Like one from whom men hide their face—Easter Series Part 3
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 53:3
This is a picture of the Messiah as He prepared to take on the sins of the world and to rescue mankind from its murderous grip. It’s courageous enough to risk your life to save someone when folks on the sidelines are oohing and ahhing at your heroic bravery. It’s light-years beyond that when you willingly lay down your life for the very ones who scornfully mock, jeer, and abuse you. But that is exactly what our Savior did—one indelible rescue mission on behalf of the entire human race.
He was despised and forsaken of men…
Jesus was despised. He was disdained. He was held in derision. A quick survey of current thought reveals that many still despise Him. He was forsaken by His family and many of His closest friends and was rejected by the world He came to save. Neither you nor I would be able to sustain such blatant contempt or rejection from those we sought to help. Jesus, on the other hand, held tightly to the mission given to Him by the Father from the beginning of time to seek and to save the lost…even when they rejected Him with utter disdain.
…a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief…
Who was this Man to whom lepers, prostitutes, fishermen, tax collectors, priests, and children flocked? How could one Man—so despised, yet so magnetic—draw from such a diverse swath of society? He was not merely kind—although kindness and compassion permeated all that He did. He was not merely powerful—although wherever He went, signs, wonders, and healings followed.
He was, to His core, a Man of sorrows and pain. He was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, fully acquainted with sickness and grief. He was a Man, not only of kindness and power, but a Man who seemed to understand the very depth of each man’s sorrow, pain, sickness, and grief. He never scolded nor demeaned anyone suffering under its cruel grip; instead He stepped in to heal each one with compassion and power. He was not like the religious leaders of the day who couldn’t sympathize with the weaknesses of the people, but He was One who had been tempted in all things just like everyone else—yet without ever sinning (see Hebrews 4:15). There was within Him something so unnervingly deep and unsearchable that made it impossible for His detractors—or His followers—to peg, trap, or figure Him out.
…and like one from whom men hide their face…
Many despised Him and sought to ensnare Him; multitudes followed Him and sought to touch Him. And yet this Man could gaze into each one’s heart and know the thoughts, fears, and dreams within. He read people’s mail; He knew when they were trying to trap Him; He knew when they were lying; He knew their history and the motives of their heart—and that made them uneasy. More than once, Pharisees and Sadducees walked away from an encounter with Him, their heads hanging in silence. Nathanael was awed at the Lord’s ability to read his mail (see John 1:47-48). Zacchaeus the tax collector experienced Jesus’ penetrating insight (see Luke 19:1-6), as did the woman at the well (see John 4:15-19). The rich young ruler, after expressing a zealous desire to follow Him, slunk away, grieved and saddened, after Jesus gently exposed the young man’s attachment to his wealth (Mark 10:20-22). Peter, more than once, was cut to the core when Jesus confronted Him; after he denied the Lord, one look from Jesus made him turn and weep bitterly (see Luke 22:61-62).
Have you ever experienced awkward silence when the topic of Jesus comes up in public? It’s uncanny; even now so many seem to hide their faces from Him.
But this Man’s redeeming work was not merely for those who would embrace Him quickly or for the hesitant ones who would take the plunge after giving it much thought. No, He also died for those who purposefully sought to hide their face—and their heart—from Him. And He died for those who are still in hiding.
…He was despised…
He was loved and He was despised—and often, both love and hatred toward Him raged together within the same heart. It’s still that way for many; men and women battling in the secret places of their souls sneak furtive glimpses His way in the valley of their decision. They sense the truth and long for it; but they resent it as well. The only way they know how to deal with such a Man is to either embrace Him or despise Him. Some of you underwent the same inner warfare—I certainly did—yet despite the tumultuous conflict, the Lord led each of us into the truth. Pray for those still gripped by this war to see Him through the smoke of battle and to find the grace to follow Him to the safety of the cross and the blood He shed for them.
This was why He came: to be high and lifted up onto the cross of judgment. Without His atoning death, no one would see God; no one would inherit eternal life.
In His eyes, you and I and all the rest were worth every agonizing moment of the suffering He endured. But despite this…
…we did not esteem Him.
Many still do not esteem Him. However, the fact remains that this Man took our place that day two millennia ago to free each of us from our captivity to sin, self, and sorrow.
And He never once regretted it.
Dorothy
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2, KJV; emphasis added
Read MoreWho has believed our message? Easter Series Part 2
Who has believed our message? 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 parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. Isaiah 53:1-2
Centuries before Jesus was born, God was preparing His people for the Coming One and the new thing which He was about to do in the earth.
Who has believed our message?
