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.)
We return to John 1:1-5 as we rejoice in the eternal and ongoing creativity of Jesus, “the Word” (verse 1). We know that He created language itself, providing for us a means of expression and communication. As an old – okay, really old – English teacher, I enjoy poetry. Not all of it is good; modern writing is sometimes nasty and nihilistic. Yet, appropriate use of God’s gift of language is genuinely uplifting. I think of one line that the Russian poet Fet wrote to his wife: “In my hand – what a miracle! – your hand.” That heartfelt and original statement of love reminds us that our capacity to love is God-given (I John 4:19). Moreover, it directs us to our Savior, Whose spike-smashed hands always hold us, for “the eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27). Thus, “the Word” communicates to us and enables us to communicate with Him and with each other. May we enjoy this gift and exercise it in godly ways.