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.)
Jesus loves to give us hope, and He does so through His Word. The book of I Peter was written to Christians who were suffering a marked increase in persecution. Like all of us, they needed Biblical hope. I Peter 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, [Who] according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Peter was certain of the Resurrection, for he had visited the empty tomb and had later been visited by Jesus Himself. This fact of Jesus’ Resurrection was the basis of his “lively hope.” “Lively” means “living” (as we find in newer translations); this hope is thus a reason to keep living, to keep pressing on. I am partial to the King James Version’s “lively,” though, for it creates a picture of vigorous, vibrant life. Even in the midst of substantial suffering, our Lord’s certain hope sustains and strengthens us.