But, oh, how few believe it! Who will listen? To whom will God reveal His saving power? 2In God’s eyes,a He was like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. But in our eyes, there was no attractiveness at all, nothing to make us want Him. 3We despised Him and rejected Him—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way when He went by. He was despised, and we didn’t care.[1] (Isaiah53:1–3)
A new speaker now comes to the forefront. While the speaker is not identified, the picture is that of believers discussing the Savior’s death and the world’s rejection of Him. While Christ walked on earth, He suffered rejection because He seemed to be of no consequence and was totally misunderstood. Down through the centuries, the vast majority of people have continued to reject God’s Servant, the Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ.
A. The
Savior’s Coming Had Been Predicted, But the Prophecy Had Been Rejected (V. 1).
Time and again, God had foretold that He would send the Messiah into the world. But very few believed the prophecies. They denied that God could or would use His power (arms), to do such a thing as send a savior to the world. Or else they denied the need for a savior, believing that people were capable and wise enough to meet their own needs. Thus, the prophecies concerning a coming Savior were rejected. In light of the coming of Jesus Christ and His clear fulfillment of so many Old Testament prophecies, one would think that the prophecies would be universally accepted and believed. But tragically, few have believed, and believers down through the ages have cried out: “Who has believed our report (our message)? To whom has the arm of the Lord (His saving power) been revealed?”
B. The
Savior’s Coming as A Baby Was Totally Unexpected and Therefore It Too Was
Rejected (V. 2).
The people expected the son of David, a descendant of the great king, who would free the Jewish state from all its oppressors and make it one of the greatest nations the world has ever known (Mt. 1:18). The Jews expected the Messiah to come in great power and majesty, anticipating that He would immediately set them free from their captivity and oppression. But when the Messiah came into the world, He did not come as a conqueror, deliverer, or mighty prince. Instead, the Messiah entered the world as a baby in totally unexpected and undesirable circumstances.
Jesus grew up in God’s care, like a tender shoot of a plant that is barely noticed. Although He was a descendant of the royal, illustrious line of David, the family of David had sunk into insignificance and poverty. And Jesus’ supposed father, Joseph, was only a poor carpenter. Even Nazareth, the place of Jesus’ upbringing, was not a respected city (Jn. 1:43–46). Thus, Jesus grew and developed unnoticed, out of “dry ground,” that is, in a humble and little-known family. There was nothing to appeal to or draw attention to His family, His environment, or even His country of birth. In fact, the nation Israel was a barren country of little importance to the rest of the world. At the time Christ was born, Israel had been conquered and was being ruled by the Romans.
Most people also expected the Messiah to be an attractive, charismatic person, someone who would stir hope in the hearts of all who saw Him. But as Scripture says (v. 26), He was not physically attractive. He did not have a charismatic personality that naturally drew people to Him. Nothing about His appearance was striking or majestic. Nothing about it made Him any different from any other person. In outward appearance, Jesus was an average, ordinary person who would fit into any crowd, never attracting attention.
C. The
Savior’s Coming as A Man of Sorrows Was Rejected. The Very Thought of His
Suffering for The Human Race Was Unacceptable to People (V. 3).
People dismiss
the idea that they are …
·
so sinful that they need a Savior to make them
acceptable to God
· so sinful that God had to send His Son to die for their sins
To a variety of people, the cross and all it represents—the blood, the gore, the suffering—are repulsive, making Christianity a bloody religion. In their minds, individuals become acceptable to God by good works, doing the best they can throughout life. They believe that they do enough good works to be acceptable to God and that, in the final analysis, God would never reject them. As a result, they reject the idea of a Savior having to die for the sins of the human race.
Tragically,
Christ was despised and rejected by men throughout His life. Many actually
avoided Him because they detested Him so. As a result, Christ suffered not just
when He died upon the cross but also during his day-to-day experiences
throughout His life. Not only was He reared in poverty, but …
·
He was born to a virgin mother (Mt. 1:18–19).
·
He was born in a stable under shocking
conditions (Lu. 2:7).
·
He was born to poor parents (Lu. 2:24).
·
He had His life threatened as a baby (Mt.
2:13f).
