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.)
To state that Jesus is speaking to us is to say that His speech is essential and specific. He speaks so that we can understand. For example, Matthew 4:18-20 records the call of Andrew and Peter to follow Jesus as disciples. These men were commercial fishermen and were working “casting a net into the sea” when Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” All of us can readily understand this imagery, especially since it is placed in the context of two men whose lives had been focused on fishing. I can easily comprehend this call of Jesus, but it does not grab me the way it laid hold on these men – these fishermen – because I haven’t fished in more than forty years. He spoke directly to them in language that spoke directly to them! He took the time to know them and to communicate with them in a winsome, clear manner. It is no wonder that “they straightway [immediately] left their nets, and followed Him.” What else can we do when our Savior speaks so personally and persuasively?