Surprise, Surprise

“The Jews therefore were marveling, saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?”” John 7:15

Marveling – Jesus came out of left field. He just didn’t fit the mold. He acted differently, talked differently, thought differently. Try as they might, the audience couldn’t categorize him. All they could do was be astonished. When we encounter him, we need to put ourselves in the first century picture. Jesus is not familiar. He is a stranger in a strange land. When we think we have him in our sights, we aren’t seeing the right picture. If we look closer, we see amazement, not affinity.

John uses the Greek word thaumazo. In Classical Greek, this word is linked to a wide variety of emotions. All of them help us see the human reaction to Jesus. Thaumazo can mean astonishment but with an attitude of criticism, doubt and rejection. It is the complete surprise when you hear or see something that you just can’t believe because it seems so off-center. Thaumazo can mean wonder, like the emotion you feel at the sight of Grand Canyon or the Aurora Borealis. It is almost “other worldly”. Thaumazo can mean “to esteem or admire” but flavored with skeptical surprise. This is the sense we might feel in the presence of someone who does some unexpected heroic act. And finally, thaumazo can mean marvel, but with an element of fear. This happens when we come into the presence of the holy God. We are in awe and we tremble at the same time.

When John chose this word, he picked the right verb for the human reaction to Jesus. Jesus is completely approachable but strangely different. He is gentle but ruthlessly demanding. He speaks love but his words cut the soul. He performs miracles but seems immune to power. He teaches humility but stands in glory. He welcomes all but claims exclusivity. Don’t for a moment think that Jesus is just like you or me. He is really human, the way God intended. He is not like us. We are the deformed images of the Creator. He is the original.

The marvel of Jesus is that I do recognize his humanity. He comes to me as someone like me. But as soon as I approach him, I find something that I cannot compare with myself. He is compellingly different, marvelously free, attractively strange. I put my hand in his and it feels right, but I am instantly surprised because his grip is not like mine. He won’t let go.