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.)
Revelation 8:3-4 states that “the prayers of all saints” arise “before the throne” of God. That affirmation alone is ample reason to pray, but there are other reasons as well. We have the example of Jesus Christ, God the Son, to remind us of how crucial prayer is. When times were good, Jesus prayed. For example, He commissioned seventy disciples to go forth, and their itinerant ministry was met with great spiritual success (Luke 10:1-20). Upon their return, “Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, ‘I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight’” (verse 21). When Jesus was just hours away from His sacrificial death on the Cross, He implored, “Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not My will, but Thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). Similarly, Jesus’ cry from the Cross – “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46) – must be understood as heart-rending supplication. Thus, in both the best and the worst of circumstances, Jesus engaged in prayer. Let us continue to follow His perfect example.