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 second use of “Amen” in Revelation is found in 1:7: “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.” It is distressing that many at the time of the Tribulation will observe the unfolding of prophetic fulfillment but will “wail” rather than repent. John’s sincere “Amen” is not a smug, self-satisfied, uncaring response to the eternal plight of these unbelievers. Rather, it really is the last word in that nothing more can be done or said to convince these rebels to rejoice rather than wail at the return of Jesus Christ. The contrast to the description that precedes the “Amen” in verse 6 is absolute, for that speaks of the glories of the salvation of believers. However, the “Amen” response is the same because it acknowledges that our Savior God has done everything possible to save all sinners, including us. This “Amen” is an agreement with Him that mankind “pierced” God the Son on the Cross but that through that death eternal life is available to all. The refusal of some to receive this forgiveness and salvation is no reason for the believer to diminish the priceless value of the offered gift. Our “Amen” here recognizes both the gift and the Giver. It also recognizes the sad and settled decision of some to persist in rebellion. In this second sense, the “Amen” becomes a word of comprehension and acceptance, for these rebels are responsible for their choices.