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 masterfully vivid teaching style of Jesus is on dumbfounding display in Mark 9:43-48: “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Over the centuries, some have misinterpreted Jesus’ words as a call to self-mutilation. There are at least three compelling reasons to dismiss this dishonoring view. First, we cannot do any work of any sort that earns us entrance into heaven (Ephesians 2:8-10). Second, any physical mutilation cannot change our inherent sin nature. Third, we are promised a new body in heaven (I Corinthians 15:42-54). Jesus uses this memorable imagery of mutilation, then, to call each one of us to decisive spiritual action. We must turn from our own wicked ways, trust in Jesus for His salvation, and receive the gift of eternal life with Him in heaven.