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 Apostle John says in Revelation 21:1, “And I saw a new heaven [universe] and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” In Jewish thought of the first century, the sea was a symbol of mystery (Psalm 36:6; 77:19; Romans 11:33) and of evil (Isaiah 57:20-21; Revelation 13:1). It is also an image of unrest. We read Isaiah 57:20 yesterday: “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.” This verse pictures “the troubled sea” in turmoil, “when it cannot rest.” Because we live in a sin-cursed world (Genesis 3:14-19), we experience unease even when we are not “the wicked.” Life is often too something – too much, too busy, too fast, too confusing. Our Savior knows that we struggle with these daily challenges, and He invites us to rest: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). I think also of the picture provided by Jesus in the storm on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:35-41). When the tempest became life-threatening, He simply said, “’Peace be still.’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (verse 39b). I think also of the kind command of Psalm 46:10a: “Be still, and know that I am God” (and sea imagery is used in this Psalm, too, in verses 2-3). An old Carter Family song says, “The storms are on the ocean.” Yes, they are, but so is Jesus, with Whom we will be for all eternity.