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.)
One of the most debated issues about the justice of Jesus as recorded throughout Scripture and in detail in Revelation 20 is that of young children. This concern extends to little ones who die before birth. Jesus is fair, as we touched upon yesterday. What does this fairness mean in relation to small children who die before they can understand the Gospel and the love of the Savior? Logically, the question answers itself; for if children are too young to ask for salvation, they are also too young to refuse it and to suffer the consequences. More germanely, the Bible provides needed insight. When his baby boy died, David said, “I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me” (II Samuel 12:23c). Some have suggested that he was merely stating the obvious fact that he would also die one day. However, David was a man of faith, and such a callous comment is not in keeping with the entire passage (verses 15-24). A more likely interpretation is that David was finding (and dispensing) solace in the truth that he would join his son in heaven in the presence of God. The attitude of Jesus toward little ones is supremely important. In Matthew 19:14, He said, “Suffer [Permit] little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” These words of our Lord must be understood in salvific terms. The blood of Jesus deals with the problem of original sin: “He is the propitiation [satisfaction] for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (I John 2:2). Thus, a person’s rejection of the salvation offered by Jesus is the crux of the “great white throne” judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. The little ones that Jesus found to be so precious cannot make such a decision for or against Him. Thus, they are saved by His sacrificial atonement, by His self-giving love. There are no “works” (verses 12, 13) of rebellious refusal to condemn them. A familiar song is correct: “Little ones to Him belong.” They are safe with the Savior.