Rejected by man, Jesus sacrificed... Isaiah 53:3-5

I was asked the question. Since we know that Jesus, being the Son of God, was born with the purpose to be the Sacrificial Lamb and be put to death as an atonement for humanity's sins, why then did they beat Jesus so badly before killing Him?

What was the purpose of the brutality, the sheer torture, the extreme bloodshed?  And why did nobody step in to help Jesus?

Why did nobody stand up for the truth of who He was, the one and only Son of God? Surely, there were many who knew!

Jesus' Mother Mary, His Father Joseph, His disciples and so many more... They knew!  Yet, they stood and watched as our Beloved Jesus knowingly took the beating that humanity deserved. 

I believe that very cruelty that murdered Jesus was so severe, that left Him unrecognizable, was indeed for the sinfulness of mankind.  And through His death, sinners have been given the choice to know and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He goes to God, the Father, on our behalf and we receive Salvation. In this, we have an intimate and loving relationship with our God, our creator, and loving Father in Heaven. Because we choose Jesus, we receive access to a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. We receive the Most beautiful love. The heartbeat of God beats within us. We know Him. We know Jesus. The Holy Spirit fills us.  It is intimacy, a Sacred relationship that no man can know apart from our Lord.

Think about it...

Our Father in Heaven made His son a sacrifice, so that we can know Him intimately.  We become like newborn babes in His embrace. We grow in knowledge of our Father and His ways, His love, forgiveness, mercy and grace.

So, back to the severity of the murder.  Did it have to be so tortuous and cruel?  

If it were not, would we be able to identify with our Jesus when we go through our own trials and torments here?

Sure, many teach that because we have accepted Jesus that we won't undergo any problems. After all, He took them for us so we don't have to, or so we have been led to believe. Yet, throughout history,  we know that murderous generations continue. Those, who hated Jesus and killed Him 2000 years go, have never stopped beating, mocking and persecuting those who love and worship God.  

Because our Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb of God, we have a way of escape from the mocking, lies, schemes and torments that come at us as children of God.  Because our relationship with Jesus has become Sacred, we have intimacy with Him and He understands our every pain. Jesus did bear every pain and torment on the way to the cross. As He hung there dying, unrecognizable  from the scourging that He received, He knew already that this was His destiny.  Jesus love for humanity was undeniable. God's love for future generations was sacrificial, yet never ending.  

We must know that not every heart chooses to know Jesus.  Many choose to deny His existence. They deny His birth, His life and His sacrificial death on the cross.  They mock the story of Jesus and they mock those of us who know the reality of His love.

As Jesus died on the cross, he asked forgiveness for those who killed Him.  Two men who were also killed that day hanging on crosses beside Jesus.  The thief believed who Jesus was and we are told that he went to heaven. The other man did not.  Perhaps, he chose not believe and therefore remained apart from God for eternity.

The skies darkened and the earth shook violently, as Jesus took His last breath. And we know that it was said by those who killed Him that surely this must be the son of God.  The very men who murdered him had a sudden understanding of what they had done.

Think about it.

Our Jesus, the One who has loved us the most...

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.

Isaiah 53:3

Our Jesus!  He lives! Yes, Jesus lives in our hearts. His love, is strong and beautiful and Sacred. 

He has loved us to the Cross and back again.   

I believe that very cruelty that murdered Jesus was so severe, that left Him unrecognizable, was indeed for the sinfulness of mankind.  And through His death, sinners have been given the choice to know and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He goes to God, the Father, on our behalf and we receive Salvation. In this, we have an intimate and loving relationship with our God, our creator, and loving Father in Heaven. Because we choose Jesus, we receive access to a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. We receive the Most beautiful love. The heartbeat of God beats within us. We know Him. We know Jesus. The Holy Spirit fills us.  It is intimacy, a Sacred relationship that no man can know apart from our Lord.

My prayer for today is that we never take our eyes off of our Lord. But know, that if we do, since we belong to Him, He will reach down and pick us up in His loving embrace, minister to us and He will heal our wounds.

Love and blessings  to all of God's children in Jesus' name. Amen

Isaiah 53:3-5 

John 3 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.