Jesus Does the Unexpected

 

One of the truths about God is that He is sovereign, meaning that He can do what He wants anyway He wants to and any time He wants to do it. We also see that in the earthly life of Jesus. He does not do what others expect Him to do.

 

In Mark 2 Jesus is teaching in a house and four men bring a friend who is paralyzed, believing that Jesus could heal him. When they could not get into the house because of the crowd, they climbed on the roof and removed part of it and lowered the paralytic down in front of Jesus. They fully expected Jesus to heal the man, but Jesus said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” When the religious leaders questioned the authority of Jesus to forgive sins. Jesus, to show them that He had the authority to forgive sins, said to the man, “Rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” The man got up and immediately picked up his bed and went out before all of them.

 

Jesus didn’t do what the four friends or the man or even the crowd expected Him to do. He addressed the greatest need of the man - his need of forgiveness of sin.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about knowing that Jesus will always address our greatest needs.

 

In John 8 a woman who was caught in the act of adultery was brought to Him. The religious leaders and the crowd expected Jesus to condemn her. Jesus, after He had told the religious leaders to cast stones at her if they were without sin, and after they left, turned His attention to the woman. He asked the woman where were her accusers and then asked her was there no one to accuse her and she said, “No one, Lord.” Then Jesus says, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Jesus did not condemn her as everyone expected Him to. He shows her grace and commands her to leave her life of sin.

 

Romans 8:1 says that there is no condemnation for those we are in Christ Jesus.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about expecting grace from Jesus, not condemnation.

 

In Matthew 9 after Jeus had called Matthew to follow Him, He then has a meal with Matthew and his friends, who are other tax collectors. The religious leaders then question Jesus’ disciples about why He would eat with these sinful tax collectors. Jesus tells them that it is not the well who need a doctor but the sick. Then Jesus says, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” The religious leaders expected Jesus to hang with them and cater to what they wanted. Jesus came to proclaim the truth and bring sinners into relationship with the Father.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about experiencing Jesus forgiving our sins and turning us from sinners to saints.

 

Psalm 135:6 says, “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.” Jesus does not do what we expect. He does what He wants because He is God.

 

Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                           Joe