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 faith is based upon facts. Thus, we can state that Jesus is the reasonable choice. Paul said in Romans 1:20 that those who reject Jesus “are without excuse.” If we will not accept reasons, we will make excuses! I Corinthians 15 is a lengthy explanation of the implications of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Verses 18-19 say that, if Jesus did not rise from the dead, there is no hope for anyone. As I often say, always look on both sides of the word “but” to see the transformative work of God. Verse 20 soaringly states, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept [died].” Earlier in the chapter, Paul records the eyewitnesses of Jesus’ Resurrection (verses 5-7). Many, including Paul himself, were still alive and willing to confirm that Jesus was alive. I have frequently said that Christianity could have ended before it began if the authorities had simply produced the dead body of Jesus. Because they could not, they concocted an inane fantasy (Matthew 28:11-15). Sleeping men cannot see, and a massive stone cannot be casually flicked aside! If we do not trust in Jesus, we “are without excuse,” for He is no longer dead and buried.