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 22:1-3 continues the description of the heavenly city: “And he [the angel] shewed me [John] a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him.” This passage includes the promise of our Savior God’s continuing provision for His people. “Water” is a symbol of forgiveness (Revelation 21:6), certainly something that we need. It also provides necessary hydration and refreshment. We have previously studied the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:7-9), where we will enjoy all that is associated with a feast. These good things will continue, as evidenced not only by the water but also by the “fruit” of “the tree of life.” The word “healing” should be understood as “health-giving” or “health-sustaining,” for Revelation 21:4 indicates that all healing takes place at the advent of eternity: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.” The specific mention of refreshing “water” and tasty “fruit,” then, reminds us that our Lord cares about all areas of life and provides what we need now and forever.