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.)
In Mark 13:13, Jesus further instructs His followers about the future: “And ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” This general attitude against God’s people does not point to a single event but is an ongoing, settled decision by many to oppose Jesus and His followers. In Biblical terms, hate is far more than an emotion (although it includes strong feelings); it is a choice to oppose something or someone. Studies in the United States have found that it is culturally acceptable to choose against only two groups of people – Christians and Jews. Disparagement of and discrimination against these two groups do not bring widespread condemnation. Jesus told His disciples – the first Christians – that they would “be hated of all men for My name’s sake”; people who decide against Christ will also decide against Christians. For example, I know of an accomplished professional man who states openly that he does not believe that Christians should be allowed to vote. Such ignorance and intransigence cannot be easily overcome. The hatred of the Jewish people (not only in the United States but throughout the world) is also extraordinarily illogical, for they are a tiny minority. However, because the Messiah was Jewish and because large numbers of Jewish people will convert at the end (Romans 11:26-27; Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5), Satan stirs up man’s hatred against them. Jesus’ predictions continue to come true, but His woe is upon those who choose hate rather than Him.