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.)
The solemn pronouncement of Babylon’s desolation is recorded in Revelation 18:21-24: “And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea saying, ‘Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee: and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of the prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” The detailed absolutist language of this passage reiterates that the destruction of Babylon is both comprehensive and deserved. A sad silence will fall upon this once bustling city. Music, marriage, merchandising – all of these everyday aspects of life will vanish. “The great men of the earth” cannot stop this judgment. In fact, they fall under this righteous justice of God. Lord, may we never seek to be great, for only You are “great and greatly to be praised” (Psalm 96:4).