Obedience is an appealing characteristic. Not only to our God and His Son (John 14:15), but also to mankind. Parents, consider the pleasant thought of asking your children to wash the dishes and, with a simple, “Yes sir” or “Yes ma’am,” they immediately obey without raising objection. Such a thought would likely make any parent smile. This could be because obedience is learned and takes discipline or because this character trait has, seemingly, become less common in our society. Whatever the case may be, obedience is a great way to “Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.” Making such an appealing characteristic a part of my life can accomplish the wonderful exhortation contained in this hymn. In the rest of this article, I hope to convey how the beauty of Jesus can be seen in our obedience.
If we truly desire to display the beauty of Jesus in our obedience, we must look at His. Our Savior was perfectly obedient! His obedience, in every circumstance, serves as the perfect example for us (1 Peter 2:21-22). Consider the attitude of Christ while on this earth: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent me” (John 6:38). When the Messiah came to this earth, His purpose was to glorify God in His obedience to Him. We see this mindset in Jesus from a very young age. At twelve years old, we find Him in the temple saying, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:41). From His youth to the last night before His death on the cross, we see the obedience of our Savior. In Gethsemane, we find the Son of God collapsed on the ground saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done” (Matt. 26:42). From His childhood to the cross, we see the obedience of Jesus Christ. His perfect example not only illustrates for us what obedience looks like, but motivates us to do the same.
As followers of Christ whose goal is to radiate the beauty of Jesus, we must be obedient ourselves. Not only is obedience essential to inherit eternal life (Matt. 7:21), it is also necessary to display the beauty of Jesus. Jesus was obedient, so if I am not obedient, I am nothing like Him. When we are obedient, we are conveying an important message both to ourselves and to those around us. When we are obedient to God, our actions claim that a love for God is worth more than a love for the world and the things therein. What is so beautiful about sweating blood, nails being hammered into flesh, and a crown of thorns being crammed onto the precious Lamb of God? Jesus’ love for God: “But so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me…” (John 14:31). His beautiful example shows that there is nothing on this earth that is more valuable than loving God through obedience (John 14:15). When we obey Him, we show ourselves and the world that same message.
Think back to the illustration we began with. It is appealing that a child obeys his mother and father, but how much more so when that child obeys out of love and respect for their parents? It’s a beautiful thing! When we obey God out of love and respect for Him, we display the beauty of Jesus in our lives. In doing this, we not only please God, we also present Christ to the world by our example. Dear brothers and sisters, may we truly “let the beauty of Jesus be seen in our obedience.”