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.)
Isaiah 43:1 continues God’s evangelical call: “But now saith the LORD [Who] created thee, O Jacob, and He [Who] formed thee, O Israel, ‘Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.’” To be redeemed is to be bought back. Someone has to pay this steep price, and that One is Jesus Christ, God the Son. In Luke 1:13, the aging and faithful Zecharias receives an angelic message: “But the angel said unto him, ‘Fear not, Zecharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.’” This son would be the forerunner of the Messiah (verses 14-17). Following the miraculous birth of this boy, Zecharias broke out into a song of praise, which began with these words: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people” (Luke 1:68). The most expensive Christmas gift that any of us could receive is this redemption. The lavish love of Jesus paid the full price – dare I say, the priceless price – for our sins, for us. He is the Redeemer; He is our Redeemer; He is my Redeemer; He is your Redeemer.