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.)
Jesus is a reason to live (Philippians 1:21), enhancing the good things of life (I Timothy 6:17). A personal example illustrates this truth: I adore my wife. Proverbs 18:22 says, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing.” I am not saying that it is only because of Jesus that I love my wife, for no sane man intent on self-preservation would even hint at that! No, it is because of Jesus that my affection for her is increased, for she is a good thing from the Lord to me. Like me, she is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), and she is a fellow heir of the good things of God (Romans 8:17). This principle of enhancement extends to the things that we enjoy: for me, these include literature, music, nature, family, our church, old friends, former students, and the farm. Our appreciation of these blessings grows when we understand them as God’s gifts to us. Yes, Jesus is a great reason to live because He enhances the good things of life, with no guilt attached.