Man of Sorrows

He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief…
Isaiah 53:3

He was born in a barn because there was no room for Him anywhere else. Poverty demanded that only the minimal religious offering be made at His dedication. He grew up being gossiped about, because He was thought to be illegitimate. But they didn’t know the truth; they didn’t know Him.

He healed the blind, the lame, and those with incurable diseases, but wasn’t paid for His services. He often slept outside because He owned no house or even the money for a night’s lodging. He had a group of close followers, but one was a traitor and the rest abandoned Him to His enemies.

He was a rejected king, without an army and without a following. His soul felt troubled, weighed down by the seriousness of His mission, yet He didn’t weep for Himself. When He saw the city of His execution, He wept for the lost and deceived folks inside.

This Man of Sorrows endured the cross and despised the shame because of the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2)– the joy of finally wiping away every tear from the cheek of fallen man.

“Man of Sorrows” what a name
For the Son of God who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim!
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

-Philip P. Bliss (1838-1876)

June 3