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 is ever ready to interact with us; He has given us a standing invitation to join Him. In Isaiah 1:18, we read, “ ‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ saith the LORD: ‘though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ “ “Come now” – right now! – is the gracious invitation of the Lord. This is not a call to negotiate, for God cannot deny Himself by compromising. “Reason” is a legal term, used of presenting evidence in court – decisive evidence, compelling evidence. Have we sinned? Yes, glaringly yes, scarlet and crimson for all to see (Romans 3:23). What can we do to undo our past sin (even assuming that we could somehow stop sinning)? Can we change jarring reds to glistering white? No, we cannot. Yet, the promise is plain: we will be treated as though we are as pure as “snow” and “wool.” Is this transformation reasonable? Yes, it is, because it is an act of God based on another act of God – the death of God the Son, Jesus Christ, on the Cross. May we continue to avail ourselves of His promised forgiveness and cleansing (I John 1:9), for He is inviting us to come to Him.