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.)
Drawing an utter contrast with the preceding seven verses, Revelation 21:8 states, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” The expression “whoremongers” must not be limited to those who engage in prostitution. It is a much more comprehensive term, encompassing all sexual immorality. The Greco-Roman culture of the first century was noted for its decadent and degenerate behavior. Before the advent of Christianity, dissipation and debauchery were rampant, with no moral authority present to curb mankind’s basest and most perverse degradations. The core of Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus, God the Son. It is logical, then, that a central expression of that relationship is commitment in other relationships, especially in marriage. “Abstain from fornication” (I Thessalonians 4:3) would have sounded odd to the pagan ears of that era, but this simple command trumpeted the distinctiveness of the Christian faith. It remains counter-cultural today. It also remains our good God’s perfect will for each of us.