Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament - Rejected By His Own

The fear and pain associated with rejection is one of the worst feelings experienced as humans. Rejection questions our self-worth, our self-esteem, our identity, and our relationships with others. It affects the way we see ourselves, the way we see others, and the way we see the world. After experiencing the pain of rejection a few times, many decide not to try or put themselves out there for fear of experiencing it again. Rejection hurts!

In the Old Testament, there are numerous prophesies regarding the coming Messiah. One of these prophesies was that He would be rejected by His own people.

Psalm 69:8 states:

Isaiah 53:3 says:

 A foreigner to His own family. A stranger to His siblings. Despised and rejected by mankind. A man of suffering, familiar with pain. Held in low esteem. Those are not nice things to experience.

As we look to the New Testament in the Gospel of John, we read about the prophesy from the Old Testament mentioned earlier about the Messiah being rejected.

John 1:10-11 says:

“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.”

 John 7:5 says:

“For even his own brothers did not believe in him.”

His own did not receive Him. His mother’s children rejected Him. Those closest to Him didn’t even believe Him. These verses from John are talking about Jesus. The Son of God. The Saviour of the world. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Messiah.

Jesus was rejected by His own family and His own people. He was rejected time and time again throughout His lifetime and ministry, often hurt by the people closest to Him. Jesus was rejected to the point of being sent to the cross to die, being accused of blasphemy. He was sent there by the demands and accusations of His own people.

John 18:28-32 says:

 “Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, ‘What charges are you bringing against this man?’ ‘If he were not a criminal,’ they replied, ‘we would not have handed him over to you.’ Pilate said, ‘Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.’ ‘But we have no right to execute anyone,’ they objected. This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.”

Jesus was wrongfully accused. He was lied about. He was rejected by His own people. Yet, He still died for them. He still died for us. He still gave His life for those who rejected Him. Even on the cross, in the midst of agony and exhaustion, Jesus still showed love and forgiveness despite being rejected.

Dealing with rejection isn’t easy. In fact, it can be really painful. But let it be a reminder to you that even Jesus Himself was rejected and continues to be rejected. Let there be comfort in bringing your pain to a Saviour who can relate to your pain.

As painful as rejection is, there is a sense of comfort knowing that someone else has gone through the same thing. They can relate to us. They understand us. They know how we feel. They know the depths of our pain. We have this and more in Jesus.

Luke 23:34-35 says:

Jesus, the Saviour of the world, the Messiah, was rejected and is still being rejected to this day. People continue to reject the free gift of salvation through Jesus. They continue to reject His love. They continue to reject His sacrifice. They continue to reject His plans for their lives. Yet despite all the rejection, Jesus still makes Himself available. He doesn’t run away. He doesn’t hide. He is ready to embrace anyone who comes His way with love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion.

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