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 love of God undergirds “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1), for He has “loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (1:5). He directs His love to His Church, including through His messages of commendation and exhortation. Revelation 2:17, written to the first-century church at Pergamum (also known as Pergamos), is also written to us today: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; ‘To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.’” Since “manna” is “bread from heaven” (Exodus 16:4), it is no surprise that we will partake of this gift of God in heaven. Revelation 19:9 says, “Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb,” celebrating the union of the Church and Christ. It is reasonable that “bread from heaven” would be part of the festivities. In Roman law (and the churches in John’s day were in the Roman Empire), “a white stone” was a symbol of acquittal in a court proceeding. Thus, we are declared not guilty in the halls of heaven. “A new name” does not mean that we will lose our present identity, for Moses and Elijah still bore the same names when they appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8). Rather, it is indicative of our new relationship with Jesus, Who makes “all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Together, these promises assure us that through the love of Jesus we will be wanted and welcomed in heaven.