Quick Word: Christmas Reflection 3

You can catch my quick word every Tuesday morning, just after six, on New Zealand's Rhema

What good wishes, Christmas reflections or printed verse do you expect to find on the Christmas cards you get this year?  Perhaps they will be sentimental, like 'May the beauty of Christmas be yours throughout the year.'  Maybe they will sound vaguely biblical, like ‘May the joy and peace of Christmas be with you today and always.'  There is bound to be one that features a snowy, winter landscape (even though we don’t get that here!), making mention of candle light, snowmen and mistletoe.  What there probably won’t be is a card saying ‘May Christmas remind you of what it is to be obedient to God.’

Obedience isn’t what I normally think of at Christmas!  Usually it’s joy and hope and peace. This is because, rightly, I focus on Jesus and all he means and brings at Christmas.  But as I look at the biblical accounts I’m reminded of how God asked two ordinary people, Mary and Joseph, to be part of some extraordinary events.  To love, care for and raise God’s only son.  And how did they respond? 

When Joseph was told by an angel to marry a pregnant Mary he “…did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.” (Matthew 1 v 24).  When Mary was visited by an angel and told about Jesus she replied, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” (Luke 1 v 38).

The birth of Christ happened as it did because two ordinary people chose to be obedient to God.  Obedience isn’t a fashionable idea.  It certainly doesn’t have the cheerful ring of joy, hope or peace.  But I’m really thankful and inspired by the choices of Mary and Joseph.  We might think it was Christmas-card perfect and easy for them; but I doubt it was.  We might think that it brought only good things to their lives; but I doubt that it did.  But it brought the world a perfect Jesus, the maker of all good things.

Christmas is a joyful time of year, a time to remember the hope Jesus restored to us.  But maybe this year it can also be a time to reflect on what it means to be obedient to God.  To ‘do as the Lord commands’.  To be His servants.