Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (Luke 19:37-48) amply demonstrates that He triumphs differently. I remember a cheer that used to be popular at the end of a game. The winning crowd would point at their team and holler, “Winners!” Then they would point at the other team and bellow, “Losers!” This statement of the obvious would be repeated until the teams left the floor or field or until a fight broke out…or both. If we are competing, of course, winning should be the goal. Only one side can win. However, with Jesus, everyone can be victorious, but we must listen to Him and do what He says. In verse 39, the Pharisees called Jesus “Master” (Teacher) but then tried to teach Him! Worse, of course, is that they were already plotting to kill Him (verse 47). They wrongly felt that the ascendancy of the Promised Messiah meant defeat for them, when, in fact, He was offering all of them eternal victory. The Pharisees expected God to send a Savior. Sadly, they would not accept that God did more than send a Savior: God came Himself as Savior. The small-minded Pharisees sought to limit the power of God. With the death of Jesus, they thought that they had gained a victory. No, Jesus won by making salvation available to all, including the Pharisees. Some of them did trust in Jesus eventually (Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimethea, Paul). Those who refused to repent refused Jesus’ victory. Still, He offered them life everlasting in heaven with Him. Truly, Jesus triumphs differently.