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 Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1) ends with the word “Amen” (22:21). By my count, this word is used seventy-eight times in Scripture (which sounds like a future seventy-eight-point sermon, unless I undercounted). It is a term of affirmation and agreement. Often, its meaning is defined as “so be it.” This modern definition is accurate, but it seems to me to miss the fervency of the original. “Amen” possesses both the suddenness of clarity and the strength of conviction. Its first usage in Revelation closes a doxology of praise: “Unto Him [Who] loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen”(1:5b-6). We studied this passage in detail just a couple of weeks ago; certainly God’s people can give a hearty “Amen” in response to His love, atonement, forgiveness, and empowerment to reign and to serve eternally. In fact, we must join in this Biblical “Amen.” A simple exercise to help us in this spiritual response is to replace “us” and “our” with “me” and “my.” Then, this “Amen” becomes deeply personal and also increases our heartfelt appreciation for our Savior God’s intervention in the lives of all believers.