What message? It was the message revealed throughout Scripture, particularly in the Messianic prophecies; and up close, Isaiah was referring to the message about the Suffering Servant introduced in chapter 52—the Servant who would be high and lifted up and greatly exalted (see Isaiah 52:13 and https://www.firstofallpray.com/?p=6250).
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
This was the next question asked by Isaiah. It is safe to say that the arm of the Lord is revealed to those who have believed the message. After all, the New Testament declares that we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand (see Romans 5:2; emphasis added). In other words, because you believe, God has introduced you to His grace and has revealed His arm to you. What you believe is of utmost importance; your eternal destination depends upon it. Both the Old and New Testaments agree concerning this.
For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot…
Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (see Luke 2:52, NIV). But Jesus mainly grew quietly, in the secret place, before God.
…and like a root out of parched ground…
Prophetic voices had ceased in the land ever since the days of Malachi, over four hundred years prior to the birth of Christ. The very time into which Jesus was born was parched and obscure. The Galilean region where Jesus was raised was under Roman occupation; it held no mystique or glory. His family—Joseph and Mary—were of humble means; although both could trace their lineage back to King David, the mundanity of the ensuing generations had leached the glamour out of the more recent branches of the family tree—Joseph was but a lowly carpenter and Mary was merely a young mother. And Jesus was but a Boy growing up in an obscure time, in a parched region, to a nondescript family.
He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him…
As the people of God awaited the advent of the Messiah, they envisioned that He would appear on the scene as a glorious King, arriving in the regal power of majesty and commanding instant respect and acquiescence. Surely, only such a Man could put Israel back on the map and bring recompense upon all of her detractors. A young Man from a tiny village and straight out of the carpenter’s workshop was the last One they were expecting. Although their Scripture clearly stated that the Messiah would have no stately form or majesty that they would look upon Him, nevertheless they expected Him to be more impressive than the young Man who had just started preaching around Judea…
…nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
Recently I read an entertainment article about the dashing good looks of the actors who had played the role of Jesus on stage or screen throughout the years. A photo-essay accompanied the article, and indeed, those men were quite the heartthrobs.
And yet Scripture is clear; you’d never peg Jesus to be the Messiah from His yearbook photo. As a matter of fact, His appearance lacked the “it” factor so valued in cultures—including ours—throughout the ages. The attractive quality that first drew Israel and then the world to Jesus had nothing to do with His looks; it was not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life (see Hebrews 7:16). It was the life of God flowing through Someone who otherwise seemed absolutely unremarkable. This is what attracted the multitudes to Him.
Jesus emerged from a quiet, hidden upbringing during an obscure time, in a parched region, from a nondescript family, with an unimpressive resume, and bearing an unexceptional appearance. And this was the perfect will of God.
As you live your life, don’t dismiss the plain, the common, and the everyday. God delights in using unremarkable people, places, and situations.
Jesus proved it.
Dorothy
For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
Read MoreThe Suffering Servant—Easter Series Part 1
Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were astonished at you, My people, so His appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of men. Thus He will sprinkle many nations, kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; for what had not been told them they will see, and what they had not heard they will understand. Isaiah 52:13-15
As I was researching the prophecy in Isaiah about the sufferings of the Messiah on behalf of mankind, I discovered something I never knew before. I learned that there are four sections in the book of Isaiah commonly known as “The Servant’s Songs”. They are:
- Isaiah 42:1-4 about the chosen Servant
- Isaiah 49:1-6 about the mission of the Servant
- Isaiah 50:4-9 about the steadfast, obedient Servant
- Isaiah 52:13-15 through Isaiah 53:1-12 about the suffering Servant
Jesus was that Servant. He was the chosen Servant (see Isaiah 42:1). He was the Servant given the mission to redeem Israel and all the nations of the earth (see Isaiah 49:6). He was the obedient Servant even in the face of being struck and having His beard pulled out (see Isaiah 50:5-6). And He was the suffering Servant, submitting unto death, even the death of the cross (see Philippians 2:8).
Behold, My servant will prosper…
God’s Servant would prosper. This kind of prosperity had far more to do with prudence, wisdom, and spiritual impact than it did with acquiring great wealth. However, as you view the span of twenty centuries since Jesus’ death and resurrection and consider all of the souls He has since rescued from a fiery, destitute eternity—millions upon millions of us—possibly billions—each one of us is a bounty credited to His account. His scale tipped over a long time ago, and more and more souls are still being heaped up upon it every day. He has indeed prospered.
He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.
