Crayons For Jesus


Wednesday, January 28, 2009 Print E-mail
He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isaiah 53:3

Isaiah is a book of prophecy. It has hundreds of prophecies regarding not only the short future of Israel, but the eternal future of it as well. The prophecy revolves around the coming savior, that is, Jesus. This verse is just that, a description of the savior in human flesh. The Anglo Saxon view of Christ is a pale complexion, long hair, and beard, garnished with a halo; but, these verses put a human face on our savior. This humanization of Christ will enable us to relate to and know Him more intimately.

He was despised. Christ knows the bitter anguish from hatred. He knows what it is to be pursued. To be unjustly accused and immediately condemned by mankind. He has been tossed aside. It is so fundamental to his human manifestation that this phrase is repeated twice in this verse.

He was rejected, or forsaken. He knows what it is like to be abandoned in the greatest hour of need. He intimately knows the path of loneliness.

He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Sorrow was not something he had just heard about, it was something that he knew first-hand. It was something that he experienced daily. Grief was not a one-time occurrence; it was something that visited him often.

One from whom men hide their faces. To be so rejected and despised as to not have people even look at you is completely isolating. This verse doesn’t give us a picture of a glowing man in a tunic but that of a man completely disregarded and forsaken by all humanity.

We esteemed him not. He was not the most handsome nor was he deemed worthy by most of mankind. He was tossed aside and left alone.

The point of breaking down each segment of this verse is this: Christ’s life was rough, our lives our rough. We are more likely to confide and connect with those who have experienced similar circumstances and emotions. There are areas and times in our lives where mankind has treated us horribly and this verse shows us Christ was too. He knows exactly where we are and has felt all of these emotions. He intimately knows the true pain of it and therefore is a credible source of relief.

We are not alone in the suffering. We are not alone in the humiliation. We are not alone in the disappointment. We have one who was written off and continues to be written off daily by humanity. He is not writing us off but offering us companionship and empathy. You are not alone, He has been there and He is there now.

Lord Jesus,
You were overlooked, hurt, and forsaken. You know first-hand the woes that we face. Help us to connect with you during these moments of extreme anguish. You loved us so much that you came and experienced these woes. You are the only one who has the power to lead us out of these circumstances. You have the power to take these evil wounds and make them into something good. We ask that you would. Replace the sting of these occurrences with the warmth of your healing touch. Allow us to forget the struggle but to remember the joy you bring instead. Draw us closer and push us further onward toward the plan you have for our lives. Thank you blessed savior. We pray these things in your precious name, Amen.