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.)
In His answer to the disciples’ interest in the future, Jesus makes this personal application: “But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them” (Mark 13:9). Much of the book of Acts reads like an exposition of this verse (for example, Acts 4:5-22; 5:27-42; 12:1-19; 24:1-27; 25:1-27). Synagogues were places of worship in the Jewish faith (although they were not to replace the Temple in any way). They were also sites of judicial proceedings, for the local religious leaders exercised considerable legal power. If people were deemed to have broken laws, they would be brought to a synagogue, judged, and, if found guilty, immediately “beaten.” Since all of the early disciples were Jewish, Jesus was providing them with this specific warning so that they would be better prepared for this coming persecution and would not think that they were spiritual failures if they were treated in this manner. A similar general principle applies to all Christians: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Timothy 3:12). As in the first century, such staunchness of faith is an irrefutable “testimony.”