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 disciples’ respite (ark 6:30-32) was short-lived: “And the people saw them departing, and many knew Him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto Him” (verse 33). It has probably happened to all of us at one time or another: we have planned a family outing or a quiet evening at home; however, unexpected guests drop by – five, even ten…thousand. Well, perhaps we have not had quite this experience, but Jesus and His disciples did have their plans for rest dramatically altered. The thousands of people traveled at least eight miles on foot (based on Luke 9:10) to a deserted area. Their enthusiasm was commendable, but their motives were not. John 2:24-25 states, “Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for He knew what was in man.” John 6:64b adds, “Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not.” Still, He loved these uncommitted folks and ministered to them: “And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and He began to teach them many things” (Mark 6:34). Despite the inherent frustration of dealing with people who were interested in miracles but not in the truth behind those miracles, Jesus continued to give them what they most needed – “words of eternal life” (John 6:68).