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.)
In Mark 11:17, Jesus said, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer’? But ye have made it a den of thieves.” The contrast is compelling: “the house of prayer” had become “a den of thieves.” Of course, we can pray anyplace, and we should: “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17). However, Jesus’ statement here is a command: any “house” of God must be a “house of prayer.” As a practical matter, anytime our churches are open, prayer must be part of the services. Prayers of invocation, benediction, and intercession need to be a regular feature of our times of worship. Even the traditional doxology is a musical prayer. As we pray together, we experience “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 3:7a) and invite others to enter into that “peace” as well.