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.)
Mark 15:27-28 briefly mentions the criminals who are crucified alongside Jesus: “And with Him they crucify two thieves; the one on His right hand, and the other on His left. And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’” This item is a specific fulfillment of Isaiah 53:12 and is thus an additional confirmation of Jesus’ claim to be the promised Messiah. The inclusion of these two men is also another historical detail that confirms the Gospel account. The number of men, their crimes, their exact placement in relation to Jesus – these specificities are convincing. It is also important to note that Jesus cares about these men. The parallel account in Luke 23:39-43 clarifies that one of these men repents and receives the promise that he will be in heaven that very day. Scripture does not reveal if the other thief ever repents; it also does not reveal that he does not repent. The point is that both men are mentioned in the account of Jesus’ death, indicating how valuable souls are to Him. The presence of these two men reminds us of why Jesus has to die on that cross: mankind needs a Savior.