“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Isaiah 53:3
Rejection is a universal experience that comes in many different ways. We might experience emotional or physical rejection from a parent, spouse, friend, or child. Or perhaps we don't get accepted to the school, the group, or the place of employment that we want. Or maybe our love is spurned or goes unrequited. We can be rejected based on our faith, our beliefs, our appearance, and even for reasons that have nothing to do with us.
Suicide, school shootings, and violence in the wake of broken relationships are evidence of the deep emotions that rejection elicits. Even the threat of rejection is enough to provoke anger and aggression in some.
Some of us experience more rejection than others, but we all face it on some level, and it hurts. Rejection can wound us and create painful memories, which can affect the way we see ourselves and our circumstances and can create barriers in our relationships with others, including God.
The good news is that there is hope for those who look to Jesus and put their faith in Him. Jesus died on the cross to bring healing to our hearts for our own rejection of God in preference for sin, as well as to heal the wounds that a lifetime of rejections left on our hearts.
Jesus came into our world and experienced every rejection possible. He knows our pain intimately and so He can address it like no one else can. Look to the cross of Christ and see.
Jesus was despised by His own, rejected by those He came to save. As He hung on the cross, all our sins, sorrows, and griefs were laid on Him so much so that He was no longer recognizable as a human (Isaiah 52:14). He became utterly disfigured by our sin, and at that moment, by eternal agreement, God the Father rejected and forsook His own beloved Son so that you, dear friend, would be received and accepted for all time.