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What is your expectation of Jesus?
We all have to check our expectations of Jesus. Do we use Him as the genie in a bottle? Rub it to get what we want? Who is Jesus really to you? For all of us, He needs to be our Lord, Savior, Master, and our all in all, not the genie in the bottle.
There are many examples in the Word of God of what people expected of Jesus, but Jesus, being the only all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present God that He is, does all things well and all things according to HIS WILL, and it always comes out right.
Mark 10:13-16;
The disciples expected Jesus to send the children away. Culturally, children were not to be in grown-folks business, but Jesus said bring them to me. He used the innocence of children to illustrate to the disciples that unless you come to the Father, through Jesus Christ, with the wonder and awe of a child, you won’t see the Kingdom of God.
Mark 10:17-22;
This young, rich ruler expected Jesus to give him directions on how to inherit eternal life, but Jesus turned the tables all the way around and told him to sell everything he had, give it to the poor, and come follow him. This young, rich ruler turned away sad because he had wealth. He loved money more.
Mark 10:23-27;
The disciples expected it to be easy for a rich man to get into heaven, but Jesus said, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (for context, camels needed to be unloaded in order to go through a narrow gateway into Jerusalem). Camels loaded down with stuff could get through a narrow opening easier that a rich man could get into heaven.
Mark 10:28-31;
Peter expected a lot because he, and the other disciples, had given up all to follow Jesus. Jesus agreed and affirmed that, yes, they had left house, the job, and friends, to follow Him but then He flipped it when He said, however, the first shall be last and the last first.
Mark 10:35-40;
James and John expected Jesus to take over the country, become king, and be seated at the right and left hand of Jesus when He became king. Jesus asked them if they were even ready to accept all of the weight and responsibility those seats required. He then informed them that it was not in His power to assign those seats to anyone. Only God the Father had the power to assign those seats.
Mark 10:46-52;
Finally in this passage, blind Bartimaeus was hollering as Jesus passed by. The disciples expected him to be quiet as Jesus passed by, but Jesus stopped the procession and told them to bring blind Bartimaeus to Him. in spite of the noise blind Bartimaeus was making, Jesus healed him.
Jesus does the unexpected because He alone is God. He has good plans for us. Let's not limit what God wants to do in your life. Expect God to show Himself strong in your life and He will! This is not about religion, it's about relationship with the Creator of everything, God.
In His love! Be blessed!
Dr. Baker
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