I read Isaiah 9, 53 and 61 with awe!
Isaiah 9: 6-9 talks about Jesus, but in a form more full than what Jesus fulfilled! Where is the government upon his shoulder? His kingdom was not of this world. He wasn’t named wonderful, but those whom he healed and those who saw would have called him wonderful! He wasn’t named counselor, the Bible didn’t prophecy he would be named, just called! Mighty God? Who would dare call him that, but he was called! An Everlasting father must have children, but, “who will declare his generation?”.
The Bible reiterated in Isaiah 53, that hanging from the cross, lifted up, he will see his seed! This prophecy came to pass before the eyes of the world that daily read the old testament, but they missed it! The prophecies about Jesus were not lying on the surface, they were beyond skin deep! In retrospect however, they are unmissable! Some seem fulfilled in his day, some he’s being called centuries after. If I was back there in the 1st Century, could I have rejected Jesus?
Isaiah 53 brings tears to my eyes! It starts with a question – “Who has believed our report?” It’s quite clear that this would be unbelievable. The Messiah coming is not going to be a man of war, he was not going to be a superstar! The captain of our salvation would be lowly – have no form or comeliness, and when we see him, no beauty that we should desire him. He was prophesied to come as a lamb who will take away our guilt, our sorrow, or illnesses and our shame! It was declared that we would hide our faces from him and despise him! He would be our hero, but we would lightly esteem him! Could I have rejected Jesus?
Isaiah 61 rings through! Jesus himself took this scriptures and read, and stopped! He read in the synagogue and declared – This day is this scripture fulfilled in your eyes! Jesus declared to the listening public that he was the Lord’s anointed, anointed to preach good tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and somewhere in the middle of the declaration stopped! Who does this man think that he is? How can an unpopular carpenter’s son, rumored to be a bastard, with no religious pedigree claim to be the Lord God’s anointed? Where was he coming from with no rope on his neck? Could I have rejected Jesus?
Psalm 2 sinks me into deeper awe! The heathen will rage! There will be animosity against the Lord and His anointed, and he who seats in heavens will laugh! Who seats in the heavens – God? Who is the Lord – Christ? Who are his anointed – Church? The Narration of Peter many many years after shows that these answers are yes! The Lord Jesus has is anointed, better put, the Lord Jesus has his Christ! If I could have rejected Jesus, I would also reject his Christ! The LORD is different from the Lord, and what lies in Psalm 2 shows that what was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, gets fulfilled in his Christ.
Psalm 22 is epic! What on earth was David talking about? Was he dreaming, was he sharing his experiences, or what he carried away in the spirit and speaking words too wonderful for him? How on eart could he so accurately represent the word, emotions and drama surrounding Jesus death? How? How could he be writing the exact things Jesus would say, and how could he have narrated more accurately than eye witnesses what will happen to Jesus! If you don’t fear God, read Psalm 22! It’s scary!! If it doesn’t do the work on you, go to the gospels and read the different accounts of Jesus’ death again! David must certainly have been a disciple! But could I have read this and still rejected Jesus? Psalm 69 captured something that only Jesus could have written in his journals! It was strictly the emotions of that great and terrible night laced with a few actuals of giving him vinegar to drink! It was normal for Jesus to think all of these things, and then on the actual cross he ends it by blurting out – “Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing”. Could I have rejected Him?
The majority answer to this heart wrenching question is YES! 99.9% of the Jewish community he lived in, in the first century rejected him! You mean even those he did miracles for? Yes! The rejected him! On the day he gave them the conditions for being in him, and he in them, they fled, and only 12 men stayed! By the time he rose from the dead and went around to gather his disciples, only 120 men endured! They rejected him!
The greatest question today is not wether we would have rejected him though, it’s do we reject him? Think about it! Is Jesus our treasure? Is he really our priority? Is our life centered around him? Have we taken the responsibility of ensuring everyone that meets us meets him? Is he a savior to hold in light esteem or savior to be proud of? Is he worth our 100% devotion? Is he worth our total abandonment to his cause? Or is he good to have as a segment of our lives? Do I reject Jesus? Am I following him? Carrying my instrument of torture and death (cross) daily and following him? Am I? Do I hate my life in comparison to the love I have for him? Is he worth it? If your answer is not yes, then you are desperately in need of a savior. Count the cost today, and don’t rest until you truly can say yes!
God bless you.
Adeolu Akinyemi