Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever

July 2025

7:22 am April 15, 1865.  The gaunt form stretched on the bed in the room in the house on 10th street ceased to breath.  The secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, turned to the window and pulled down the shade to shut out the bright sunlight.  Looking back down at the silent form he said: “Now he belongs to the ages.”  That is the shortest biography of Abraham Lincoln.

But there is really only one who belongs to the ages, and that is the one to whom the ages belong—Jesus Christ. Hebrews 13:8 appears out of nowhere in the last chapter of Hebrews: “Jesus Christ: the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

I just returned from my 50^th High School Class Reunion. There is nothing quite like a class reunion to reinforce the universal maxim: everything changes. Since COVID-19, change is the new normal. Now more than ever we need to be reminded of this simple truth: In a changing world, Jesus never changes. The stars may fall as ripe figs shaken from the tree, but the Morning Star will never be blotted from God’s heaven. The earth by mighty quakes may be shaken, but the rock of ages will never be shaken. Lilies of the field may wither and die, but the Rose of Sharon will continue to bloom forever. 

This verse speaks of Jesus’ divinity. It speaks of his immutability. New things become old and wear out. Time changes everything. Christian leaders come and go. But there will never come a time when we will need a new Jesus. His holy character never changes; his divine purpose never changes; his power never changes; his love never changes; his sovereignty never changes. You don’t need to look in your past or your future—Jesus is all you need.

You can’t always count on anyone else. You can always count on Jesus. Because of Jesus, I can never be alone, never be forsaken, and never be forgotten. We seem to struggle to trust this verse when the burden is heavy, when the storm is raging, and when the battle is fierce. I think of what Spurgeon said about it: “It is foolish to think the Lord will provide you grace for every trouble you go through except the one you are going through now.” Trust Jesus! You’ve seen him make a way out of no way. You’ve seen him provide when you didn’t know how to make ends meet. You have seen him give you strength when you were worn out.

“Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Jesus is the Savior for all your yesterdays. 

Jesus is the Savior for your today. Jesus is the Savior for your tomorrows. March on my soul, without fear or faltering, for the nail-pierced hand once riveted to a cross holds the scepter of the universe.  All is well!

Yesterday he helped me

Today he did the same.

How long will this continue?

Forever, praise his name!

You will never know Jesus is all you need until you realize Jesus is all you have.

David L. Allen