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.)
Because Jesus is called “the Everlasting Father” (Isaiah 9:6) and because He is fully God, we should expect Him to be co-equal with God the Father. In John 5:17, Jesus said, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” The Jewish leaders correctly understood this statement as a claim of Godhood, and, predictably and sadly, they wanted to kill Him (verse 18). The core character of God, then, includes work. His work is creative (Genesis 1), including mankind, and is ongoing, for “by Him all things consist [hold together]” (Colossians 1:17). Moreover, His labor is purposeful, including our salvation. In John 6:44, Jesus said, “No man can come to Me, except the Father [Who] hath sent Me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” Both Father and Son are at work in Saving us (as is God the Holy Spirit – see John 16:7-15). Thus, we should recognize this purposeful work in our lives, appreciate it, and encourage others to do the same.