The Sacrifice of God’s Son

The people of Israel “could have” looked at the death of Jesus with all its blood and recognized it for what it was – the sacrifice of God’s Son, the Lamb of God. They could have seen Him as the sacrifice pictured in Genesis 22, when God provided Abraham with a ram to offer as a substitute in the place of Isaac. They could have realized that Christ’s death was foreshadowed in the Passover lamb, whose blood was placed on the doorpost to deliver God’s people for His wrath. They ought to have been able to understand that their sins require a blood sacrifice.

The Rejection of the Messiah

Rather than see the obvious, they did the unspeakable. They despised Him and esteemed Him not at all. They saw Him as a “young plant”, or a sucker branch; something useless, in fact detrimental and harmful; something that must be removed. He was unwanted and unimpressive. Jesus’ hometown was Nazareth. Nazareth was a small village off the beaten path, so insignificant that it is not even mentioned in the Old Testament, the Talmud or Josephus. Certainly not the place to find the Messiah.

The Assurance of His Sacrifice

Surely, He has borne our griefs. The word “surely” means “assuredly”, or without a doubt. The word was used by Jacob when he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it” (Genesis 28:16). When Israel sees the nail prints in His hands they will say “surely” Jesus is our Messiah (Revelation 1:7, Zechariah 12:10) and they will weep in their family groups. Surprise mixed with dismay will fill the air. They, by faith, will trust Christ and the blood He shed for their sins. They will speak of it to their neighbor saying, “surely, He has borne our griefs. Surely, we have sinned greatly when we despised and rejected Him. Yet, He has shed His blood for our transgressions and was bruised for our iniquities.”

The Divine Purpose

It could have been different … or could it? Acts 22-25

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know- Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the LORD always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.’“