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.)
When II Peter 3:8-9 was written, Jesus had been absent from earth for a little over thirty years. At His Ascension into heaven, the promise had been given that He would return “in like manner” (Acts 1:11). The Church was already enduring great persecution, including imprisonment and martyrdom. Why had Jesus not yet come back? Now, almost 2,000 years have passed, each year with devout Christians expectantly waiting for Jesus to fulfill prophecy. Why has Jesus not yet returned? The key reason is presented in verse 9: He “is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Yes, Jesus is patient with us, all of us. Aren’t you glad that He is? If you were saved a year ago, He could have returned two years ago! If you were saved fifty years ago, He could have come back sixty years ago! He waited for you and for me, and He is waiting for that last one who will respond to His gracious call. No one knows exactly when Jesus will return (Matthew 24:36; Acts 1:7), but we do know that this promised return will not occur “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25). I yearn for the Rapture of the Church, but I understand that the seeming delay of Jesus means that at least one more person is to be saved for all eternity. Either way, God is good, and we are blessed.