Skip to main content

Chosen One


“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; (Isaiah 42:1-3)

 

CHOSEN ONE

          Remember standing in a line waiting for a team captain to choose you? Remember the angst as you waited, and waited? Or were you one of those who got picked right away? I wasn't. I was one of the fat kids who was picked because they no longer had a choice. Being chosen has its benefits, and its costs.
        Israel was a chosen nation. God picked them from among all other nations, not because they were wise, or good, or strong, or moral. They weren't any of those things. For a short time every once in a while, being chosen felt good and they celebrated. Most of the time, being chosen was a pain. There were all sorts of laws to follow, it made them a target of other nations who didn't like Israel's different behavior, attitude, "privilege," etc. 
       Mary was a chosen one. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Judah had lots of descendants. David had lots of descendants. Solomon had lots of descendants. Undoubtedly, more than one female descendant of this royal line was a virgin. Mary was chosen and shouldered the reputation of an unfaithful, dishonest harlot.
          Jesus was and is the Chosen One. In a sense, there was nothing in his humanity that made it necessary to choose him. God could have waited another month and caused a different egg to miraculously conceive, or have acted a month sooner. He still would have been Jesus because He was chosen of God. 
        His being chosen by God to be the Messiah meant that He had to be the Messiah. He had to endure a lifetime of ridicule and rejection, but as a bastard and as someone claiming to be God. He spent long days being used as a miracle vending machine with prices set to "free." He had to put up with disciples who didn't get it. He was betrayed, endured a trial in several kangaroo courts and was crucified. That was what being the Chosen One meant during the time He walked the earth as a man.
          After his resurrection and return to Heaven, it hasn't necessarily been all that much better. He has endured ridicule and rejection by those who claim to refute His status as the Chosen One. His chosen ones have endured ridicule, rejection, abuse and death.
        Thank God that Jesus was willing to be the Chosen One, because while we tend to think of the "benes" it's a "dirty job." He scorned its shame for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). As prophesied, He did it without the use of authority or military might.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

A Virgin?

           Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)           This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)           But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”            “How will this be,” Mary asked the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Saved?

  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23) Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” (Romans 3:4)   What conclusion do you draw when someone who was raised in a Christian family and church, perhaps even playing a significant role in a chur...
Post a Comment
Read more