Isaiah 53:1-3
“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 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.”
Outward appearances can be very deceiving. As is said, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” How often do we make quick judgments about a person based on their clothes, skin color, cleanliness or manner of speech? Truth be told, there have been times when I have judged a person too quickly, forming an opinion before knowing more, especially what was going on inside that person’s heart.
Jesus had nothing in His appearance that would attract people to Him, in fact, He was “despised and rejected” by men. But, He was familiar with suffering. He knew how to face rejection. Even today, Jesus faces rejection by many in the world whose perception of Him is skewed by television, movies, books and what is read on the internet. The only way to form an accurate, insightful opinion about Jesus is to go beyond the “cover.” I encourage you, dear readers, to open His Book, the Bible, dig into His story, read with a heart open to understanding, and discover for yourself the awesome Good News of great Joy that is found in Him that is for all people!
Lord, help us to look beyond the outward appearance, the trappings of this Christmas season. Give us a desire to open The Book and to read for ourselves the true message of Christmas—as was foretold—Jesus came as a baby, to live among us, then to die on the Cross, for us. Thank you, Father God, for the great, incomparable Gift of Your Son. Amen.
