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 9:30-32, Jesus returns to the teaching of His coming death: “And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and He would not that any man should know it. For He taught His disciples, and said unto them, ‘The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill Him; and after that He is killed, He shall rise the third day.’ But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask Him.” Once again, Jesus speaks to His closest disciples about His impending death and His Resurrection, and He again uses “Son of man,” His favorite self-designation. Because He regularly employed this title, it is possible for us to overlook its force. Truly it is an astonishing term, for it reveals the constant servanthood of our Savior – a Servant to His Father, yes, but also a Servant to sinners like us. As Jesus is teaching His followers, He is pouring out His huge heart to them (and us) just as He would later pour out Himself on the Cross. This self-revelation of God the Son as the Servant Savior is one of the most unexpected aspects of His earthly ministry – as is the outcome of that servanthood, His sacrificial atonement. May we never lose the wonder of Who Jesus is and what He has done and will continue to do for us.