A Perfect Plan

 

1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: `When a woman gives birth and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days, as in the days of her  menstruation she shall be unclean. 3 `On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 `Then she shall remain in the blood of her purification for thirty-three days; she shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are completed. (Leviticus 12:1-4 NKJV)

 

   I'm often willful, but less often obedient. The culture in which I dwell teaches me willful disobedience. It encourages me to pursue my own desires and to find self fulfillment. Strangely, the initiation of the story of God's redemption of the world included the strict obedience of a variety of humans.

 

    Joseph was a "son of Israel". His linage wound through King David. When Caesar Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire, demanded that the "whole world" (in his world view the whole world included only the Roman world) register so that he could tax them, Joseph obeyed. When the angels appeared to heathen shepherds and instructed them to go find and worship Jesus, they obeyed. When eight days had passed after Jesus' birth, Joseph recalled the scripture (above) given by God to Moses centuries earlier regarding circumcision, he prepared Mary and the one week old Jesus for travel and walked eight miles to the temple in Jerusalem in obedience to God's Word. Imagine, He carried Jesus (God) and offered Him to God. He sacrificed two doves as an offering to God for blessing him with the birth of a son, Jesus (God). Mary returned to the temple 33 days later in obedience to verse 4 above as the Israelite women had for centuries.The Magi then obeyed God's stars and journeyed long and far to find the new King of the Jews the stars had predicted to them.

 

   All of these were willful acts of obedience.

 

   In my dawn prayers I often re-submit my life to Christ, remembering Paul's words - it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. Rebellion is always crouching at the door of my heart, waiting for an opportunity to tempt me. A heart submitted in a prayer of salvation often needs refreshed submission. God's salvation is eternal. There is no wavering in the heart of Jesus. My submission to Him is frail. It is weak. It often quietly plans its own escape to sin. It sometimes succeeds. My obedience is quite imperfect.

 

   When Christ was sent to save, His obedience was quite perfect. All aspects of His redemption are therefore perfect too. My failures sometimes have serious consequences in human terms, but the power of my sin is incapable of destroying the power of His redemption. Complete forgiveness is never further than a prayer's distance from me. Once forgiven, my sin is forgotten in the heavenlies. The shame that often accompanies it evaporates when the Lord's grace is applied.

 

    The birth of Christ we celebrated yesterday began the only life of complete obedience ever lived. He was the only Lamb of God without blemish. He was the only Lamb who was also the Good Shepherd. His perfect obedience produced a perfect sacrifice which produced a perfect Redemption. Today, not through my perfection, but through His, I have received the gifts of His perfect grace, His perfect redemption, and His perfect peace.