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.)
As we close our study of the grand truth that Jesus gives us hope, we return to Hebrews 6:10-20. Verse 18b tells us “to lay hold upon the hope set before us.” The gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ must be received. Likewise, God’s gift of hope to His people must be taken. How do we “lay hold upon [this] hope”? First, let us not confuse it with worldly hope. Dr. Harold Duff once said when preaching at a conference in our church, “Disappointment comes from unrealistic expectations.” Not all of us are going to be healthy and wealthy (although all of us can be wise – James 1:5). Most young children expect that they will grow up to be Presidents, pro athletes, or other rich and famous people. As we mature we realize that not all of us can be President and that what the world dangles in front of us is either an illusion or an evil. Thus, we look instead to God’s hope. Second, remember that God’s hope is a certainty. With God, a promise made is a promise paid. We can trust our Savior.