THE REJECTION TEST

REJECTION = A refusal to accept, approve, or support something. A refusal to show someone the love or kindness that they need or expect.

It appears very fitting during this time when Christians are celebrating the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that I discuss the rejection test using Jesus as an example of a person that experienced this test. Though He is our Savior, on earth, He experienced human challenges and rejection.

In the Old Testament, Isaiah 53 reveals a clear picture of this plight. It reads, “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 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. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:2-12).

The above scripture verses describe the purpose and plan of God for the life of Jesus. The Jews were looking for a person of royalty to be their king and deliverer out of the hands of the Roman government; however, Jesus was born into a poor family, and his birth took place in a stable. There was nothing in His features or stature that made people pause and speak of His beauty. His childhood was without pomp and public acclaim. He was compassionate, kind, and sympathetic to the sufferings of others. Verbally and physically He suffered at the hands of men without rebuttal. After all the miracles that He performed on earth, the masses turned their head and rejected Him at the time of His death. Though innocent of all charges brought against Him, He was crucified like a criminal between two thieves and buried in the sepulcher of a wealthy follower. Finally, the Word discloses Jesus experienced all of the world’s rejection willingly too provide us with salvation and all the benefits that it renders.

The following scriptures in the New Testament also depict that despite all the good He did on earth Jesus was rejected by his family (John 7:1-5), hometown (Mark 6: 1-6), cities (Luke 4:29; Matthew 11:23; Luke10:13-15), some disciples (John 6:60-66), priest and elders (Luke 9:22), Samaritans (Luke 9:51-56) Pharisees (Luke 7:30), and Sadducees (Matthew 16:1-4); yet, He did not allow any of them to alter or deter His purpose.

The key to our success is following His examples and realizing we were born with a purpose. Our existence on earth was in the plan of God; therefore, we must seek to know and execute that plan and not allow the negative opinions of haters to stop us; for in so doing we too will pass the rejection test.