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.)
Jesus either joins or divides; it is our response to Him that determines the outcome. In Luke 12:51-53, He makes another startling statement. Verse 51 says, “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, ‘Nay; but rather division.’” This is not a statement of His perfect purpose; rather, it is the result of His ministry in a sin-dominated world. Here is another great divide: we stand either on the side of peace or on the side of strife. The examples in verse 52-53 are distressingly personal, for they pertain to family. Sadly, some people – even some who are close to us – do not want God’s peace. Romans 12:18 commands, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” Even if others will not stand on the side of God’s peace, we must not move to their side of strife, anger, and selfishness. Every decision divides; let us make sure that our decisions place us on the side of peace.