·
He was the object of Herod’s ambitious wrath,
which led to the slaughter of all the male children two years and under (in
Bethlehem and surrounding areas (Mt. 2:16f).
·
He had to be moved about for protection when He
was a baby (Mt. 2:13f).
·
He was reared in a despicable place, Nazareth (Lu.
2:39).
·
He apparently lost His earthly father (Joseph)
during His youth, for His father’s name is not mentioned in the list of His
family (Mt. 13:55–56).
·
He had no home as an adult, not even a place to
lay His head (Mt. 8:20; Lu. 9:58).
·
He had to depend upon others for financial
support (Mt. 8:2–3).
·
He faced relentless temptation (Mt. 4:1; He.
2:18; 4:15).
·
He was hated and opposed by religionists and had
to face their continual hostility (Mk. 14:1–2; He. 12:3).
·
He had the charge of insanity leveled against
Him (Mk. 3:21).
·
He was charged with being demon possessed (Mk.
3:22).
·
He was opposed by His own family (Mk. 3:31–32).
·
He was rejected, hated, and opposed by His
audiences (Mt. 13:53–58; Lu. 4:28–29).
·
He was betrayed by a close friend, Judas, one of
the apostles (Mk. 14:10–11, 18).
·
He was left all alone at the end of His life,
rejected and forsaken by all His friends (Mk. 14:50).
·
He was tried before the high court of the land
on the charge of treason (Jn. 18:33).
· He was put to death by crucifixion, the worst possible manner of death (Jn. 19:16f).
The rejection, hostility, and sufferings of Christ during His life undoubtedly took their toll upon His body. Apparently, He appeared so worn and aged that he was thought to be nearly 50 years old (Jn. 8:57).4 The depth of Christ’s sufferings can be seen in three facts:
Ø In Coming to Earth, Christ Set Aside All the Glory, Worship, and Service Given Him by The Hosts of Heaven Itself, All of Which He Had Always Had.
V “Who, being in the form of God, thought it
not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took
upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Ph. 2:6–7).
V “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers
of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that
through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the
devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime
subject to bondage. For verily, he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things, it behooved him
to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make
reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered
being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” (He. 2:14–18).
V “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (He. 4:15).
Ø In Coming to Earth, Christ Bore all the Temptations and Trials of the Human Flesh as Well as the Mockery, Hostility, and Rejection of Sinful People.
V “And when he was come into his own country,
he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and
said, Whence hath this man this
wisdom, and these mighty works? Is
not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren,
James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with
us? Whence then hath this man all
these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A
prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house” (Mt. 13:54–57).
V “And the Pharisees also, who were covetous,
heard all these things: and they derided him” (Lu. 16:14).
V “He was in the world, and the world was made
by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received
him not” (Jn. 1:10–11).
V “And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?” (Jn. 10:20).
Ø In Coming to Earth, Christ Took the Sins of the Entire Human Race Upon Himself and Died for Those Sins, Suffering the Rejection of God and God’s Judgment Upon Them.
V “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto
him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”
(Jn. 1:29).
V “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might
deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our
Father” (Ga. 1:4).
V “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not
redeemed with corruptible things, as
silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pe. 1:18–19).
V “Who his own self bare our sins in his own
body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:
by whose stripes ye were healed” (1
Pe. 2:24).
V “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” (1 Pe. 3:18).[2]
Who would
believe that God would choose to save the world through a humble, suffering
servant rather than a glorious king? The idea is contrary to human pride and
worldly thinking. But God often works in ways we don’t expect. The Messiah’s
strength is shown by humility, suffering, and mercy.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic in the physical appearance of this servant. Israel would miscalculate the servant’s importance—they would consider him an ordinary man. But even though Jesus would not attract a large following based on his physical appearance, he would bring salvation and healing. Many people miscalculate the importance of Jesus’ life and work, and they need faithful Christians to point out his extraordinary nature.[3]
1st Pic thanks to Relentless Jess
a 53:2
In God’s eyes, literally,
“Before him.”
[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible,
Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
4 Matthew Henry’s Commentary, Vol. 4, p. 302.
[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters
36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible.
Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
No comments:
Post a Comment