Advent Foretold Day 16: He Would be Rejected

 

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After waiting so long for the Messiah, you would think it would have been a much different reception than the one Jesus received. But this was not the case, nor was this a surprise to God. He told us in His word that these things would take place…..

"Who has believed our report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot. And like a root out of the parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him; Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face. He was despised, and we did not esteem Him." Isaiah 53:1-4

But I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of men and despised by the people. All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head saying, “Commit yourself to the Lord; Let Him deliver Him; Let Him rescue Him, because He delights in Him.” Psalm 22:6 - (Fulfilled Matthew 27:40, Mark 15:30,32)

"Those who hate me without cause are more than the hairs on my head; Those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies; what I did not steal, I then have to restore…..Because for Your sake I have borne reproach, Dishonor has covered my face. I have become estranged from my brothers and an alien to my mother’s sons. For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me…….Those who sit in the gate talk about me. I am the song of drunkards…..Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink…..But I am afflicted and in pain; May Your salvation, O God, set me securely on high." Psalm 69:4,7-9,12,20-21

"Just as many were astonished at you, My people, so His appearance was marred more than the sons of men….." Isaiah 52:14
 
These verses give us a glimpse of the suffering Jesus endured during His thirty-three years on earth. They also gives us a glimpse of His anguish on the cross as He bore our sins and reproach.

Jesus was the brunt of drunkards’ songs, most likely because people believed He was a child of fornication. If you read John 8:41 you see the Jews say to Jesus, “WE were not born of fornication!!” Can you imagine saying that to God’s face?

They weren't the only ones who had issues with who Jesus was. Jesus’ brothers thought He was completely off His donkey in thinking He was the Son of God. Hadn’t they all shared the same family their whole lives? Didn’t they all sleep on the same piles of hay? They did not believe in Him until after the Resurrection.

In Psalm 69:12 Jesus said He looked for comfort and sympathy but found none. It makes me think of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, right before He was arrested and crucified...

Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?” Matthew 26:38-40

When Jesus was arrested He was mocked, spit on, and beaten beyond recognition. His appearance was so marred; this may be why the disciples did not recognize Him after the resurrection. He bore the physical marks of His crucifixion. We know from Scripture that He still has the nail marks in His hands and feet. Scripture also tells us Jesus had His beard torn out before He was crucified.

“I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; I hid not My face from shame and spitting.” Isaiah 50:6

 

    One of the Romans' rituals of cruelty in those times was that the Roman soldiers would tear out the beards of their crucifixion victims whose cultures believed men were to wear beards. This act was intended to complete the humiliation of the crucifixion victim and leave him completely naked. Although the New Testament does not tell when this happened to Jesus, Isaiah prophesied that this would happen the Messiah. You may be wondering why am I talking about Jesus' adult life and the crucifixion when this Advent is about His arrival as a babe. I do so to remind us that He was born to die…

It is easy to compartmentalize the birth of Jesus from the death and resurrection of Jesus. The birth of Jesus can take on the identity of a sweet children’s story that fits the Christmas season of feeling warm and fuzzy. This sweet baby was born on a starry night, He got to camp out with the barn animals. It is all wonderful and so precious to think of our Savior entering the world as this little baby. BUT....I guarantee on the night Jesus was born, and all the days after, Michael, Israel’s angel, was on DEFCON 4 with his troops of God’s angels. This was a night and an event Satan had been trying to prevent for thousands of years. Satan and his troops were in attack mode to kill this child who was to be born. We get a glimpse of Satan’s murderous rage when Herod orders all the babies in Bethlehem, under the age of two, be put to death.

Yes, the birth of Jesus is a precious event for us to celebrate. Jesus was born to die.….that we might LIVE. He was born to be the ransom for many and defeat death with His resurrection, that we might have eternal life in His presence. He was born to breathe life into our dead souls. He was born to bear our reproach. His gift to us began on the night He was born, but it was fulfilled the morning of His resurrection and continues to be fulfilled every day when someone accepts Jesus as Lord of their lives, or goes home to be with Him. We should not separate the manger from the cross. To do so is to lose the AWESOMENESS of WHY we celebrate Christmas. Merry Christmas!!!