Isaiah 53:2-3 AMPC
For [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He has no form or comeliness [royal, kingly pomp], that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. [3] He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.
"I AM The Great Outsider - outside of your thoughts and plans - outside of your conversations and gatherings - outside of your fears - outside of your hopes and dreams - outside of your battles - outside of your life."
The passage before us is a reminder that, far from being the centre of attention, when Jesus arrived on the scene, the majority did not noticed Him.
There was no fanfare, no front page news.
He grew up in obscurity. No one liked Him very much - despised and rejected, unattractive, excluded! These are not my words, but Isaiah's prophetic announcement of how the world would react to Him.
Even today the mention of Jesus makes many people turn away, feel uncomfortable and avoid the subject, let alone acknowledge Him as God.
John 1:9 The True Light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.11 He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.
We know that today, in Israel, it is just another normal day - nothing to celebrate here - Christmas is for gentiles, outsiders - not for us, this Christian God.
He came first to His own - but was mainly rejected, as the apostle John writes.
There is a great big BUT in John 1, and I sincerely hope that you are in that BUT [or plan to be]!
Verse12 But to those who did accept Him He gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.
If you and I are among those who do accept Jesus, He is not the Great Outsider.
He is the Good Shepherd, The Way, The Truth and The Life.
He is The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
He is The Light of the World.
He is the Bread of Life, The Living Water that quenches our spiritual hunger & thirst.
He is The Alpha and Omega, the First and The Last.
He is The Resurrection and The Life.
We don't turn our faces away, but loving gaze on Him and celebrate His Lovingkindness.
If you feel like an outsider, Jesus understands and wants to bring you in from the cold and include you in His Kingdom today.
That's exactly why He came.
Revelation3:20 Here I Am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me.
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