The
prophecy of Jesus being despised and rejected was written approximately seven
centuries before he came. This was a clear description of one of the things people
should have recognized in the Messiah. “Look for a man who, among other things,
is despised and rejected by men,” cries the prophet. “Look for a man who was
characterized by sorrow, who had a strong friendship with grief. Watch for
someone who comes into towns with a message that causes men to despise him, to
hold back from him the esteem he clearly deserves.”
I
have long been amazed at the intricate complexity of prophecy that God set into
Scripture so that there would be no doubt that Jesus was both “the founder and perfecter of our faith”.[1] What hit me this morning was the way in which Jesus communicated to
us that he knew full well what he was going to endure in redeeming “a people for his own possession who are zealous
for good works”.[2]
In the garden of Eden, God told the serpent that
the offspring of the woman would crush the serpent’s head.[3] However, the serpent would also bruise the Messiah’s heel, revealing
that the woman’s offspring would suffer. This shows that Jesus already knew
that he would only have a people like himself through suffering, through
redemption, through adoption, through being despised and rejected.
The
prophecies about the Messiah’s suffering that are recorded in the Psalms were
not only letting us know a thousand years before Jesus’ coming that God was
putting descriptions into place that would prove the word of God. Each
description of the Messiah’s suffering was also an announcement to the sinful
children of God, “Jesus knows how he will be treated when he comes! Jesus knows
how he will suffer! Jesus knows what it will cost him to redeem his brothers!”
Jesus
was willing to be despised and rejected for me because I was so dearly loved to
him.[4] Prophecy says over and over again, “My love knew what I was getting into. I knew I would be despised and
rejected. I knew I would be grieved, sorrowful, stricken, smitten, afflicted, pierced,
crushed, chastised, wounded, burdened, oppressed, judged, cut off, buried,
anguished, poured out to death, numbered with transgressors, and burdened with
the sin of many”.[5] And, that’s just one chapter of the Old Testament!
Another way we
are told that Jesus knew what he would suffer is described like this: “for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross…”[6] There was such a great joy set before Jesus that caused him
to despise the shame of the cross, and endure all the suffering the cross brought
his way. This was a different joy than what he already had in his relationship
with his Father. This was a joy he could have if he endured the cross.
This joy was
his delight in having us as his family.[7] He
would have the joy of redeeming his brothers so that they could be adopted into
the household of God and bear the love of God in their hearts forever. Satan
would be thoroughly defeated, and the sons of God would be thoroughly
victorious in the victory of Christ. Jesus had joy in what he knew was ahead,
and so he “endured”!
This helps me
understand one more thing about the book of Revelation: it tells us what is
ahead so we will endure! The joy set before Jesus was that he would have us as
his brothers. The joy set before us is that we will have him. At the end of the
Revelation it is described like this:
And I heard a loud voice from the throne
saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with
them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their
God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall
be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for
the former things have passed away.”[8]
This is the
joy set before us that helps us endure. Whatever happens along the way to
heaven, the story ends with God dwelling with his people. All the gifts of God
we experienced in part will then be experienced in full. The down payment on our
inheritance will become the fullness of our inheritance[9]. God
himself will dwell with us, and we will be his people. God himself will be with
us as our God. He will personally wipe away our tears with such comfort that
our pain will be quickly forgotten. There will be no more death to ruin our
relationships. There will be no more mourning, no dirges, no crying. Grief will
be utterly gone. Neither will there be any pain. We will not have anything from
which to protect ourselves since all painful things will be gone.
So, here is
the way we are to see Revelation: “Look at the joy set before you, and endure!”
If we let Revelation show us the joy set before us, will receive help to endure
until the end just as Jesus endured for us.[10] Peter
affirms this when he says: “Christ also
suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”[11] And Hebrews adds another witness with
this exhortation: “So
Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through
his own blood. Therefore
let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.
For here we have no lasting city, but we
seek the city that is to come.”[12]
May our joy in
that everlasting city that is to come encourage us to endure whatever we face
for the glory of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
From my heart,
Monte
© 2013 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
[1]
Hebrews 12:2
[2]
Titus 2:14
[3]
Genesis 3:15
[4]
Ephesians 5:1-2
[5]
Isaiah 53
[6]
Hebrews 12:2
[7]
Hebrews 2:11
[8]
Revelation 21:3-4
[9]
Ephesians 1:13-14
[10]
Matthew 10:22; 24:13
[11]
I Peter 2:21
[12]
Hebrews 13:12-14
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)
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