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.)
In Matthew 27:45-46, we read the stark record of Jesus’ left-lonesome lament: “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” This historical reality of separation between God the Father and God the Son is simple fact, but it is beyond my capacity to fully explain. Jesus was not afraid (as we may be), but He was agonizing in ways greater than our own sufferings. How did He overcome this unparalleled and undeserved distress? One answer is provided in Hebrews 12:2: Jesus “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Here we find real insight into how we should deal with our sorrows. First, we should be grateful for any “joy” that is ours. Even as Jesus “endured the cross,” He was motivated by the joy of the outcome, including our salvation. If joy can be found at the Cross of Christ, then certainly we can find joy right now. Second, just as Jesus was certain of His eventual and eternal place “at the right hand of the throne of God” the Father, so should we be encouraged by our assured destination of heaven.