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 12:1-12 is filled with God’s hope for us and kindness to us. It also reveals His justice. A couple of years ago, we completed a lengthy study of Revelation. A major emphasis of that book is God’s final judgment, which is better labeled justice. Jesus’ statement in Mark 12:9 falls into that category: “What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others.” Jesus persists in reaching out to all – yes, He does – until death. The holiness of God never alters; His righteousness is forever. Ultimately, His justice must be known by all. Believers will observe it and agree that it is necessary. Unbelievers will choose to be the recipients of this justice. Once they have finally rejected the hope and the kindness of Jesus Christ, the only option that remains is deserved justice. It is uncomfortable and upsetting to think about this coming judgment, and far too many churches and individual Christians avoid the clear Biblical teaching on this subject. Like our Savior God, we find no joy in the meting out of divine justice: “ ‘As I live,’ saith the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?’” (Ezekiel 33:11); this heart-hurting cry from God reveals how we must also feel about the lost.