Christmas is this weekend, and you know what that means. It is Christmas movie marathon time. Our family has Christmas movies that we love to watch. This year, we started with The Santa Clause movies so we could watch the new series on Disney+. Unfortunately, we have not started that series yet, so no spoilers, please.
If you are not familiar with the premise of The Santa Clause movies, shame on you. Watch them! The main character is Scott Calvin, a toy salesman who accidentally becomes Santa Claus after the previous incarnation of Santa falls off Scott’s roof. It has been interesting to watch these movies back-to-back. You can see the transformation of Scott Calvin from a lying, manipulative, selfish divorcee who has a strained relationship with his son Charlie, ex-wife Laura, and her new husband Neil into a man who loves his family so much that they are all included in the Secret of Santa. The family truly loves one another. Scott has a great relationship with Charlie. His new wife Carol is shown to be friends with Laura. Scott and Neil get along (albeit with some good-natured ribbing). Scott even considers Neil and Laura’s daughter Lucy as a niece (she calls him Uncle Scott) and tells her she has the warmest hugs in the world.
The third movie, while certainly not the best in the series, highlights Scott’s role in this family relationship when Scott is tricked into invoking the Escape Clause and is no longer Santa. Not only are his immediate relationships strained or nonexistent, but the relationship between Charlie and Laura is strained. Even Laura and Neil’s relationship is over. As Santa Claus, Scott’s joy, optimism, and Christmas spirit transforms every relationship.
There is a greater spirit than the Christmas spirit that has an even greater transforming power. Jesus promised His followers that once He departed, He would send the Paraclete – the one who walks alongside those who follow Jesus and who guides them in following His ways. He is the Holy Spirit, an equal member of the Trinity with the Father and the Son. The apostle Paul taught that Christians receive the Holy Spirit the moment we receive Jesus.
“For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
First Corinthians 12:13
Romans 8:9 says that if a person does not have the Holy Spirit, he or she does not belong to Christ: “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” Ephesians 1:13-14 teaches that the Holy Spirit is the seal of salvation for all those who believe: “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
This is sometimes confusing because the ministries of the Holy Spirit are frequently more progressive. The filling of the Spirit is an ongoing process. As we grow in Him, we display more of the fruit of the Spirit. He gives charismata or spiritual gifts that grow as we grow in Him. Sometimes Christians have intense experiences with the Holy Spirit. All of this does not mean that we did not receive Him as the moment of faith.
Every believer has received Him, which means that every believer has the Paraclete dwelling within us, guiding us, and transforming us. This transforming Spirit changes the relationships around us. He creates relationships between fellow Christians. We may have nothing else in common but our belief in Jesus, but that is more than enough. We are children of God, siblings of the highest order.
He transforms the relationships we have with non-Christians. He leads us to love even those who seem unlovable. Jesus often looked on the people with compassion. His Spirit leads us to do the same. He changes the way we interact with family members. Especially this holiday season, consider the many ways the Holy Spirit has changed you and transformed your relationships with the people around you. Think about how your relationships may be different if you did not have the Holy Spirit. Or if you have not accepted Jesus in faith, think about how He could change them. Pull an Escape Clause moment and think “what if?”
As we give gifts and enjoy our relationships this Christmas, let’s remember the greatest gift of all – Jesus, the Son of God, the Creator, born to die for His creation who rebelled against Him. What great love is this? And even more so, He gave the gift of His Spirit to us who call upon His name.
Glory to God! Glory to God!
In the highest, in the highest, in the highest!
Peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth
To the people whom God delights in.
Merry Christmas to you and to yours this holiday season!
Joel McReynolds 
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