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.)
The first vial or bowl judgment is recorded in Revelation 16:2: “And the first [angel] went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men [who] had the mark of the beast, and upon them [who] worshipped his image.” This judgment comes near the end of the nearly seven-year-long Tribulation period and is similar to the sixth plague against the Egyptians in Exodus 9:8-12. Our current culture focuses on outward appearances, and that unspiritual emphasis is unlikely to diminish. In some ways, this infatuation is a form of man worshiping himself. Thus, this personal and bodily punishment using painful and ugly sores is appropriate. We should note that the parallel plague in Exodus was a direct repudiation of the Egyptian magicians Jannes and Jambres. Just as they could no longer stand against Moses, “the men [who] had the mark of the beast” will no longer be able to convince themselves that they can stand against Jesus. Unfortunately, these suffering sinners will not repent. The esteemed preacher and scholar William Newell used to say, “If men are not won by grace, they will never be won.” May we respond now to the great grace of God that is available through faith in God the Son, Jesus Christ.