Jesus isn't what we expect

Always Peachy Devotions | Who Is Jesus? An Introduction to Our Savior from the Old Testament (November 30-December 6, 2025)

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28)

Do you like surprises?

It’s a harder question than you might think on face value. Some surprises are fun, but not all of them are. Some surprises are upsetting. Some cause conflict. The surprises that I enjoy are the ones presented by people I trust, people who know me, people who understand where I’m at in life.

A surprise birthday party is delightful until you’re exhausted and tired of being around people and crowds. A surprise project at work might excite you if it’s focused on something you like doing, but if it’s not, it’s just extra stress you don’t have time for. What about surprise guests or unexpected company? If you’re in a position where you have room for them and time for them and space in your life for them, they’re great. But unexpected company usually always creates some kind of disruption, for better or for worse.

So what happens when a person turns out to be different than you expected. I’ve been in situations where my boss has hired a new employee based on his or her resume, and on paper that person looks like the perfect fit. But once they get into the office, once they interact with the other employees, they don’t fit at all. That’s a surprise. But I’ve seen the opposite happen too—someone who isn’t qualified who steps up and becomes exactly what an office needs to succeed.

Well, this week, we are kind of talking about surprises, or at least unexpected aspects of who Jesus is. See, when Jesus arrived on the scene about 2,000 years ago, the world had been expecting Him. Maybe not Rome or any massively influential power at the time, but Israel certainly had been looking for Him. And we know a contingent of magi had been looking for Him too, thanks to the prophecies Daniel had written.

But when Jesus began His public ministry, people were dismayed. They were surprised, and not in a good way, because He wasn’t what they expected. They thought He would be a military leader, a political savior. They expected Him to oust Rome and set up His kingdom right then and there. And that’s not what He did. That’s not why He came. Not this time, at least.

The irony is if the religious elite and the people of Israel who rejected Jesus would have read the Scriptures, they would have recognized Him. The Old Testament is loaded with details and information about who Jesus is and how to recognize Him and what He would be like. Yes, we see His ministry in the New Testament. Yes, we read the eyewitness testimonies of the disciples and apostles and early church leaders. But Jesus didn’t begin in Bethlehem. He has always been, and He will always be.

How well do you know Him? Have you read about Him? Not just in the New Testament but in the Old Testament. God had been telling His people for generations that Messiah was coming, and He didn’t want them to be surprised when the Messiah they got didn’t do things the way earthly leaders did.

So that’s what we’re going to do throughout the month of December and into the beginning of January. We’re going to get to know Jesus by studying passages from all over the Old Testament, from Isaiah and Jeremiah to Micah and Zechariah and more. But for our memory verses, we’ll go to the New Testament.

And this week we’re going to learn Matthew 20:28, because what better verse to help us remember the real reason Jesus came to Earth the first time. Not as a king to be served but as a Savior to give His life as a sacrifice for any who will believe.

Praying for guys this week. Thankful for each and every one of you.

Amy

Memory Verse

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