Day 18: Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Consider Jesus’ life: born on the road, placed in a manger. His family fled to Egypt, they survived. Returning to Nazareth, they started new. They were not rich. As an adult Jesus had no home and lived simply. He faced constant questions, was supported by companions, and hated by the powerful and religious scholars. He had few close friends. Hailed as a king and savior upon entering Jerusalem, one week later he was betrayed by a friend, arrested, abandoned by friends, beaten and nailed to a cross. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11).
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). Faith in Jesus is a matter of belief, resulting in identification as a child of God. It is easy to hide our faith, suppress our identity, and shade Christ in the world. Jesus suffered that we might live for him. Where will you stand with him today?