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.)
Mark 3:9-10 paints a picture of the persistent pressure that Jesus faced and met with aplomb: “And He spake to His disciples, that a small ship should wait on Him because of the multitude, lest they should throng Him. For He had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon Him, as many as had plagues [diseases].” The verb “throng” is an extremely strong Greek word, literally meaning “crush.” Even today we see such swirling gatherings of people in the Middle East. For example, “Pilgrims Trampled in Religious Observances” is almost a standing headline in that part of the world. My appreciation for Jesus only increases when I read passages such as this one, for I enjoy solitude and am not at all fond of crowds. Wherever He went, Jesus was “pressed upon” and pawed over – and these actions were by the people who did not hate Him as the Pharisees did! Still, He “healed many.” As uncomfortable as the circumstances were for Jesus, He continued to provide comfort to these needy people. Folks are not likely to stampede on their way to us, but the principle of being available and helping others is a necessary one for each Christian.