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.)
Revelation 5:9 says of Jesus, “Thou art worthy.” This proclamation of praise is part of “a new song” that is accompanied by “harps” (verse 8 ). I once read a scathing critique of the Ira Stanphill song “Mansion over the Hilltop.” The Biblical scholar who attacked it called it “frankly materialistic.” He was especially cranky about the line, “I want a mansion, a harp, and a crown.” A more charitable view is that the songwriter believed in the promises of God. In John 14:2, Jesus states, “In My Father’s house are many mansions.” Newer translations use the term “dwelling place.” The point is clear: Christ will not give us a cubicle nor a closet to live in! It is not wrong to “want a mansion” in heaven, for if Jesus promises it to us, it must be good. Similarly, desiring a harp to join in worship (Revelation 5:8 ) is appropriate. Likewise, casting crowns before our God is part of heavenly worship: “The four and twenty elders fall down before Him [Who] sat on the throne, and worship Him [Who] liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne” (Revelation 4:10). The New Testament speaks of crowns” of rejoicing” (I Thessalonians 2:19), “of righteousness” (II Timothy 4:8 ), “of life” (James 1:12), and “of glory” (I Peter 5:4). Because Jesus promises these rewards, we should want them so that we can worship God with them. Let us worship Him with music now, knowing that in heaven we will still be singing “a new song.”