Read: Isaiah 52:13-53:2
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. (v. 2 NIV)
Isaiah is sometimes called the fifth gospel. Though written centuries before, the portrait of the suffering servant of God—especially in chapter 53—describes in remarkable detail the actual experience of Jesus. It’s almost as though in his passion and death, Christ was following a prewritten script, prepared by the Author of history and published by the pen of the prophet Isaiah.
The first thing the prophet talks about is how unattractive the Messiah would be. His appearance would be astonishing, so marred he scarcely looked human (52:14). There would be no majesty about him, nothing to draw people (53:2). When Isaiah writes about the ugliness of Christ, I don’t believe he’s talking about his physical appearance. Nor do I believe he means that there would be nothing at all desirable about the servant of the Lord. He’s talking about the reception the Messiah would receive.
Quite a few years ago, when I was a young and somewhat long-haired college student, I was running through an airport to catch a plane. As I rushed up to the door of the jet bridge, two hard-eyed men grabbed me and “invited” me to accompany them to a small room. Afterwards I asked the security agents why they had decided to search me (innocent, harmless, law-abiding little me, I might have added). “Because you fit the profile,” one of them growled.
That was the problem with Jesus; he didn’t fit the Messiah’s profile.
As you pray, confess your love for your Savior, Jesus.
About the Author
Rev. David Bast
David Bast is a writer and pastor who served for 23 years as the President and Broadcast Minister for Words of Hope. In his more than 40 years of devotional writing and preaching, he has been encouraging believers around the world to be shaped by God and his Word.
Prior to his ministry and work at Words of Hope, Dave served as a pastor for 18 years in congregations in the Reformed Church in America. A graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, he is the author of nine devotional books and Bible studies, includingWhy Doesn't God Act More Like God,Christ in the Psalms, andA Gospel for the World.
Dave and his wife, Betty Jo, have four children and eight grandchildren. Dave enjoys reading, growing tomatoes, and avidly follows the Detroit Tigers.
