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.)
Another interesting comparison and contrast between Genesis and Revelation is the mention of trees. Genesis 3:22 mentions “the tree of life” and the exclusion of Adam and Eve from it. In this punishment, we must also see the mercy of God; for if the couple continued to eat of this tree, they would have remained separated from God forever. This state of alienation would have persisted for all of eternity. Revelation 22:2 assures us, “In the midst of the street of it [the heavenly city], and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing [health-sustaining] of the nations.” Snooty literary critics disdain Joyce Kilmer’s poem “Trees,” but I certainly agree with its primary sentiment: “I think that I shall never see / a poem lovely as a tree.” I love trees: both their beauty and functionality reveal the character of God, the Creator. This particular tree in the heavenly city is both physically beautiful and beneficial. Its presence near the throne of God is one more reminder of the eternal goodness of our Savior God.