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.)
Mark 8:17-21 records Jesus’ further instruction to His disciples regarding the Pharisees’ attitude of unbelief: “And when Jesus knew it, He saith unto them,’Why reason ye because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? Have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?’ They say unto Him, ‘Twelve.’ ‘And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?’ And He said unto them, ‘How is it that ye do not understand?’” After Jesus had miraculously fed the five thousand men (plus women and children), He said to all, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). He restated this truth in John 6:48: “I am that bread of life.” In John 6:51, He further explained, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Jesus then clearly stated that He was speaking of a commitment of faith to Him that would provide eternal life (John 6:53-58). Thus, His disciples had ample teaching that preceded Mark 8. May we learn to be sensitive to the Word of God, for only our Savior God “hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:68c).