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 12:12 provides a complete contrast: “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Satan is a rational being, capable of critical thinking and intellectual discourse. “He knoweth” – that is, knows as an undisputed fact – “that he hath but a short time.” His response to this knowledge, though, is irrational and unintelligent: he is driven by “great wrath.” The Greek word for “wrath” denotes an intense emotion, a powerful passion. It reveals an emphasis on emotionalism rather than logic and rationality. The thinking Christian recognizes the parallels to the prevailing anti-Christian philosophy of our time – postmodernism. This pernicious ideology is an offshoot of Marxism. It denies the existence of truth, focuses exclusively on feelings, and is the religion of the current regime in Washington, D.C. We can see how this anti-Christian dogma will prepare many not only to accept the Antichrist but also to actively welcome and worship him. Remember, hatred is an emotion: at the end, it will drive Satan and his followers. May we instead choose the tangible, demonstrated love of Christ Jesus.