No rejection

DEVOTION

PROPHESIES AND FULFILLMENTS CONCERNING CHRIST

NO REJECTION

Isa 53:3

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

NIV

It almost seems unbelievable that someone would reject Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the Son of God. But we know from history that is exactly what many of the Jewish people did even though he was right there with them in the flesh. Maybe that was the reason. Maybe all they saw was simply a man. They had the record of miracles Moses did in Egypt and throughout the wanderings in the desert. So miraculous signs and wonders were not new to them. They may have remember Joshua and his mighty works, like simply marching around Jericho seven times and yelling, which brought the walls tumbling down. Surely Isaiah’s time with the prophets of Baal, and how he called on God to consume everything around a very wet muddy altar. Over and over again things happened by the power of God. So here is just another man manifesting supernatural power of God. However we also know some of the Pharisees accused him of using demonic power. But the fact remain the Israelites he came to did not esteem him, in fact they tried to have him killed. But how can anyone kill God? The proof was later seen as he did not stay in the grave. The body that he came in may well have died, but God brought life back into that body. Who else can do that?

John records the fulfillment of the words of Isiah.

John 1:10-12

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.

NIV

To receive someone is to recognize who they are. In the society of some when they held a party or gathering, people would be announced as they entered the home or the receiving area. During the reception of weddings the new bride and groom are announced, “And now ladies and gentlemen welcome the new Mr. and Mrs. John Doe”. Jesus was announced by John the Baptist, he was announced to the Jewish people.

John 1:23

23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'"   

NIV

But they would not accept him, they rejected who he was. Today many people have rejected him as well. They may even know intellectually the Jesus, as a man who existed, that he might well have been a prophet, like Muslins do. But the real question is whether we Christians reject Jesus. Surely we do not reject him as Lord and Savior. Although some denominations may not see him the same as others. Most of the fundamental and evangelical denominations see him as the as Lord and Savior. Many of the main line denominations do as well. Yet have we truly accepted him, which is to say accepted all that he has said. We have to come to terms with two basic theological concepts. One, that Jesus was with God in the beginning, in fact he was God. That nothing was made that he did not make, we should say all things that were made, he made. Secondly that everything in the bible, the whole of it is his word. He inspired men to write the words, but it is absolute we believe all of scripture is God-breathed. This is where we might see some rejection of Jesus. Some believers find it easier to quote Paul, Peter and James then to quote God, Jesus. Some believers might well cherry pick which scriptures they feel are for their lives and which are not. Is that a form of rejection of Jesus? Whenever we dismiss a portion of scripture, viewing it as only for the people who were there at the time of it being said, we might well be rejecting the words of Jesus and thus rejecting him. Do we not feel a sense of rejection when someone does not believe something we said? So then would not Jesus feel rejection when we say, that for then, but not for now. As an example, we might say the gifts where for them, but not for us, we might believe they are for today, but we do not practice them, at least all of them. How do we decide? Who are we to decide which of the words of Jesus are for them and not for us? It comes down to whether we believe or not believe it all. We cannot afford to reject any of the truth of God for our lives. He has firmly told us that all scripture, every last word of it is profitable for rebuking, correcting, teaching and training in righteous so that we will be fully equipped.

2 Tim 3:16-17

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

NIV

He did not say some scripture, but all. We cannot reject any of it for our lives. If we accept Jesus then we have to accept everything he has and will say to us for us.