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 genuinely cares about all areas of our lives. His full deity assures us that He is aware of everything about us, and His full humanity confirms that He speaks to us on the personal level. Thus, He can teach us about our fears and tears – and He does. In Luke 19:41-44, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem, for He knew that in the decades to come it would be destroyed. His prediction, of course, was fulfilled: the Romans destroyed the Temple and much of the city in A.D. 70. However, His prophecy was not a mere statement of fact. No, Jesus was filled with intense sorrow as He lamented the impending destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus knows that the weight of the future likewise lies heavily upon us. We are concerned for our children and grandchildren, for our churches, and for our nation. Jesus knew exactly what would happen; we do not know. I understand the love of the monastic idea, the desire to withdraw from an uncertain world into a simple, sheltered life. However, that decision is not an option for Christians, for we see that Jesus chose to come into this troubled world. He understands the tension of trying to live godly in an ungodly environment. That knowledge prompted His prayer for us in John 17:15: “I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” The “evil” refers to the “evil one,” Satan, who wants us to be afraid. There is more to say on this subject. For today, let us be grateful that Jesus willingly walked right into our fears and tears. He really does care.