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 parable of Mark 4:21-23 is profound in its simplicity: “And He said unto them, ‘Is a candle [lamp] brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? And not to be set on a candlestick [lampstand]? For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” Jesus is building a message on a simple truth: the very nature of light is for it to be seen. Light, created by God (Genesis 1:3), is not designed to be kept to itself. Just as light by definition breaks forth to scatter darkness, so must the words of Jesus be heard (“If any man have ears to hear, let him hear”). The light of His truth must break into our personal spiritual night. He made this soul-searching statement in Luke 11:35: “Take heed that the light which is in thee be not darkness.” The true light, then, is faith in Jesus Christ, “the light of the world” (John 8:12b). The artificial light of false religions or false professions of faith in Jesus will fade to nothing in the presence of “the true Light, [Who] lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9). This verse does not mean that all people will respond to Jesus; rather, it teaches that His glorious light is available to anyone who will open his eyes (and ears – verse 23) to the truth. Let each one of us be sure that we have responded in saving faith to the gracious call of the Savior, God the Son, Jesus Christ.