Have you watched The Chosen? As I thought about what to write, I remembered watching and being struck by how human they had portrayed Jesus. But wasn’t that key to Jesus mission? So, let’s dive into the Man of Sorrows.

Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 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.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Have you ever thought about what people thought of Jesus as he walked the earth? As part of the Trinity, he performed many miracles to show he was sent by the Father, but according to Isaiah, we underestimated the power of him coming as a man.

He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit. Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form. During his life as a man, he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross.
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭ERV‬‬

The mystery of the Trinity is not one I can explain, but Jesus gave up his place with God, to come to us, to serve us, to die for us, even when that meant taking on our transgressions, our wounds, and our rejection.

Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In this scripture we see two points for Jesus to come as a human being: 1) to pay our death penalty, and 2) to help us through suffering and testing.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I have a question for you. Before Jesus came, did God not know how we felt? I can’t help but think that the point of Jesus birth was so much more than his gaining sympathy for our weaknesses, or even dying for our sins. For God makes every move — every thought, every word, every decision — completely full. I feel like I’m just scratching the surface.

Jesus lived in our broken world, subjected to everything it could throw at him. He felt all the feelings; anger, hurt, pain, and rejection, but also love, compassion, joy, and sorrow. The scriptures tell us that we will share in his sufferings, not a pleasant prospect, but they also promise we will share in his glory.

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.
‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭CSB‬‬

The earth itself groans with us.

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭18‬-‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If we gloss over the Man of Sorrows, looking only to the King of Glory, our worship will be shallow. For if not for the depth of his sacrifice, there would be no hope for us.

How do we proceed then? Oh, so many ways, but let me leave you with these thoughts:

For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Grace & Peace,

Sandy

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