'Surprised by Jesus' Devotions | Day 1: Introduction
When was the last time you were surprised by Jesus? Perhaps you are not a Christian and you wonder how anyone could be surprised by Jesus. If you are a new believer, you might think back to when you realized the truth of the gospel for your own life and how surprising and radical that realization was. But if you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you might be thinking to yourself, “I’m not sure I can remember the last time I was surprised by Jesus.” It can be easy to get used to the grace that the gospel news tells about and overlook the surprising and defiant aspects of that grace. Regardless of where you are in regards to the Christian faith, this message is for you. We all need to be taught or reminded of the surprising nature of Jesus and his grace.
The truth is, Jesus was surprising to those in the first century to whom he first came. He turned upside down their expectations of what a savior would look like and instead taught them, patiently through word and deed, what God really wanted to do with his people. He illuminated how they had conformed him into their image and showed them instead how he wanted to transform them into his image. We are no different today. We, too, left in neutral tend to slide away from the wonder of the gospel.
Over the next five days, we will look at the surprising nature of Jesus through a selection from each of the four gospels. It is my prayer that these stories will show you a picture of who Jesus was, and is, and how he can show up in these same ways in your own life today. Jesus is real; grace is subversive; life is short; risk is good. So be surprised, with me, by the real Jesus.
Reflection Questions:
Think about a time when you were surprised by Jesus. How did you respond?
List some times in the Bible that you can recall where people were surprised by how God was at work. What can those stories teach us about God and humanity?
A Short Prayer:
Lord, I confess that I often seek to make you in my image rather than seeking to be transformed into yours. Thank you for being a patient God who seeks to transform me, even in my disobedience, to be a person after your own heart. Teach me through the gospels the surprising and subversive nature of your grace and enable me to share that news with others as you transform me into your image from one degree of glory to another. Amen.
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