Christmas Lesson 2012

Every year at Christmas, another part of the Christmas story comes alive to me in a personal way.

Some years, it comes to me in a song lyric that I must have missed the million times I have listened before.
Other years, it's a line or theme from a Christmas movie that sticks with me.
Then, there are the years of a major life event that causes my view of Christmas to change yet again.

God has consistently changed the lens of how I view the Christmas story in so many different ways over the years.
I now look forward to how He will do it yet again in the weeks leading up the actual day.
This year was no different.


God has been dealing with me a lot about obedience lately.
There is this amazing verse in the Old Testament that has been rolling around my head. Saul (the king at the time) has taken what God had asked him to specifically do and changed it.
In Saul's eyes, it was just a little change.
In Saul's eyes, he was choosing something that he thinks God would want.
In Saul's eyes, he was exchanging obedience to God for a sacrifice to God.

God's reply is priceless as He speaks through the prophet, Samuel:
"Then Samuel said, "Is the LORD as delighted with burnt offerings and sacrifices as He would be with your obedience? To follow instructions is better than sacrifice. To obey is better than sacrificing the fat of rams." I Samuel 15:22



This morning when I was in church, I was reflecting on Christmas and wondering what God was going to show me this year. One word came to me: Obedience.

The Christmas story is a perfect example of
a bunch of ordinary people
being obedient
to Him.

Jesus was obedient to come to Earth --
even though it would make him human.

Mary was obedient to carry this child --
even though it would bring her shame.

Joseph was obedient to stay with Mary --
even though it would bring him shame.

The angels were obedient to announce His birth --
even though it was to a lowly bunch of shepherds.

The shepherds were obedient to go and worship Him in the stable --
even though they were probably tired and had lots of work to do.

The Wise Men were obedient to follow that star --
even though it cost them untold amounts of time and money.

They Wise Men continued their obedience to not tell Herod of who the child was --
even though they were promised good things by him.

Joseph was obedient (again) to leave his home and move to Egypt --
even though he would be living in a foreign land.


Ordinary people -
being obedient to Him.

Ordinary people -
Not choosing sacrifice in place of obedience.

Ordinary people
choosing obedience that led to a pleasing sacrifice for Him.


This becomes my lesson this year:

Christmas 2012.
Me
being obedient
to Him.