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.)
I hope that you are not exhausted by this week’s study of the fact that Jesus does not exhaust us. Jesus is blessedly distinctive, for He gives and gives again. In Matthew 11:28-29, He said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” The word “rest” has a helpful depth of Biblical meaning, including leaning on, reposing on, depending on. We can join with Paul in looking at our lives and recognizing God’s steady provision: “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). The word picture provided in John 13:21-30 of the Apostle John resting on Jesus is particularly moving, for it is in the context of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot. Even in the midst of His perturbation (verse 21 – “He was troubled in spirit”), Jesus could be leaned upon. I think of the hymn “Jesus, I Am Resting” and the song “Learning to Lean.” Because Jesus is dependable and reliable, we can rest in Him and lean on Him.