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BEHOLD THE SORROW AND GRIEF OF OUR SAVIOUR "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." (Isaiah 53:3)Chapter 53 in Isaiah is a very moving chapter in the Old Testament, widely recognized for its prophetic portrayal of the suffering Messiah. It has been called the "Suffering Servant" chapter, it presents a detailed picture of a servant who suffers, is rejected by his people, yet ultimately redeems them. Christians around the world have interpreted this servant to be Jesus Christ.Verse 3 is without a doubt one of the most powerful statements in all of Scripture depicting mankind's hatred towards the Son of God.Think of it, the One Who is Divine is the One Who was and still is despised. The One Who brought redemption for men, is the One Who was and still is rejected of men. The greatest Servant felt the greatest sorrow. The One Who brought grace breathed and bled grief. Yes, as He walked among men, our loving Lord was acquainted with sorrow and grief.During His days on Earth, Heaven's fullness of Joy found hidden faces of jealously. The Deliverer was despised by mankind then and today still thinks ill and makes mockery of that wonderful Name; that Name that is to be esteemed above all others.When Isaiah penned these words, we learn some 700 plus years later where our Saviour, a few years after His birth, was greeted with the threat of murder by the lying tongue of one of those knot heads from that ungodly Herod tribe. Some 30 years after that scene, a crowd gathers one day with resounding praises of, "Hosanna to the son of David"; but before the week is over, they're screaming their lungs out with condemnation saying, "Crucify Him; Crucify Him!" Yes, our Saviour's life and ministry were constantly met with many devil-driven slurs from those religious wolves of being born of fornication to being guilty of blasphemy. He was indeed the Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief His entire life on Earth. Then, as death drew nigh, sorrow and grief reached its epitome when He, who knew no sin, took my sin and the sin of every one of you and made it His sin. His Father in Heaven turned His face from Him while He hung there bruised, battered, and bloodied on Calvary's cursed tree.But let us be ever mindful of this great truth folks, He endured all that sorrow, and He endured all that grief so that you and I might never know the sorrow and grief of our Heavenly Father turning His face from us. Oh friends, what a Saviour is this One named Jesus. He is indeed the Friend of the faithful and that constant Seeker of lost souls!