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 Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1) shows us specific evidences of His authority. Revelation 6:12 reveals “a great earthquake” (not to be confused with another “great earthquake at the end of the Tribulation – see Revelation 16:17-20). In Matthew 24:7, Jesus predicts multiple “earthquakes”. All of us are familiar with pictures from earthquake-prone regions. The destruction of property is frightening, with large buildings, roadways, and bridges reduced to useless rubble. Even worse is the loss of life, sometimes numbering in the tens of thousands and even more. For example, the Shaanxi, China, earthquake of 1556 killed over 800,000, and the recent 2010 Haiti earthquake caused the death of at least 220,000 (and likely more than 300,000). Tsunamis resulting from earthquakes are likewise catastrophic. Most of us remember the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami which killed over 225,000 people in 14 countries. I have never been in a major earthquake, but I remember a minor one when I was in college. The jelly-like feeling in my legs was disconcerting. How much worse is the loss of confidence engendered by major quakes, as something so seemingly reliable as ground becomes in a moment an enemy! May our trust be solely in Someone Who is truly solid, the Savior, Jesus Christ.