explains that the Christian is to be filled with:God’s Holy SpiritWorshipJoyHumilityGratitudeWatch VideosVisit the Website Follow on InstagramFollow on Twitter

Hey folks, my name is Johnny Artavanis and this is Dial In. In this episode, we continue in our study of Mary's Magnificat, which is her psalm of praise in Luke 1. And in this psalm, we are examining five hallmarks of the Christmas spirit. Let's dial in. Today, the Christmas spirit, as we have come to know it is often disconnected from the Christ of Christmas. There's obviously nothing wrong with candy canes or Christmas cards or Christmas carols and gifts, decor, traditions, and Hallmark movies. Well, maybe something wrong with those,

but in the hullabaloo of it all, Christ is so often pushed to the peripheral corner of the day in which we celebrate his birth. And in order to examine the spirit of Christmas, we must turn again to God's word. And in our previous episode, we examined two hallmarks of the Christmas spirit and Mary's psalm of praise, known as Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1. And as we come to Luke chapter 1, we come to the story of a teenage girl whom the angel of the Lord had just told would be the mother of the Messiah. In Matthew's gospel, the angel tells Mary, you shall call him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sin. His name was to be Jesus. Shakespeare once asked the question, what's in a

name? Because he wanted to draw the reader's attention to the arbitrary nature of names, meaning that you could be a good guy named John or you could be a very bad guy named John. Names are titles and they are not representative of our character and identity. However, Jesus's name is not random. It's intentional. It was determined before time began because it represents the mission for which he came. Jesus's name comes from the Hebrew word Yeshua, which means the Lord is salvation. The Heidelberg Catechism is a series of questions which answers really the fundamental

questions about the Christian faith and was written with the intention of teaching young people great truths about God, the gospel, and the person of Jesus Christ. They were originally written in 1563 in Heidelberg, Germany. Anyways, the 29th question and answer of this catechism is, question, why is the Son of God called Jesus? That is a Savior. Answer, because he saveth and delivereth us from all sins. And likewise, because we ought not to seek, neither can find salvation in any other. This was always God's plan to send his one and only son to save. And because he is a savior, his name, Jesus, was to match his mission. Jesus was the promised Messiah. Now let's zoom back for a moment. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve's sin ushered in the curse of sin and death. They instantly felt

not only their nakedness and their shame, but their separation from the God who had made them. However, in the darkness of that despairing moment, God provided for them a beam of hope that sheds light on the one who was to come and reverse the curse, restore Eden, and wipe away our sin and shame. God promises Adam and Eve in Genesis 3.15 that the Savior who is going to come is going to be, watch this, born of the seed of the woman. The serpent crusher and Eden restorer would be supernatural and yet be born of a woman. He would be a God man. And the promise that God made to Adam and Eve on page three of the scripture is the promise fulfilled to Mary, a teenage girl growing up in Nazareth. Although God's people expected a political savior that would crush the power of Rome,

the one that God had promised was someone who would come and crush the head of the serpent, that being Satan, sin, and death. And Mary hears the announcement from the angel Gabriel regarding the baby growing within her womb and travels immediately to the city of Judah. Why? Because who else was going to believe her that she was pregnant and yet a virgin? And then what type of lunacy would she be accused of after she then tried to explain that she was not only a pregnant virgin, but that the baby was

conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity? Well, as we examined in our previous episode, there was one woman who would in fact know the credibility of her report, and that was her relative Elizabeth, whom had six months prior been told by the very same angel that she too, a formerly barren woman now in her 70s, would bear the forerunner of the Messiah. So in Luke 1, there are two women, one old, one young, two miracles, and two baby boys growing in their mother's womb. Okay, that was introductory in nature. And now I want to continue what we began in our previous episode, that is examining five

hallmarks of the Christmas spirit. First of all, last time, we initially looked at the reality that Mary is full of the Holy Spirit. Mary says in Luke 1 46, my soul exalts the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God, my savior. As we examine Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1, we see that nearly everything she says is a direct reference from the Old Testament.

