DESPISED - & REJECTED

He is despised and rejected of men … Isa 53.3.

Twice in the above verse from Isaiah the Messiah is spoken of as 'despised' - disdained or scorned. And when on earth, He certainly was that. Men hurled every conceivable kind of insult at Jesus:-

1. They referred to Him as a glutton and drunkard -  the One who at times hungered and thirsted for us, Mat. 4:2; John  19:28.

2. They attributed collusion with Beelzebub to Him - the One who had come to undo the works of the devil and who performed His miracles in the power of the Spirit of God, Mat. 12:28; 1John 3:5.

3. They sniggered at Him, with obvious innuendo, 'We were not born of fornication'-  the One who was 'that holy thing', born of a virgin, Luke 1:34-35.

4. They sneered at Him, 'Thou art a Samaritan'- at the One who was of the royal house of Israel, Luke 2:4.

5. They scoffed at Him, 'You have a demon'- at the One who cast out unclean spirits with absolute authority, Mark 1:27.

6. They branded Him as 'that deceiver (impostor)', Mat. 27:63 - the One who was everything He claimed to be and the very 'truth' itself, John 8:14;  John 14:6.

No insult or term of contempt was too bad for Him. He was well and truly 'despised'.

But not just despised, but also He was 'rejected of men ('abandoned by rulers and persons of rank'). The word 'rejected' is derived from the verb 'to cease, to leave off' and probably indicates that men of importance held themselves aloof from Him. They kept their distance and refused to associate themselves with Him.

The Pharisees could fling at their officers the challenge, 'Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?', John 7:48. Jesus received no assistance or support from the chief men in Israel.

He was 'rejected' by the men 'in his own country', Luke 4:24, and by His own people generally, John 1:11.  

He is described as “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”. His life was characterised by sorrow. Sorrow that though He was in the world He had created, He was not recognised that He was God manifest in the flesh. Sorrow that He was rejected, not just by the Samaritans, but also by His own people. Sorrow that His own family didn’t believe in Him (Mat. 13:55-56). Sorrow when He saw how people suffered because of sin (John 11:35). He was grieved at the hardness of people’s hearts (Mar. 3:5), at the slowness of the disciples to understand (Mar. 8:21). Judas betrayed Him; Peter denied Him. He was acquainted with grief. 

We have been 'accepted' by God, Eph, 1:4, on account of Him who was rejected by men!