Read: Luke 23:39-43; 2 Corinthians 9:15; Revelation 21-22
In December of 2018, 87-year-old Ken Watson passed away from cancer. He had lived in Barry, Wales near Caroline and Owen Williams and their then two-year-old daughter Cati for the last two years of his life. Mr. Watson's wife had died ten years prior to the Williams family's moving in, and he had no grandchildren. He was a father figure in the neighborhood who longed for human connection. For little Cati's first birthday, Watson bought her a giant cuddly Lion called Elvis. If that weren't enough, he also bought one for all the children on the street. Surprising; however, that was only the beginning. After Watson's death, his daughter Jenny called on the Williams family. She carried a large bag in her hand. In that bag, there were 14 beautifully wrapped Christmas gifts that had been bought and set aside for Cati. In addition to them, Jenny found two more wrapped gifts in her father's home. The Williams family couldn't wait for Christmas to unwrap that first gift, and now 7-year-old Cati opens one additional present each Christmas. As of Christmas, 2023, Cati has opened six "surprise presents." Special chosen gifts of love that keep bringing joy to this family and others who hear the story.
Don't we love surprises? The happy kind I mean. As I thought of Cati's family enjoying the gifts that were so carefully chosen for her, I was reminded that they were given with no ulterior motive. The Williams family did nothing to earn them. They were given out of love. As sweet as Ken Watson's gift is, the Bible tells us of a surprise that God has made available that far outshines Cati's. It is the gift of salvation. It was not brought to us in beautiful shiny paper. No, it was provided through the gruesome death of Jesus. Although Isaiah 53 details Jesus' atoning death in several verses, Isaiah 53:5-8; Isaiah 53:10-11, what He endured for us was still a surprise to those who knew Him. Though Jesus had told His disciples that He would die and be raised from the dead, Matthew 16:21-23, they were not expecting it to happen. Would I have been eagerly awaiting His resurrection? No, I'm certain I would have been overawed and surprised as they were.
No wonder many people find the gift of salvation so hard to receive. The Bible tells us that it not only came in a most unusual way, we don't have anything to offer to earn it. Nothing to give the One Who did it all for us, John 19:30. Now that's surprising because there is something within us that longs to be able to give even a little bit so we can be part of the solution. Surely, there is something we can contribute so we can feel good about our own efforts and how hard we have tried.
To that, the Bible says no. To see that truth played out, we simply need to return to Jesus and the cross. When we first meet the two criminals who were crucified with the Lord on that day, both held Him in contempt. They mocked right along with the crowd, Matthew 27:41-44; but then something surprising happened. One man's life was turned upside down, and there was an amazing change that took place. All of a sudden, one wicked man saw himself with all his sin and the Savior with all His holiness and purity. He came to understand that Jesus though He would die had the authority to usher him into His kingdom, and he asked Jesus to remember him, Luke 23:39-43.
What a surprising answer Jesus gave him. This man who could do nothing virtuous would this same day be with Jesus in paradise. What a beautiful surprise. No waiting for the criminal. Nothing he needed to do but ask the One Who holds out forgiveness to provide it for him. Without cost or effort. He had nothing to offer Jesus but his sin, and Jesus gave all that he needed, His righteousness, 2 Corinthians 5:21. Not merely a bit of righteousness. Jesus gave him a holy standing.
Let's look quickly at another passage to see the picture of what Jesus does with sin when we admit our helplessness to do anything to earn forgiveness. In Micah 7:19, we read that God will hurl our sins into the depths of the sea, and in Exodus 15:1, we read that the pharaoh and those coming after God's people were also hurled into the depths. They would never enslave the children of Israel again. Here is a beautiful surprise. Those two scriptures use the same word. God's enemies were drowned never to be seen again. Our sins, because of Jesus, were "drowned" never to be brought up again.
Back to little Cati. She has many more Christmas surprises to anticipate, but they will eventually come to an end as all earthly blessings do; however, there is no end to the wonders God has in store for His children. He will reveal His love throughout eternity, Revelation 21-22. No doubt, we will always be in awe and surprised by how much God loves us.
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