Her mind is full of scripture and her heart is filled with the Holy Spirit. Mary likely couldn't read. She didn't even have her own Bible, but she had grown up in a home and synagogue that prioritized and elevated the truth of scripture. And as a result, she is saturated with the word of God and filled with the spirit of God. Secondly, last time we looked at not only is Mary full of the Holy Spirit, she is full of worship. She says in Luke 1 46, my soul

will magnify the Lord. Like the Psalmist David in Psalm 34 verse 3 who said, come magnify the Lord with me. Let us exalt his name forever. Mary here is determined to lift high the name of God. She doesn't want to offer God half-hearted worship. She is young in years, but advanced in maturity. And this teenage woman is intent on offering to God the praise that he deserves. Worship for Mary is far more than a feeling. It is a decision and determination of her life and she is therefore resolved to praise God. We pick up now where we left off. Third here, Mary is full of joy. In Luke 1 44, Elizabeth says that when Mary came to greet her, the baby within her womb leapt for joy. That is John the Baptist. And as Mary begins to burst

forth in praise, she says in Luke 1 46, my spirit will rejoice. One of the distinctive characteristics of the celebration of Christ's birth, and the Christian life for that matter, is joy. This makes sense. After all, joy is one of the defining fruits of God's Holy Spirit. All throughout the Christmas narrative on the pages of Scripture, we see this reoccurring theme of joy. That's why we sing, joy to the world. In Luke 2.10, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds who were keeping watch over their flock by night and stood before them and said, do not be afraid for behold, I bring you good news of great what? Joy. Why? Well, the angel say, for today in the city of David, there has been born for you a Savior, Christ the Lord. The coming of the Savior is

cause for celebration. It is cause for merriment. It is cause for joy. The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news that produces great joy. And perhaps there is no greater contradiction than to come to the Christmas season and lack the characteristic that represents our God and his gospel. When slaves are freed from their bondage, they rejoice. And when those who are slaves to sin hear about the arrival of the Yeshua, the Deliverer that was promised, the response ought to be great joy. Mary knew that the baby within her womb was her son, but she also understood that he was the savior

of the world. The song, Mary, did you know, paints it well when it asks the question, Mary, did you know that the child you delivered will soon deliver you? Well, we know that Mary did in fact know and understand that the baby growing within her womb was the savior of the world. And her response was great joy. This is what Jesus Christ does. He takes our fearful hearts and he gives us joyful hearts. The shepherds were shocked and scared at the arrival of the angelic host, but the angels respond and say, do not fear. We bring good news of great joy. The advent of Christ is merry. It's joyful because Jesus is not here to condemn the world, but to save the world. 700 years before Jesus's birth, God tells his people in Isaiah 44 verse 22, I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud and your sins

like a heavy mist. Pause there for a moment. How does God wipe out the sins of the people in the Old Testament? How did he do so? Well, he does so by the cross. The forgiveness of sins, both before and after Jesus, has always been based on the finished work of Jesus at the cross. So God tells his people that he has wiped out the people's sins. He has removed their transgressions. And then what's the response of God's people in Isaiah 44, 23, which is the following verse. It says this, shout for joy, oh heavens, for the Lord has done it. Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth.

Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, oh forest, and every tree in it, for the Lord has redeemed his people. Redemption produces joy. Can I ask you a question? Are you joyful? In 1988, a commercial was run of a man named Walt Stack, a real guy. The commercial started with an Auburn sunrise over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The camera then zoomed onto this 80-year-old man jogging the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The camera then zoomed onto this 80-year-old man

jogging the Golden Gate Bridge and comes right into his face as he says into the camera, I run every morning. This was the truth. Walt Stack ran 17 miles every morning at the age of 80 years old. And the commercial continued as he ran facing the camera and then Walt delivers

a punchline. He said this, people ask me how my teeth don't chatter when I run. The truth is, I leave them in my locker. Then the commercial fades to black and one of the most recognizable logos and slogans in history appears, Nike, just do it. This is widely recognized as one of the greatest commercials of all time. The commercial that helped launch the just do it model for the former track company and now world dominating sports company, Nike. I'm not recommending the company, but what I am saying is that people remember great commercials. They remember great advertisements. They are drawn towards great branding. And perhaps there is no greater failure

on the part of Christians today than to be such poor advertisements for the God we serve because we lack the characteristic that is so closely related to his person, that being joy. Joy is a distinguishing fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is a hallmark of the Christian. And Peter says in his first epistle that the believer, even in great trouble, can be through the power

of the Holy Spirit full of inexpressible and unexplainable joy. This Christmas, maybe there is natural joy because of all the festivities, but maybe there is sorrow in this season because this holiday might be coinciding with a trial in your life or might be particularly painful because it's the day you once celebrated with loved ones that are now gone. In such case, we read in Habakkuk chapter 3 verse 17, even if the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, if the yield of Habakkuk is saying, Even if everything in my life has fallen or is falling apart, he says this, yet I will rejoice. I will triumph in the Lord and I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk understood that there are times where we will have no joy in our circumstances.

