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 Apostle John’s response to “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1) is profound: “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead” (1:17). The reaction of the prophet in Isaiah 6:1-5 is similar. When confronted by the Lord’s holiness (“Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts” – verse 3), Isaiah felt utterly unworthy: “Then said I, ‘Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts’” (verse 5). The threefold ascription of holiness prepares us for the full New Testament revelation of the Trinity, One God in Three Persons – Holy Father, Holy Son, and Holy Spirit; the same words are found in Revelation 4:8: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, [Who] was, and is, and is to come.” The reactions of both John and Isaiah demonstrate that they understood their sinfulness and God’s absolute holiness. In both instances, the Lord provided for them kindly. He lifted John up (Revelation 1:17), and He purged the “unclean lips” of Isaiah (6:6-7) and prepared him for ministry (6:8-9). These gracious actions of our Savior God emphasize that His holiness is restorative. Lord, help us to love Your holiness rather than be intimidated by it.