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 a youngster, I was taught not only to say “Thank you” but also to be genuinely thankful. Scripture records Jesus giving thanks; certainly we must learn from His example. In Matthew 15:32-38, Jesus gives thanks not for His needs being met but for meeting our needs. As He miraculously fed thousands of people, He “gave thanks” (verse 36). This is more than the saying of grace over a meal, more than the asking of a blessing, for verse 32 indicates that Jesus’ provision of food for those famished folk was motivated by His “compassion.” James 4:17 reminds us that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.” We know that it is right to respond to a gift with a heartfelt “Thank you.” Thus, as Jesus gives thanks for opening our lives to His goodness, we must receive these gifts with a sincere “Thank You.” A good place to start is thanking Him for a spouse, if we have been blessed with marriage. Blessings physical (food, shelter, heat) and spiritual (the Word, church family) should also prompt a ready response of thanksgiving. Let us also make sure that we are grateful for the good things in the lives of others, just as Jesus is.