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 Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1) consistently reveals His love for His Church; He has “loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (1:5). This love is comprehensive, including commendation (as we have seen in the last several days) and exhortation to live differently. “Washed” means “released” or “freed”: we have been released from an existence controlled by sin to a life controlled by God the Holy Spirit. In verse 4, John writes, “Grace be unto you.” This was a standard greeting in a letter of John’s day, but it is divinely inspired (II Timothy 3:16-17) and is thus not from John but from God the Father, God the Spirit, and God the Son (note the threefold use of “from” in verses 4-5). “Grace” from God is more than a pleasant sentiment: it is giving, continuous giving. Jesus therefore grants us both commendation that gives us certainty and, when needed, pointed rebukes that point us in the right direction. Thank You, Lord, for caring enough for us to always give us exactly what we most need.