Despised and Rejected – For Our Acceptance

Isaiah 53:1-8 “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Oh Lord, many, so many do not believe… “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground.” And truly it was dry ground. Israel had been 400 years without a prophet. By that time they had turned from God's commands and taught for doctrine the commandments of men.Truly the ground was very, very dry. “He has no form or comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” Most of the pictures we see of you Lord, are soft and pleasing. But you took upon yourself human flesh that was not pleasing …and you were rejected. “He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and we hid, as it were, our faces from him; he was despised, and we did not esteem him.” And so it is today, Lord …you are still despised; forbidden in government, banned from schools, your name is blasphemed throughout the land. Lord, it’s the same now. The land is so dry …as it was then. Come soon, Lord Jesus. Come, oh come Emanuel…. “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.” They didn’t understand, Lord. Messiah was supposed to restore the kingdom to Israel. But you were crucified. They thought God was rejecting Jesus. “But he was wounded FOR OUR transgressions, he was bruised FOR OUR iniquities; the chastisement FOR OUR peace was upon him; and by his stripes we are healed.” You showed us from the very beginning. After Adam and Eve were found in sin, you clothed them with the skin of a lamb, they were literally covered by the lamb. Cain’s offering was rejected, because he brought the works of his hands. Abel’s was received, because he brought the lamb, as you had showed them. We can’t come to God through our good works, we can come only through the Lamb. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one of us, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6 Just as I am without one plea, but that your blood was shed for me. “He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” He was silent because he was doing this willingly …because of his love …for you; for me. “He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of my people he was stricken.” He paid a debt he did not owe I owed a debt I could not pay… From: Along Emaus Road