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.)
Isaiah 9:6 is a well-known Messianic verse, put to music in Handel’s Messiah. It is easy to see how Jesus is the “Wonderful Counsellor,” “Mighty God,” and “Prince of Peace.” The designation “Everlasting Father” is more challenging. How can Jesus, God the Son, be called “the Everlasting Father”? Since Jesus is divine and thus is eternal, the difficulty is with the surprising word “Father.” John 10:30 is crucial in beginning to understand the implications of this title. There, Jesus said, “I and My Father are one.” This is a claim of co-equality with God the Father and indicates a complete unity of character and purpose. In part, then, the use of “Everlasting Father” points us to the utter distinctiveness of Jesus. Yes, He became fully human, but He has always been and always will be fully God. Our salvation is secure because our Savior is God Himself. This certainty provides us with joy, peace, and hope as we live each day and look for Jesus’ return.