Through His Eyes

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. ~ Isaiah 53:1-3 NKJV.

But the fact is, it was our pains he carried - our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him - our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. ~ Isaiah 53: 4-5 The Message.

An 8th century B.C. prophecy liveth on as a 21st century A.D. paradigm.

They were embarrassed of him. Some wondered if he was crazy. Eventually they wanted him dead. He did not play by their rules. He came to establish a kingdom in the hearts of His believers. Its rules were love, mercy and grace. Their laws imprisoned their own through fear, punishment and condemnation. Their kingdom was temporal. His kingdom everlasting.

Despite being rejected by His own, He loved them. The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he'd see life come from it - life, life, and more life. Isaiah 53:10 The Message. He showed us what is love. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. John 15:13 NKJV. His final appeal for those who persecuted Him? Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Luke23:34 NKJV.

No wound cuts deeper than those delivered by whom we love. No disappointment greater than those brought about by whom we trust. No hope more expectant than those which are built upon the church [family]. We may experience divisions in the house [where we worship]. We may have misunderstandings, disagreements and even be disenchanted with what God has called the church to be. Good news is, it isn't a new phenomenon and Jesus knows all about it. However, Jesus sees more. He [Jesus] gave up his life for her [the church] to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God's word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead she will be holy and without fault. Ephesians 5:26-27 NLT. Jesus sees a perfect bride.

To God be the glory,
Sv ".+