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.)
Isaiah 59, as we have been studying, presents the contrast between man’s horrible sin and God’s holy salvation. The Messiah of this passage is Jesus Christ, Who loves life and give life because He is the Life (John 14:6). It is instructive that in that verse Jesus also called Himself the Way and the Truth. Man’s way is the bent, inverted path that is “turned away backward” (verse 14); God’s “way of peace” (verse 8) is casually disregarded in favor of “paths” of “wasting and destruction” (verse 7). Man’s truth is really “uttering from the heart words of falsehood” (verse 13). Man’s “lips have spoken lies” and his “tongue hath muttered perverseness” (verse 3). Mankind does not plead “for truth” but routinely speaks “lies” (verse 4). Such speech is “lying against the LORD” (verse 13). Thus, “truth is fallen in the streets” (verse 14), and “truth faileth” (verse 15). Why does our culture not only pervert but also invert the way, truth, and life that God offers? The key is the absolutism of Jesus’ claims. Postmodernism rejects the concept of absolute truth (a rejection which is itself an absolute truth claim!). Other religions are about the search for enlightenment rather than any absolute. Even Islam believes that Allah can change. Only Christianity insists on absolutes. It is no surprise, then, that man’s inversions attack the core character of Christ Jesus. Yes, the world hates us because we follow Jesus, but its full measure of hatred is reserved for Him (John 15:18). Yet, He still listens, and He still saves (verse 1), if we will turn from our twisted, bent stubbornness and selfishness). “The Lord’s hand is not shortened” (verse 1); He is still at work, for He absolutely does not change.