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.)
As we studied yesterday from Mark 5:40b-43, Jesus here reveals His huge heart in raising the daughter of Jairus from the dead. We do not possess His Messianic miraculous might, but we can and should emulate His thoughtful and tender approach. Probably all of us have encountered people who will perform a given task but will do so in a grumpy, even grim manner. Such an attitude is inconsistent with Christianity, but that truth does not stop some Christians from sighing their way through service for the Savior. A strong sense of duty is appropriate only if it is joined with a genuine desire to make the lives of others easier and better. Colossians 3:23 is a definitive statement on this subject: “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” This Biblical injunction is buttressed by an explanation in verse 24: “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Jesus does not need to give us reasons for His kind commands, but He is so good that He provides additional encouragement. May we therefore serve others with the knowledge that we are following His example and that ultimately this service is to Him.