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 benediction of Revelation 22:21 focuses on the great giving of our Savior: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” We could spend many more weeks discussing this “grace,” for it is unlimited. Undoubtedly, unless the Lord returns today, we will consider this subject again and again. For now, though, let us touch upon just one more manifestation of grace, one found in Revelation 22:17: “And the Spirit and the bride [the Church] say, ‘Come.’ And let him that heareth say, ‘Come.’ And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” This specific invitation is a picture of every Gospel invitation that has ever been given; it is also a reminder that each one of us has received a similar call to be saved eternally. We should both rejoice and be humbled that God the Holy Spirit has personally reached out to us and drawn us to the truth of the Gospel (see John 14:16, 17a, 26; 16:7-14). The familiar hymn “Amazing Grace” is a fine exposition of this powerful and personal calling, and many other hymns and Gospel songs rightly explore the multitude of blessings that derive from God’s grace. As we study God’s Word and sing worshipful hymns, we should never lose sight of the purposeful intervention of God into our lives to save us now and forever. It is indeed His grace that “will lead [us] home.”