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.)
I have one more thought regarding the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-8). Until Jesus returns, we are unlikely to partake of His revealed glory. Yet, some Christians seek a “mountain top experience.” In fact, it is increasingly common for churches to label worship services as “experiences.” This unhealthy preoccupation ignores the fact that we are called to work in the dark valleys of life, including in “the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4). Peter made the mistake of wanting to stay on the mountain; his desire to build “three tabernacles” not only unduly exalted Moses and Elijah (verse 5) but also indicated that he wanted to settle down for an extended period. The fact that we do not physically “see Jesus only” (verse 8) today does not mean that our relationship with Him is any less real. Hebrews 13:8 states that “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” That truth does not change because we are not on a “high mountain” (verse 2) with Jesus; it cannot change because He does not change. “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face” (I Corinthians 13:12a).