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.)
After Jesus’ uncomfortable but essential dialogue with James and John (Mark 10:35-40), we find the response of the rest of His closest followers: “And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John” (verse 41). The “ten” were not mortified that anyone would make such a demand of Christ; they were upset that they had not thought of it first! They all had argued previously about who would be the greatest (Mark 9:33-35), and they would soon reprise that argument: “And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest” (Luke 22:24). Just prior to this distasteful disagreement, Jesus had instituted the Communion service (verses 13-21). He then explained that one of the Twelve would betray Him. Despite the solemnity of the Eucharist and the shock of predicted betrayal, the disciples returned to their petty disputing about personal greatness and recognition. Their juvenile behavior reminds us of how easily friction can turn into factionalism. Without the immediate intervention of Jesus, their fighting would have continued and, given human nature, likely escalated. This unflattering picture of Jesus’ disciples is a strong statement of the historicity of Scripture: there is no attempt to cover up the flaws of these closest followers. It is also a severe warning to all of Christ’s followers that our spiritual lives can deteriorate quickly if Jesus is not given the preeminence that belongs solely to Him. Let us gratefully acknowledge that “He is the head of the body, the church: Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).