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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

If you were to look at pop culture, we might think of Jesus as someone very attractive and loved by many. Isaiah describes the coming Messiah in a significantly different manner. Just like the prophets before Him, Jesus had His enemies. He didn’t stand up for the social justice causes of His day. Jesus’ purpose was for one thing: to build His Church. He came so people would know the Gospel message that so many prophets before had attempted to deliver. Yes, He challenged power, but many think it was only those in high authority. The greatest power He challenged, however, was our authority. The authority that comes from believing we are autonomous and in full control of our lives. Oppression comes when we believe that we are being limited, but the true power comes when we realize we are limited only in the calling our Lord places on our lives. Jesus’ calling was sorrowful because He knew the suffering that was to come. He knew that He would be rejected and betrayed. He knew our condition and our sins, which He was taking on Himself to bring us into His peace.

Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.