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.)
As we close out this year, many of us take time to remember God’s goodness to us and reflect on what changes we need to make in the coming year (if, of course, Jesus does not return; that would be the best and greatest change of all!). Certainly we all need to appreciate the fact that Jesus gives us perspective. In Hosea 6:6, our Lord says, “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” Jesus specifically echoes these words in Matthew 9:13 and 12:7. The context of both passages is the hypocrisy of the religious leaders in Israel, the Pharisees. The problem was not that they had rules; no, the problem was that they had no mercy. (As an aside, it is common today to hear preachers say that Christianity is about relationships, not rules. This statement is a false disjunction, for every relationship is governed by rules.) We need mercy – the withholding of God’s righteous judgment – first and continuously before we can enter into a saving relationship with Jesus. The sad irony is that it is the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross that makes mercy possible. This mercy must change our perspective on salvation, for our works can never save us. Only the finished work of Jesus saves, and only through Him can we begin to become people of mercy.