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 Mark 9:23, our gracious Lord responds to the heart cry of a loving father: “Jesus said unto him, ‘If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’” Three important factors undergird this promise. First, it is based on the omnipotence of our Savior God: “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37 – the context is the miraculous Virgin Birth of Jesus). The efficacy of our faith is grounded in this eternal might. Second, our Lord God is unchanging in His character; thus, His promises can be trusted, for it is “impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18). Third, our desires must not conflict with the revealed will of God: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:3). I remember that a well-known television religious personality, a man of dubious character and theology, claimed that he was responsible for the death of a well-respected Biblical scholar who had been critical of his heretical teachings. This false teacher claimed that he had killed the man of God with his “Holy Ghost machine gun.” Such a vile and vicious claim is inconsistent with the nature of God and contradicts His revealed will. The promise of Mark 9:23 is not a license to unleash our sinful “lusts.” Rather, it is an opportunity to submit ourselves to the kindness and righteousness of Jesus Christ.