What Did You Expect?

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 53:3

You know that feeling you get when you open a gift of socks or some other practical item? Sometimes it’s hard to be happy receiving what we need, especially if we’re expecting something with a little more pizzazz.

It seems that in the first century, people were expecting a little more pizzazz from the forerunner of the Messiah. John the Baptist wasn’t “dressed in fine clothes” like those “in kings’ palaces,” (Matthew 11:8 NIV). He didn’t adjust his message to fit the political climate like “a reed shaken by the wind,” (v. 7). He was uncompromising in his message, and it made him unpopular with those in power. In Matthew 11, Jesus said basically: What did you expect? He’s a prophet of God!

If the Jews of the first century had expectations for the one preparing the way, they had even more for the Messiah himself. We are drawn to leaders who are big, strong, handsome, confident, and commanding. Like King Saul who stood head and shoulders above the rest. Or King David who was good-looking, courageous, and mighty in battle. In fact, the long-awaited Messiah was to be David’s descendant, so it seems logical that this Anointed One would be like his forefather who was also anointed as king.

But God chose rather that Jesus would have “no beauty that we should desire him,” (Isaiah 53:2). Instead of a man mighty in battle, it was God’s will for Jesus to be “wounded,” “bruised,” “oppressed,” and “afflicted,” (v. 5, 7). He didn’t even open his mouth to defend himself (v. 7). Though many followed him during his ministry, in the end he was forsaken and “numbered with the transgressors,” (v. 12).

This is not the Savior we expected.

What we got instead is “a High Priest who [can] sympathize with our weaknesses, [who] was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin,” (Hebrews 4:15). We got a Savior who “learned obedience by the things which He suffered,” (Hebrews 5:8). Before he came to earth in a physical body, the Eternal Word didn’t have to obey. He didn’t have to suffer. But now we have a Savior who not only understands the things we go through in this fallen physical world, but who lived out the perfect example of submission to the Father.

We love conquering heroes, and we may wish we could be like them. But most of us know deep down we cannot be like them, no matter how hard we try.

Instead of coming to earth in all the glory which he had with the Father before the world was (John 17:5), Jesus humbled himself and became a servant (Philippians 2:7-8) to show us what we are supposed to be.

We don’t need to know how to be admired in this world. Most of us don’t need to know how to conquer in physical battle. We do need to know that someone understands how we feel when we are rejected. We need to learn how to serve others. And we need to know how to submit to the Father.

Yes, if Jesus had come in all his glory as a conquering hero, overthrowing Rome, taking the throne in Jerusalem, and raising Israel back to power, we could have cheered. We could have admired his pizzazz. But we could not have imitated him.

For us the suffering Savior pictured in Isaiah 53 is a tragic figure. For the Jews of the first century, the idea of a submissive, meek, plain-looking, suffering Messiah was absolute crazy talk. I’m not sure what they thought Isaiah 53 meant, but it didn’t fit with their concept of a Savior. Their expectation kept them from seeing the truth. But scripture means what it means, and Jesus is what he is. Whether that meets our expectations or not.

God did not give us the kind of Savior we expect. He gave us the kind of Savior we need.

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21 ESV

Father God, we praise You for Your wisdom and Your love. Both are beyond our ability to comprehend. So often we think we know what is best, but Your ways are not our ways. So help us to be humble, even as Jesus humbled Himself so that we could have an example. Forgive us for our exaltation of earthly power and physical beauty. Help us to embrace the suffering Savior, who has conquered death and is now glorified at Your right hand. In His name we pray, Amen.

by Christie Cole Atkins

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