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 account of John the Baptist’s evil execution (Mark 6:14-29) is also a reminder of God’s intense goodness in reaching out to all people, including the hostile Herods. The ministry of John to Herod Antipas stirred the king’s conscience: “For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things [was disturbed, puzzled, intrigued], and heard him gladly” (verse 20). Of course, both Herodias and Salome also heard the great prophet’s words. Such evangelical activity characterized God’s efforts toward the Herods. For example, He had sent the wisemen to Jerusalem to announce to Herod the Great that the Messiah was born (Matthew 2:1-12). Agrippa I was familiar with the preaching of James and Peter (Acts 12:1-11), and Agrippa II listened to a sermon by Paul, as did his sister Bernice (Acts 25:13-26:32). Another sister, Drusilla, was married to Felix, before whom Paul spoke (Acts 23:26-24:27). Furthermore, Antipas had another chance to repent: Jesus appeared before him (Luke 23:7-12)! Sadly, there is no evidence that any of the Herods ever responded to God’s great goodness. Their refusal is a sobering warning to all to call upon Jesus as Savior now: “Seek ye that LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6).