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.)
Let us consider one last thought from Jesus’ words in Mark 12:17: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” “Render” means “give” (as is found in newer translations of the Bible). This verse raises the question of what we can give our Lord, Who has and has made everything: “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him; and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist [hold together]” (Colossians 1:17-18). Our giving, then, must really be understood as giving back. We are to give financially to the work of the Lord. A guiding principle is found in II Corinthians 9:7: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” I Corinthians 16:2a adds, “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.” We are to give worship: “By Him [Jesus] therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15). A foundational principle regarding all giving is found in II Corinthians 8:5: “And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.” If we recall that we are simply returning to God some of what He has given to us, our giving will become joyful. It will also remind us that our Savior God “gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen (Galatians 1:4-5).