It’s not an image I’ve ever noodled on before . . . not something that I’ve considered. When I think of the “parade” that walked out of Egypt, I don’t immediately think of Him being part of it. While I’ve “seen” God the Father presiding over the exodus . . . and have imagined Moses out front leading the way . . . that Jesus, God the Son, was an active participant, I don’t think has ever really struck me. Until this morning . . . thanks to the ESV . . .

“Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.” (Jude 5 ESV)

In the NIV, the NASB, and the NKJV, the translators all render it that “the Lord” saved the people out of Egypt and later judged those who did not believe. Only the ESV (and the NLT interestingly enough) choose to go with some of the older manuscripts (apparently) that specifically use the word for Jesus. That’s been one of the benefits of reading out of the ESV this year . . . on a number of occasions, passages, which I might have otherwise just glossed over, jump off the page because the wording is unfamiliar and/or the thought conveyed differently focused than what I’m used to. Such is the case this morning with Jude 5 . . .

So, rather than debate the accuracy of translation or which manuscripts to use, I instead ask myself, “Is it true?” . . . was Jesus the one who led the march out of Egypt . . . and later buried the bodies in the wilderness of those who refused to enter the land of promise? Uh . . . yeah! . . . if for no other reason, than it is the mind-bending implication of the mystery of a Triune God.

Now, you don’t find the name Jesus in the OT . . . that name uniquely associated with the incarnation . . . with God become flesh. But to be reminded that “the Son of God, in His eternal divine nature, was active in the world from the beginning of creation, long before his incarnation” (ESV Study Bible note), is to again be awestruck by all that Jesus is. That not only was He present and active in the deliverance of seed of Abraham from Egypt . . . but that He was also present when God said, “Let Us make man in Our image” (Gen. 1:26) . . . that, in fact, He was the very agent of Creation Himself (John 1:1-3, Col. 1:16-17).

And it becomes all the more incredible when I contrast that idea of Jesus in the cloud by day and the fire by night (Exodus 13:21) with the image presented of Him in my reading in John this morning . . .

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside His outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around His waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.” (John 13:3-5 ESV)

Really? Is this the same Jesus? Is the man stooped before the dirty feet of flakey disciples really the same Deliver of a nation from the bondage of Egypt? Is this man bent down in meek humility the same one who crushed Pharaoh with compelling displays of His might and power through the plagues? Is the one who got eye to eye with the sheep He called into His fold the same Sovereign who drove Moses to his face on the Mount as spoke with such holy authority that it resonated as thunder? Yes . . . yes . . . yes . . . and again, I’m thinkin’!

Oh, that I might continually be reminded through “little surprises” like this ESV translation of the awesome nature and character of the One who died for me . . . who delivered me . . . who desires to commune with me . . . who is building a place for me, that I might forever be with Him.

Jesus is LORD! O’ that I might comprehend more fully what that means . . . by His grace . . . for His glory . . . Amen?