You Are Accepted

Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Acceptance is one of man's most basic emotional and psychological needs. And that need begins at birth. Studies done on infants rejected by their parents or on babies not handled much and well cared for in an orphanage show retarded development intellectually, emotionally and/or psychologically. We need to feel acceptance to grow and develop normally ... to have a sense of well-being and confidence in our ability to cope with life.

But, the truth is, most of us experience rejection many times in our lives. Maybe in school, you were the last one picked for teams. Maybe kids made fun of the way you looked, talked or your name. Maybe you were rejected as a boyfriend or girlfriend by someone you liked. Maybe you felt like your parents had favorites and you weren't it. Maybe you were rejected for a job or maybe you've never felt like you fit in anywhere.

Unless you've been there, it's hard for you to understand the emotional wounds rejection creates or the way it makes you feel. But there's One who does understand. Before He even came to earth in human form, Jesus was described in the Bible as the One who would be despised and rejected of men.

He came knowing men were looking for a different kind of salvation than He was bringing. They wanted their present circumstances changed. They wanted a mighty king and savior to deliver them from the power of the Roman empire. They wanted deliverance out of something into an easier life.

Jesus came with a different message. His deliverance wasn't based on the temporal life, but on eternity. His deliverance wasn't necessarily from temporary circumstances but from eternal damnation. His deliverance wasn't to free us from an earthly empire and human despots and dictators but from the bad guy of all bad guys, Satan himself.

His deliverance wasn't to make life easier but to make us stronger, to transform each of us into an overcomer who can have victory, no matter what circumstances we encounter. His deliverance wasn't to lead us in our sinful pursuits, but to cleanse us and lead us into a righteous lifestyle.

Jesus didn't meet people's expectations of a Messiah, or Savior. And when expectations aren't met, there's usually rejection. Jesus became despised and rejected of men. And He did it willingly. He willingly paid the price so we could have a Savior who understands our hurts and can comfort us, because He's suffered them as well. He paid the price, because He knew the only way a holy God could accept us into relationship with Himself was if we could be cleansed of all our sin.

Through Jesus, the One despised and rejected of men, we receive eternal acceptance into God's family. We become sons and daughters of the King of Kings, accepted by God into His presence and into permanent relationship. And God, the Bible says, is no respecter of persons. That means He doesn't play favorites. He accepts you just the way you are, whether men applaud you or jeer you, whether you're the first or the last, whether you're man's hero or "his goat." In Christ, you're perfect. And for a world riddled with rejection, in which none of us ever meet everyone's expectations, that's the place of perfect peace, security and rest. You're accepted by the One who matters most.

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