This verse speaks of the honor and exaltation this Servant would so richly deserve. Ironically, it also speaks of the manner by which He would die—high and lifted up on the cross at Calvary. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14; see also Numbers 21:8-9).
Just as many were astonished at you, My people…
This indicates both the historical hatred toward the nation of Israel and God’s miraculous intervention time and again—in the face of that hatred—on their behalf.
…so His appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of men.
Like the race to which He was born, Jesus would be hated. His appearance, or visage, would be marred more than any man to the utter disfigurement of His face. His form—His shape, outline, or figure (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H8389&t=KJV)—would likewise experience disfiguring beatings to a far greater extent than that sustained by any man. And all of this took place after His arrest and before He even reached the cross.
Thus He will sprinkle many nations…
This was His mission. His blood was shed on behalf of many nations—for Israel first and for the rest of the world as well—for whosoever would believe on Him.
“Sprinkle” is an interesting word. The word used here is not a gentle, delicate thing such as I received when I was “baptized” as a seven-month-old—a bit of water was sprinkled on my forehead as I grabbed at the minister’s black-rimmed glasses. No, the Hebrew word is nazah and means to spurt and spatter as well as to sprinkle (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H5137&t=KJV). Think opened arteries. They don’t sprinkle. They spurt. Opened veins ooze—not a little, but copious amounts of blood.
As Jesus’ blood spurted and spattered throughout His agonizing trial and crucifixion, nations were being sprinkled by His blood. The way was being inaugurated for whosoever would believe in Him to enter through the veil—that is, His torn flesh—to be cleansed from their sin and receive everlasting life (see Hebrews 10:19-20).
…kings will shut their mouths on account of Him…
The day will come when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (see Philippians 2:10-11). On that day, man’s agendas will cease; man’s wisdom will be silenced; kings will shut their mouths. Everything will be summed up in Christ (see Ephesians 1:10).
… for what had not been told them they will see, and what they had not heard they will understand.
This gospel must be preached to all the nations (see Mark 13:10). There may be individuals among the nations who never hear; others will be among those of whom Jesus spoke: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand” (Matthew 13:13, NIV); the truth just doesn’t register with them. But a third category of humanity is the group spotlighted in this verse—those who did not know the gospel, but upon its entrance into their lives, they both see and understand the good news of salvation. Many of us are in that group.
Every man, woman, and child who has ever lived throughout the earth’s long, rolling generations, will one day see and understand the truth about the Servant who came to suffer and die for them.
May God help those of us who are privileged to know this truth to live our lives with one main purpose in mind—that multitudes more will see and understand the message of the Suffering Servant—Jesus—on this side of eternity.
Dorothy
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. John 3:14-15
Read MoreJames 4:17—The sin of omission
Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. James 4:17
Remember when James wrote in chapter 2, “For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery’ also said, ‘Do not commit murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law”? He was referring to two of the more recognized “sins of commission”, adultery and murder. The base word of “commission” is “commit”. The sins of commission are, therefore, “action” sins—sins you commit. Very often, the discussion of sin focuses on the sins of commission.
However, James refers to the “sins of omission” in verse 17. The base word of “omission” is “omit”, which means to leave something out, to neglect to do something, or to leave something undone. When I told my pre-algebra students to do numbers 1-20 for homework, but to omit #s 16 and 17, they reveled in that omission. They loved the word “omit”.
Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it…
If my students knew to do 1-20, omitting 16 and 17, but instead did 1-15, omitting not only 16 and 17, but #s 18, 19, and 20 as well, they did not get a pass. Their unauthorized omissions were counted against them. No excuses, no questions asked. You see, they knew to do those problems, but chose not to do them. I never said, “Oh, honey, you meant well; that’s OK.” Because it wasn’t.
James wrote very clearly: Anyone who knows the right thing to do and yet doesn’t do it…
…to him it is sin.
This greatly expands our view of the field of sin. How about that Scripture that keeps nagging at you, shining light on something you need to attend to or adjust? If you blow it off, you’ve sinned—the sin of omission. No excuses. No questions asked. Ever sense the leading of the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart to give a certain amount of money to a friend in trouble? Again, if you dodge it, you’ve sinned. No excuses. No questions asked. What if you’re in on a conversation among Christians and the topic of another believer comes up—and the expertly sharpened tongues come out? You know you need to step in to stop it, but you don’t. You’ve sinned. No excuses. No questions asked.
And you walk away each time a little less confident, a little more dejected, feeling weighed down by the load of your omission. Join the club of the redeemed who’ve blown it—we’re all members. It’s at times like this that we so desperately need to go before the Lord for mercy.