Therefore, we can say with Nehemiah, the joy of the Lord is my strength. The Christian does not muster up joy. We receive joy as we rely on the Lord and are filled with his spirit. Remember, joy is a fruit of the spirit, meaning that as we pursue Christ, that is what God gives to us. Joy is not a feeling. It is a decision that we make empowered by God's Holy Spirit. Jesus came to give us joy in him. That's why he came.

He says so explicitly in John 15, 11, these words I give to you so that you might have fullness of joy. So that's the third hallmark of the Christmas spirit. Fourth here, Mary is full of humility. Mary says in Luke 1, 48, for he has had regard for the humble state of his bond slave. For behold, from this time on, all generations will count me blessed. Mary then says in verse 49, for the mighty one has done great things for me and holy

is his name. The only type of people that recognize that God is mighty and holy are those who are humble and lowly. Mary is young, but do you know what she possesses? An accurate view of herself. That's what humility is. It's not speaking low of yourself in a self-deprecating way. Oh, I'm the worst.

I'm a worm. I'm nothing, yada, yada. It's having a proper estimation of yourself in view of the greatness of God. Mary is not faking humility. She is actually humble. She recognizes the reality that there was nothing special about her that prompted God to choose her to beget his son. But it was in verse 50, an expression of the mercy of God. Mary is stunned by God's mercy in her life because she is humble. And do you know what? Every Christian should equally be stunned and humbled this Christmas at the thought that the creator came to live and die amongst those whom he had

created. Mary, you and I find commonality in the wonder that we are unworthy recipients of God's kindness and love. We previously examined that Mary is full of worship. She is determined to lift high the name of God. But the only one that can ever lift high the name of God are those who are brought low in humility. In Hebrew, the word bless is the word barak. It means to bless, to praise. It means to adore, but it also means something else. It means to kneel. To bless God is to kneel down before him. Why? Because you cannot worship God. You cannot praise God if you are high. You must be brought low. God is not at your level. He is lofty and exalted. So come and bow down. Come and kneel. Come and bless God. Humility is the soil where praise blooms. James chapter four says, God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace

to the humble. Mary did not think that the birth of Christ was about her. She knew it was about the Savior. She didn't have an exalted view of herself. She had an exalted view of God. She is staggered. She is stunned by God's blessing and God's kindness. Out of the heart, the mouth speaks. And because Mary's heart is full of humility, her mouth is full of praise. Mary recognizes God's greatness and she recognizes God's might. And so she says, the mighty one has done great things for me. You can never recognize how weak and powerless you are until you know how strong and powerful God is. God only uses humble instruments and he, God is going to carry out his redeeming plan through this humble servant, Mary.

Sometimes we think that the Christmas holiday is all about our desires and our wants. But the birthmark of the Christian and of this season is humility. Fifth and finally here, Mary is filled with gratitude. Mary's entire song is really an explosion of thanksgiving. There is a chain reaction in Mary's heart. Her heart is filled with scripture. It's filled with the Holy Spirit. It's filled with humility. And consequently, Mary is filled with joy and thanksgiving, which are two sides of the same coin. Mary both thanks God for who he is Can I ask you a question as we wrap up? Are you grateful for the birth of Jesus Christ, the King who came to die?

Maybe this Christmas you will be around unsaved friends and family. Maybe you will be around those who profess Christ but do not possess Christ in their heart. Then let me remind you of this. Gratitude is the platform of your personal testimony. If you want to share with others who God is and declare what he has done in your life, then your message needs to be planted in the garden of gratitude. This season is not about what we receive. It is about what we give. And one of, if not the greatest thing we can give to God, is our gratitude. So in this episode and in our last, we have surveyed

five hallmarks of the Christmas spirit in Mary's song in Luke chapter 1 verses 46 through 55. Those five hallmarks to summarize are Mary is, first of all, filled with God's spirit. She is filled, secondly, with worship. She is, third, full of joy. She is, fourth, full of humility. And number five, she is filled with gratitude. These distinctive fruits are easier to observe than they are to apply. Therefore, we must ask God to give us holy, happy, and thankful hearts, humbled by the fact that the Creator became a child and the invisible God took on flesh and dwelt amongst us and why did

he come well we will begin to answer that question in our next episode but in a sentence now jesus christ came to seek and to save the lost stay dialed in