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.)
Breathtakingly, Jesus is personal. This statement does not mean that we can make Jesus into what we think we want Him to be. He is not a salad bar or a smorgasbord from which we sample and select. No, Jesus is Who He is, blessedly unchangeable: “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). That Jesus is personal includes the fact that He possesses personality. Matthew 9:36-38 is a clear illustration of this truth. When Jesus surveyed the gathered crowd, “He was moved with compassion on them” (verse 36). Part of Jesus’ personality, then, is genuine emotion. Furthermore, this emotion is thoughtfully directed to the needs of the people. They were being led by the wrong people (the legalistic Pharisees) and “fainted” because they felt harassed and distressed. They needed others to pray for them and to help them understand their need for salvation through faith in Jesus (verses 35-36). Moreover, He cared for them while knowing that many of this multitude – the vast majority – would desert Him (John 6:66) and that another crowd would scream for His crucifixion (Mathew 27:22-23). Truly Jesus is personal, possessing the most winsome of personalities and seeking the best for all people.