Simon Peter opened the door to denying the Lord by shrinking from declaring what he knew to be true about Him after Jesus’ arrest. He was snared by the sin of omission. You’ve heard the story. Here’s the tail-end of it:
But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly (Luke 22:60-62, emphasis added).
That was the best thing that could have happened to Peter under the circumstances—to meet the gaze of Jesus. When you feel disappointed in yourself, deflated, and embarrassed about your omission, that’s when you’re catching the Lord’s eye. Through your sense of conviction, He’s helping you to acknowledge the omission and is leading you to repentance. This is what was going on in Peter when he went out and wept bitterly.
But God didn’t leave Peter in that bitterly remorseful state. After Jesus rose from the dead, an angel instructed the women at the tomb, “But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you’” (Mark 16:7, emphasis added). Peter’s omission had left him feeling disgraced and isolated, unworthy of the Lord he had denied. But here, the singling out of Peter was for honor, not shame. As for you, when you acknowledge your omissions to the Lord, He will lift you up from your place of defeat as well.
Be proactive. Practice yielding to those inward promptings of the Holy Spirit. Apply those Scriptures the Lord lays upon your heart. Do that right thing you know to do, and do it with all your heart. You will grow in wisdom and the fear of the Lord, and those sins of omission will become fewer and further between.
You will never regret omitting the omissions!
Dorothy
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock…Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. Matthew 7:24, 26
If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. John 13:17
Read MoreJames 4:13-16—Boasting
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. James 4:13-16
Our generation is probably the most calendar- and clock-driven generation to ever exist on the planet—and things don’t look like they’re changing any time soon. Because of this, I wonder how James would write this portion of his letter if he were alive right now.
Whenever I leave the house I think about this section of James as I tell my cats when I’ll be back—not that they can tell time, mind you. “I’ll be home in two or three hours, by the grace of God,” I say to their whiskery stares, adding something like, “And you know how gracious He’s been; He’s not about to change now!” I say it this way because I believe that it is His will for me to return safely home; He’s been so good about protecting me in potentially disastrous situations in the past, and I actively trust Him to continue.
But James wasn’t writing about that. The key to understanding his thought process concerning these four verses is in verse sixteen: “But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.” He was not directing believers to avoid making advance plans; he was simply letting them know that he was being knocked over by the stench of the fleshly, boastful arrogance oozing from their conversations about those agendas.
Have you ever found yourself in a “testimony competition”? You know—the kind where one person shares what God did, and then another pipes up with a “Well, yeah; but get this!” and proceeds to outdo their neighbor’s story of blessing? It can go on and on without anyone realizing they just dismissed someone’s encounter with God as trivial. Something which on the surface appears to be a glorious conversation turns into vying for bragging rights—about God, of all things!! When that competitive nature kicks in, watch out! Wonderful testimonies can quickly deteriorate into a showy “flesh-fest”.
I’m not saying don’t share your testimonies—absolutely not! What I am saying is this: before you share, savor your neighbor’s blessing from God. The Lord came through for them. That’s worth valuing! And then check your heart. Are you hoping to top them? Then hold your thought. A well-timed testimony is like apples of gold in settings of silver (see Proverbs 25:11); on the other hand, a testimony shared to pump up your “spiritual resume” is the same as seeking your own glory—which really isn’t glory at all (see Proverbs 25:27).
This kind of testimony competition is similar to the situation to which James was referring; however, instead of boasting about past victories, these folks were bragging about their future.
James gave his readers an example of their arrogant boasting when he said, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’” He didn’t mean for them to stop traveling, to quit doing business, or to cease making a profit; nothing is wrong with those things. What James sought to expose was this: They were showing off. They were focusing on what big shots they were.
Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
I do not believe for a second that James was instructing believers to be morbid about their life-expectancy, either. I do believe, however, that his aim was to jolt them out of their habitual boasting with the stark reality of the unpredictability of life. He intended to refocus their sights—off of their self-perceived awesomeness and on to finding out what God had to say about things. Instead of boasting, he was saying, ask the Lord what His will for you is.
But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.
Whether it’s about your plans, your abilities, your status, or anything else you may use to one-up others, James pegged it all as arrogant boasting. All such boasting is evil.
Be very aware of your motives. Let the Holy Spirit shine a light on what’s rolling around on the inside of you when you start to get competitive while talking with others. Ask Him for help with your part of the conversation—what you should share, when you should share it, and with whom you should share it. He will surely train you in the fine art of listening to Him when conversing with others, and He will help you to stay on top of those unruly motives.
Dorothy
It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glory to search out one’s own glory. Proverbs 25:27
He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. John 7:18
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