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.)
Jesus is the promised “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). The announcement of the birth of the Savior (Luke 2:8-12) was followed immediately by angelic praise (verses 13-14) and human praise (the shepherds – verse 20). Peace came to this earth through one person, Jesus Christ, God the Son; peace now comes to this planet one person at a time, through individual faith in Jesus Christ. The King James Version of verse 14 rejoices, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” The New American Standard translation is helpful in clarifying the meaning: “glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” To our impatient minds, this way to peace might seem too slow. However, we should recognize that it is the only certain path, for it is from God. Note that verse 14 begins with “Glory to God.” Paul similarly states this truth that the source of our peace is sure: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:7b). Thus, this peace is not dependent on the good will of men or on the keeping of a treaty. Because it is from God Himself, it is real peace – and, like Him, it is eternal.