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.)
Our Savior God delivers a merciful and gracious command in Revelation 18:4-5: “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.’” Of course, God is omniscient and does not forget the terrible wickedness of Babylon, the center of the Antichrists temporary power. The word “remembered” here means more than cognition; it also includes activity. A simple illustration of this usage involves a person’s birthday. If I remember your birthday, I know the date, but I do something – wish you a happy birthday, send a card, buy a present – to show that I have remembered. In a much more complete manner, our Lord remembers. Even with His enemies, Jesus remembers to forbear. Throughout the book of Revelation, we observe our Savior’s restraint, for He does not pour out immediate judgment even upon Babylon and the Antichrist. God’s first option is never judgment (deserved punishment). He provides multiple warnings, including the book of Revelation itself, written down millennia before its events will occur. The unfolding fulfillment of other prophecy is another evidence of His blessed forbearance. We can certainly think of poor decisions that we have made that did not lead to our personal disqualification for service to our God. May we remember and rejoice in His forbearance.