I have a wall hanging in my living room. It stays on the wall all year long, even though it speaks of Christmas. This is what it says.

“All I know about Christmas I learned from Jesus.”

You see I have a tendency to get pretty caught up in the trappings of the earthly meaning of Christmas. This plaque hangs where I can see it every day to remind myself what Christmas is all about.

So what have I learned from Jesus? I’m going to share twelve, but there are plenty more. Perhaps you can add to this list or make your own list.

#1 Be Open to Learning

I shared several passages in the past that show the importance of being open to learning. Here they are again if you need to be reminded.

“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (Psalm 25:4-5 – NIV)

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” (Micah 4:2 – NIV)

#2 Remain in Him

Jesus reminds us over and over that He will never leave us. The lesson we are to learn is to remain in Him.

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” (John 15:4a – NIV)

#3 Jesus is Truth

As Jesus teaches us, we find truth in Him. As we know the truth, we are set free.

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 – NIV)

#4 We Are to Love Others

Jesus showed His love for us when we didn’t deserve it (Romans 5:8). We are to follow His example and love others.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34 – NIV)

#5 We Must Bear Fruit

Over and over in John 15:1-11, Jesus mentions that we are to bear fruit. This is linked with remaining in Jesus. If we remain in Him, we will produce fruit.

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:8 – NIV)

#6 All I Do is To Bring Glory to God

Jesus gave God the glory for everything He did on earth. At Jesus’ birth, God was given glory for this Gift (Luke 2:13-14). We too, must glorify God in all that we do.

“If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.” (John 8:54 – NIV)

#7 We Must Serve

Jesus did not come to be served. He came to serve. We must learn this lesson from Him.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 – NIV)

#8 We Must be Merciful and Compassionate

When our hearts break for what breaks Jesus’ heart, we begin to feel mercy and compassion well up within us. And as we learn this lesson, we see the great need for God’s mercy and compassion in our own lives

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7 – NIV)

#9 Share the Gospel

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. As we come to know Him more and more, we realize that we are to do the same. Oh, we can’t be saviors to those we meet, but we can introduce them to the Savior.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10 – NIV)

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19 – NIV)

#10 Teach Others

As we learn from Jesus, we are to teach others. Share the lessons. The values. The ways of God.

“And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:20a – NIV)

#11 He Will Never Leave Us

Although Jesus is not physically present on this earth, He still remains. God sent His Spirit to be with us. What a wonderful gift! And Jesus is with us through every situation, heartache, trouble, joy, life, and death. Jesus is with us.

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b – NIV)

#12 Follow His Example

As we learn from Jesus, we see clearly that we are to follow His leadership in all areas of our lives.

“A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40 – NIV)

I know I could go on. Once I get on a roll, it’s hard to stop. But I will. I continue to learn from God’s Word. Each day I find a spiritual nugget that brings joy to my heart. The journey is so rewarding.

I pray that you’ll find some spiritual nuggets along the way this Christmas. Jesus is willing to be your Teacher. It’s up to you to accept your role as student.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna