Despised and Rejected by Men
Author: Stephen Weller
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 ESV)
Isaiah 53 speaks so clearly of Jesus that the Jews should have understood who Jesus was when the Son of God stood before them in the flesh. However, verse 3 prophesied that when Jesus came, as the Son the Father sent, that he would be “despised and rejected.”
Jesus, “the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, . . . deeply despised, abhorred by the nation” (Isaiah 49:7) is described as “a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people” (Psalm 22:6). 10 “[Jesus] was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:10 – 11 ESV). Why did they reject him? They rejected him because he was the Son of God and they were unrighteous and did not understand and did not truly seek God. They had turned aside from God and had become worthless, not obeying God (Romans 3:10 – 12).
Throughout his whole life, Jesus experienced sorrow and grief of various sorts. He suffered in so many ways from the misunderstanding of people who he was sent to provide salvation for, and at the end of his life, he willingly went to the cross and took upon himself our sin in exchange for his righteousness. As he breathed his last, he asked his Father to forgive them and said, “It is finished!” The work he had come to do was now complete.
Jesus was “as one from whom men hide their faces” has a variety of interpretations but seems to suggest that at the cross the sight of his sufferings was so offensive that people would turn away in pain as in the case of seeing a leper. Maybe he was so much an object of contempt and so unlike what the people expected, that they would hide their faces and turn away in scorn.
By so many, “he was despised” for failing to meet their expectations of who they thought their Messiah should be like and as a result they “esteemed him not.” They saw Jesus of having no value for them; he was not worthy of their notice. The nation of Israel, to whom Jesus was sent, did not esteem him as their Messiah, or as worthy of their affection or regard. Hanging on the cross before them was the creator of the universe, their source of eternal life and they wanted him out of their sight.
O Father, how you must grieve over their rejection of your Son, whom you offered as a living sacrifice for their sin. Lord Jesus, how you must love those who reach out to you in faith and who will love you and fellowship with you for all eternity.
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Summary Theme
The Rejected Servant: Christ’s Suffering, Rejection, and Identification with Human Sorrow
Summary Paragraph
Isaiah 53:3 presents the Servant of the Lord as one who is deeply despised and rejected by humanity, a man intimately acquainted with grief and suffering. Rather than being honored, He is avoided and disregarded, as people turn away from Him in contempt. This verse reveals the profound humility and emotional burden of the Messiah, who enters fully into the human condition, not as a distant ruler, but as one who bears sorrow firsthand. It prophetically points to Jesus Christ, who was rejected by His own people and endured suffering not for His own sin, but as part of God’s redemptive plan. His rejection underscores both the depth of human sin and the extent of divine love.
Discussion Questions with Extended Answers:
1. What does it mean that the Servant was “despised and rejected by men”?
Answer:
To be “despised” means to be treated as worthless or insignificant, while “rejected” indicates being refused or cast aside. This describes the Messiah’s experience during His earthly ministry; He was not embraced as King but opposed, mocked, and ultimately crucified. In the Gospels, Jesus is rejected by religious leaders, abandoned by followers, and condemned by the crowds. This fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy and reveals that humanity, in its fallen state, often rejects God’s truth and righteousness. The rejection of Christ exposes the hardness of the human heart and the depth of spiritual blindness.
2. How is the Servant described as “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”?
Answer:
This phrase emphasizes that the Servant personally experienced deep emotional and physical suffering. He was not merely aware of sorrow; He lived in it. Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41), mourned at Lazarus’ tomb (John 11:35), and endured anguish in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37–38). His life was marked by rejection, betrayal, and suffering. This reveals that God, in Christ, fully entered into human pain. He understands our grief not theoretically, but experientially. This truth provides comfort to believers, knowing that Christ sympathizes with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15).
3. What is meant by “we hid as it were our faces from Him”?
Answer:
This phrase suggests deliberate avoidance and shame. To “hide one’s face” is to turn away in disgust or to refuse association. It reflects how people responded to the Servant; they did not want to look at Him or be identified with Him. This was literally fulfilled when Jesus was abandoned by His disciples and rejected by the crowds. Spiritually, it represents humanity’s tendency to turn away from God’s truth and holiness. It also highlights the depth of Christ’s humiliation; He endured not only physical suffering but social and relational rejection.
4. Why is the Servant described as one whom “we did not esteem”?
Answer:
To “esteem” someone is to value or regard them highly. The Servant was not recognized for who He truly was, the Messiah, the Son of God. Instead of being honored, He was undervalued and dismissed. This reflects the expectations people had of a triumphant, political Messiah rather than a suffering servant. Even today, many fail to recognize the true worth of Christ, either ignoring Him or reducing Him to something less than Lord. This phrase challenges us to examine whether we truly value Christ for who He is.
5. How does this verse reveal both human sinfulness and God’s redemptive plan?
Answer:
Isaiah 53:3 exposes human sinfulness by showing how people respond to righteousness, with rejection, contempt, and indifference. The Messiah, though perfect and holy, is treated as unworthy. Yet, this rejection is not outside of God’s plan, it is part of the means by which salvation is accomplished. Christ’s suffering and rejection lead to the cross, where He bears the sins of the world. What appears to be human failure becomes the foundation of divine redemption. This demonstrates God’s sovereignty in using even rejection and suffering to fulfill His saving purposes.
6. What comfort can believers find in the Servant being rejected and acquainted with grief?
Answer:
Believers can take great comfort in knowing that Christ understands their pain and rejection. When we experience sorrow, loneliness, or misunderstanding, we are not alone, Christ has walked that path before us. He is a compassionate High Priest who sympathizes with our struggles. Furthermore, His rejection assures us that suffering is not meaningless; it can be part of God’s greater purpose. Because Christ endured and overcame, believers have hope that their suffering will also be redeemed and ultimately replaced with glory.
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