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 Triumphal Entry of Jesus is the triumph of opportunity. Mark 11:11 says, “And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when He had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, He went out unto Bethany with the twelve.” The parallel passage in Matthew adds a bit of detail: “All the city was moved, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the multitude said, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee’” (21:10b-11). Of course, Jesus was and is more than “the prophet,” but He was and is that, in fulfillment of Deuteronomy 18:15-18. It is compelling that “the city was moved”; “moved” is a strong word, from which we derive the English word seismic. The people were stirred by Jesus’ presence; they sensed His purpose and power. His physical proximity provided an immediate opportunity for anyone to ask questions, to listen, to observe, to consider, to learn. Inexplicably, many of these people would reject Him; some would later trust in Him for salvation after the Resurrection. I think of the sad closing words of the hymn “Almost Persuaded”: “ ‘Almost,’ but lost!” May each one of us seize the opportunity to be saved through faith in Jesus and to serve Him in love.