217 – Have there been times in your life that gave you a deeper sense of what Christmas is all about?

The Bible is full of these decisions people made and actions they took that create a chain of events that eventually lead to the birth of Jesus.

In this week's episode, I talk about a few of these pivotal moments that altered the course of Bible history and bring us to Bethlehem when Jesus is born.

Pivotal moments in the Bible that point us to that first Christmas:

• Caleb, of the tribe of Judah, was honest about what he saw when spying in Canaan
• King David's life as a whole helped pivot the people to expect a Messiah
• Ruth decided to go with Naomi back to Israel and marries Boaz
• The prophets continued to pivot the people away from the ways of the world toward the ways of God, preparing them for the coming Messiah
• Mary humbly accepted the message from Gabriel that she would be the mother of Christ
• Joseph accepted God's message through the angel that he should marry Mary
• The Wisemen obeyed the angel and returned to their homeland without telling King Herod where Jesus was

What if each of the people had made a different choice? Things would have been very different. God used each of these people to guide mankind to be ready for the birth of Jesus.

What does all this have to do with you and me?

It helps us see God’s hand in the chain of events that led up to Jesus’s birth.

But in addition to that, all these examples of important moments where things pivoted and took a new direction can  actually be metaphors for how God works in our lives, preparing and leading us to the birth, or appearance, of Christ in our own lives. They show how God can give us a deeper, more spiritual awareness of what Christmas is all about.

As you’re getting ready for Christmas this year, or even if you’re listening to this in the middle of July, I encourage you to take some time to look back on things in your life that have given you a deeper sense of what Christmas is all about.

What have been the pivotal moments which have pointed you to the spirit of Christmas?

Show notes:
To read a full transcript of this episode and study the Bible quotes mentioned, go to thebiblespeakstoyou.com/217.

Previous episode mentioned:
Episode 53: How I Met My Wife

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James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life.

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