Through The Bible in a Year - April 3, 2026
“He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men.” – Isaiah 53:2-3
Israel had been waiting. Waiting for someone better than all the failed deliverers of God’s people: Adam (first man, first sinner), Noah (second start, greater sinner), Abraham (unfaithful to his wife), Moses (gave the law he wouldn’t follow), David (defeated a monster before becoming one), Solomon (built God’s temple, then temples to other gods).
If God’s people were going to have a true Deliverer, they wouldneed a second Adam. A nobler Noah. A faithful Abraham. A dependable Moses. A better David. A wiser Solomon.
Finally, Isaiah 52:13 says that He will come: “He shall be high and lifted up and shall be exalted.” Hooray!
Except... He’s a servant. His appearance will be marred—like an animal in agony at sacrifice. His blood will be sprinkled on the nations (not just Israel). He will grow up like a twig trying to thrive in dry ground—making for bad roots, bad reputation, despised and rejected.
He will be as disreputable as a child born in a stable, or as one whose mother was pregnant before marriage, or as the son of a blue-collar worker from Nazareth from which nothing good comes. He will be so without honor in his own hometown that his neighbors will try to throw Him off a cliff. Even his closest disciples will deny and curse Him.
When expecting their Deliverer, God’s people anticipated Babe Ruth. God sent Pee Wee Herman. They wanted a lion. God sent the Lamb. Like us, they wanted a king who would rule in their favor. God sent a servant who would earn God’s favor for themand us.
Jesus isn’t the Messiah the Jews expected, and He’s not the Savior we sometimes want. But He’s exactly the Messiah they needed then and we need today.
Respond: What are you expecting from God that He’s not giving? What did you think following Jesus would look like? Are you disappointed because God’s plan doesn’t match your expectations? Today, consider the Biblical evidence that God’s plan is better than yours. Even if what you are facing isn’t exactly what you wanted, the accounts that lead to Jesus and the salvation accomplished by Jesus display the perfection of God’s plan that you can trust.
Prayer: Lord, I confess I sometimes want You to be who I expect rather than who You are. I want power, comfort, easy victories. But Jesus came as a servant to teach me what it means to submit to God’s will and to be blessed by it. You were despised and rejected to enable me to be loved and accepted. Forgive my misplaced expectations. You gave exactly the Savior I need. Help me to trust You because of Him this day. Thank You, In Jesus’s Name for Jesus. Amen.