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 holy (Revelation 4 and specifically 3:7). The description of Jesus in Revelation 1:12-18 is a profound portrayal of our holy Savior. In verse 13, He is called “the Son of man,” His favorite self-designation in the Gospels and a clear statement of His full humanity. It is also used in Daniel 7:13: “Behold, One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven,” telling us that this Messiah is also fully divine. His “garment” is similar to that of the high priest in Israel; Jesus has completely fulfilled that role (Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:25-27). In verse 14, His “white” hair (like “the Ancient of Days” of Daniel 7:9, 13, and 22) points to His eternality, and the “flame of fire” is a symbol of His holiness. The “furnace” imagery of verse 15 likewise references His holiness, as does “His countenance was as the sun shineth in His strength” (verse 16). This vivid picture of our Lord reminds us that He is truly awesome in His distinctiveness. If He were just like us, He could not save even one of us. Jesus is holy, and His holiness ensures that He will always deal with us in integrity and purity. He cannot deny Himself (II Timothy 2:13), and He is not even tempted to do so. We can depend on Him.