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 temptation of Christ Jesus included the ministry of angels: “And the angels ministered unto Him” (Mark 1:13d). Jesus, being fully God, did not need the assistance of angels, of course. He is self-existent (the meaning of the Old Testament divine name YAHWEH is “I AM THAT I AM”) and could effortlessly have attended to any and all of His needs. The inclusion of angels, then, is to encourage us. First, it reveals a unity of purpose throughout the halls of heaven. Second, the humble service of angels to Jesus becomes a model for us. Third, we are reminded of the reality of angels in our lives; Hebrews 1:14 says, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” Fourth, we will join with the angels in everlasting praise of our Savior God: “And I [John] beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb [Who] was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing’” (Revelation 5:11-12). No doubt other lessons can be drawn from the active presence of angels in Jesus’ life. Certainly we are blessed to know that this angelic ministry is a part of God’s grand and unfolding plan.