The Culture of Hope Founded on Faith
Jesus Never Changes
Fifteen years ago, Dan was diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma. Seven months of treatments involving chemotherapy and radiation followed. The year before I had developed a digital “Change Management” file, in the face of my own three surgeries in seven months, that was very helpful in dealing with the 180° turn-around that cancer brought into our lives. In those documents are ideas about change, like the human circumstance of constant change (as in, there are three constants of life – death, taxes, and change). Another concept is the need to let go in order to move on, the definition of mourning as the way we each adjust to our new realities.
As human beings, we cannot avoid change and we do not take many of the curve balls in life without some discomfort involved with faltering. In 1929 there were those who committed suicide rather than face the dread of poverty in the change brought on by the financial crash of that year. As Christians, our usual biblical perspective about whatever unexpected things happen in our lives is that God is sovereign and “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).
However, another characteristic of God, that we often overlook, is that He does not change. He is perfect and there is no reason for Him to change. In Malachi 3:6a, He declares, “I the LORD, I change not.” Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Just a few verses before this proclamation His consistency is also expressed in terms of “He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So that we may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Heb. 13:5-6).
A frequently sung hymn from my youth says it all:
O How sweet the glorious message simple faith may claim; Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same! Still He loves to save the sinful, heal the sick and lame, Cheer the mourner, calm the tempest – Glory to His name!
Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same! All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His name, Glory to His name, Glory to His name,
All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His name.
One reason we glory in God is because He does not change, but stands firmly our anchor in the midst of a world whirling way beyond our control. God is the only reality we can trust. He is always there when nothing else can be trusted to stay the same and He knows the beginning from the end.
