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 17:14 confirms that Jesus governs even during the Tribulation: “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” He fulfills prophecy (such as Isaiah 9:6-7) in so doing, and He is the ultimate Governor over all governments today (Romans 13:1-7). Furthermore, Jesus governs over the lives of all people, even those who seem to have no regard for Him – and perhaps do not. Psalm 73 laments the power and success of the wicked but reaches this insightful conclusion: “Surely Thou did set them in slippery places: Thou castedst them down into destruction” (verse 18). As the famous preacher R. G. Lee wisely stated, “Payday someday.” Even the rejection of God’s grace, then, results in the unveiling of our Lord’s governance. The Psalmist learns from his preoccupation with the external (“So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before Thee” – verse 22) and provides this helpful application: “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all Thy works” – verse 28). Let us follow the Psalmist’s example. If we do, we will experience the truth of James 4:8b: “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.”