Behold this Jesus
Behold this Jesus.
Behold Him on the cross, suffering, bleeding, dying.
Behold His feet,
that walked the dusty roads with His people,
now pierced with the nails of their unbelief.
Behold His legs,
that daily left the multitudes to find the one,
now bound and suspended above the multitudes to proclaim freedom for that one.
Behold His body,
whose purity covered the shame of the adulterous woman,
now hanging naked and exposed in her place.
Behold His side,
where Adam was torn to give life to woman,
now the second Adam is pierced to resurrect His bride.
Behold His heart,
that heals the broken and comforts the grieving,
now broken and bleeding for them.
Behold His shoulders,
strong enough to carry the world,
now saddled with the weight of its darkness and depravity.
Behold His arms,
the arms of a gentle shepherd comforting the one lost sheep,
now outstretched to reach every sheep, everywhere, every time.
Behold His hands,
that healed the sick and gave sight to the blind,
now held in place by the very ones He had touched.
Behold His face,
that once shone with the radiance and purity of the Most High,
now drenched in blood, sweat, and tears.
Behold His lips,
that in the synagogue proclaimed freedom for the captives,
now silently enduring the captivity of the free.
Behold His ears,
eternally open to the cry of the oppressed,
now subjected to the mockery of their oppressors.
Behold His eyes,
the fire of holiness that refused to throw a stone but chose instead to love,
now piercing the souls of His onlookers with that same fire.
Behold His figure,
the likeness of God Himself, now marred beyond recognition
so that those marred beyond recognition may be transformed into His likeness.
This is the Jesus we love. Behold Him.
“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6 ESV)