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.)
Let us briefly return to Jesus’ statement in Mark 14:28: “But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.” The key teaching is that Jesus would rise from the dead: there is no more important doctrine of the Christian faith. As a personal assurance to His overwrought disciples, Jesus also promises that He would also be with them “in Galilee.” For these closest followers of Jesus, Galilee was familiar ground; it was where they felt comfortable (unlike how they felt about the big city of Jerusalem, especially due to the wicked rulers there). Each of us likely has a place where we experience security and peace; for me, the family property that we have managed to hold onto since 1721 is such a location. Jesus knows these things about us and seeks to bless us. Jesus did rise from the dead, and He did meet with the disciples, both in Jerusalem (John 20:19-20) and in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-17). He also has made a specific promise to provide an eternal home for each one who trusts in Him for salvation: “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2c). Galilee was a pleasant place for the disciples, but heaven is infinitely better. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). Jesus will keep that promise, too.