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 Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels and was written by John Mark (Acts 12:12 gives his fuller name). He was a companion of Jesus (Mark 14:51-52), of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 12:25; 13:5; he was related to Barnabas – Colossians 4:10), and of Peter (I Peter 5:13). The theme of this book is found in Jesus’ words in 10:45: “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” We recently celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ, as we should. However, we must realize that Jesus was born as a baby that He might die as a man; this precise plan is the reason that He came as “the Son of man,” as the Servant Savior. The Bible is clear that we need a substitute to take the punishment for our sins; otherwise, there is no possibility of salvation. Hebrews 2:9 says, “But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” The Greek word for “taste” does not mean “to sample.” Rather, it has the meaning “to partake fully.” Thus, Jesus partook fully of “death for every man.” His very real physical death by crucifixion was necessary for Him to also partake fully of spiritual death, of separation from God the Father. “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Jesus cried from His Cross (Matthew 27:46b), evidencing and experiencing the darkness of distance caused by our sin. Truly, “to give His life a ransom for many” is the primary purpose of the ministry of Jesus Christ. His words and works confirm this truth.