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.)
The seeming silence of Jesus (Revelation 8:2-6) does not in any way diminish Him or His persistence. We considered the story of Job yesterday, and we need to briefly reflect on his difficult position. He lost all of his wealth, most of his health, and, worst of all, every one of his children. After he suffered these losses, his wealth was returned and increased (Job 42:12); his health recovered, and he lived a long life (Job 42:16-17); and he was blessed with ten children (Job 42:13). Still, a thoughtful person would wonder about the loss of the first group of children (all adults – Job 1:18-19). How could Job enjoy life and trust God after these deaths? The answer is found in Job 19:25-27: “For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me.” In other words, Job knew that his God is a God of life, a God of resurrection. Because of this certainty, he had the expectation of seeing his deceased children again in eternity. That certain hope enabled him to fully enjoy and appreciate his second family. I Corinthians 15:19 says, “If in this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable”; that is, if Jesus is dead, we have nothing. However, verse 20 rejoices, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept [died].” Along with Job, then, we can be sure that Jesus’ resurrection changes everything for us, including our enjoyment of each day. His persistence overcomes all obstacles, including the separation of death.