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 21 provides a complete contrast with the end of chapter 20: “And I [John] saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea” (verse 1). Revelation 20:11 includes the statement that “the earth and the heaven fled away.” Thus, what is portrayed is the destruction of the present earth and universe (the meaning of “heaven” in both verses) and the creation of an entirely different earth and universe. Passages such as Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luke 16:17 and 21:33, and especially II Peter 3:10-13 also speak of this total transformation. The sad reality is that mankind’s sin has negatively affected everything: “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Romans 8:22). The entire creation was made as a revelation of the beauty and the creativity of God and was designed as a place for man’s enjoyment. All of this has been tainted by our sin, by our rebellion against the Creator. We cannot overstate the terrible significance of sin, which requires the end of the existing earth and universe. Even worse, of course, is the fact that our sin necessitated the death of God the Son, Jesus Christ. Our Redeemer will also redeem His handiwork, for He cannot be thwarted in any of His purposes.