When The Door Slams
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:3-4
In our culture, there are many times when we want to associate with the hero, the leader, and the beautiful people. We sometimes hope that we will feel better about ourselves by our association with such figures.
Jesus chose a different image for Himself than the top rung of society. In His physical appearance Jesus was not particularly outstanding or attractive. Rather than being the hero, Jesus was despised and even rejected. He experienced sorrow and grief.
Jesus chose the image of the unlovely. He chose to identify with where most of us live on a daily basis, in order that we could identify with Him. Jesus did not want us to have to escape from the realities of life and try to get next to a superstar. Jesus took on human form and suffered the rejection and disappointments of life. He suffered through everyday trials, but live victoriously through them all.
Think about this: He did this in order that we also would be able to face our reality honestly, and with the Lord's help be victorious. Jesus identified with us so we could identify with Him. People are drawn to Christ because He is a real person who lived as we live. If we are like Him, we will be approachable and attractive to others not because of the image we project, but because we are real.
Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness. Never Rest Ministries
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