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 13:5, Jesus begins a lengthy answer to the disciples’ questions about the future: “And Jesus answering them began to say, ‘Take heed lest any man deceive you.’” Jesus’ opening statement refutes the false idea of some that we should not be interested in prophecy. “Take heed” is a strong expression. It is translated “beware” in Mark 12:28, where Jesus warned everyone of the hypocrisy of the legalistic scribes. We could translate the Greek word as “pay attention.” Jesus is saying to all of His disciples, “Pay attention!” – to what is happening and to what is coming. As always, we are to think clearly and soberly about all Scripture. Ignoring certain passages or certain subjects is not an option for Christians who desire to grow spiritually: we are commanded to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18a). The use of “deceive” reminds us of the possibilities of self-deception, deception by other people (like the scribes), and Satanic deception. Such potential confusion is daunting, no doubt, but God’s Word states clearly that “we have the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16) – if we choose to apply His insight and wisdom to all situations, that is.