Daily Devotional | Day 281
“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” (Isaiah 53:3, NKJV).
Jesus has many titles. One that often gets overlooked is found in today’s opening Scripture. Jesus is known as a Man of Sorrows. Isaiah chapter 53 is a key passage in the Bible. It gives us a succinct description of the saving work of the Messiah, the effects of this work and what it cost the Messiah. You will do well to know this passage by heart.
When you hear the Bible talking about Jesus, get interested because whatever is said about Jesus has implications for you. Always remember: you are one Spirit with Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:17).
Therefore, the way to know you is to know Jesus.
Your true self is hidden with Christ (Colossians 3:3-4). Your destiny is intertwined with His. Find Christ, find you. Put differently, ignorance of Christ is ignorance of your identity, potential and destiny. Isaiah 53 is about Jesus. By implication, it’s about you, too. You are an individual organ/member of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). Jesus is the Vine, you are the branch (John 15:1). If you are a branch of the Vine that means you are vine, too. A vine branch has all the properties of the vine.
Where Jesus goes, you go. If Jesus is victorious, so are you (Romans 8:37). If Jesus is seated in heaven, so are you (Ephesians 2:6). On the last day, when Christ is revealed, so will you (Colossians 3:4). We could go on and on. But hopefully you get the point. When you hear “Jesus,” pay attention because whatever is true (or not true) about Jesus affects you. It’s always Jesus-and-you. Remember that.
Jesus is not far from you. He was the Man of Sorrows because He bore our sins, our pain and our grief. He didn’t have to suffer, but He did. He believed you were worth every sacrifice. The Bible says He was despised and rejected by men. He became so disfigured by suffering that people hid their faces to avoid seeing Him. He was acquainted with grief. This means Jesus knows all about suffering.
Because you are joined to Jesus by a spiritual bond, your pain is His pain. Your sorrow is His sorrow. When you’re treated badly, He feels it. When you are despised and rejected, He feels it. When you’re ill, He feels it. When you mourn the loss of a dear one, He doesn’t look on unconcerned. He feels your grief.
No one feels your pain more than the Man of Sorrows.
Go to Him when you feel overwhelmed by pain or grief. He will strengthen you. He will turn your mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11). Pain is not fun. Jesus knows all about it. He felt the pain of the Cross, but He rejoiced in the light of the Resurrection.
Whatever your grief is, I pray that Jesus will turn your mourning into dancing and gladness. I pray that He sends you joyful news. I pray also that He delivers you from every evil attack and lifts up your head. Amen.
For further study: Luke 7:11-17 and 2 Corinthians 1:1-11
Higher-Self Realities 