The Bible never hides the reality that as Jesus lived his life he would be abandoned. As he worked many, many miracles, spoke the very words of God, and in himself brought to life the images God gave us in the Old Testament he was abandoned.

REJECTED IN HIS HOME TOWN

Matthew 13:54–57a – …and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him…

RELIGIOUS LEADERS – Early in his ministry as Jesus moved against the laws that the religious leaders created, they rejected him. The very people who should have been leading the people to Jesus, the biblical scholars of the day, the ones entrusted with the word of God turned against Jesus early on. As Jesus moved against the restrictions that the religious leaders enforced, they saw him as the enemy.

To make matters worse, Jesus then healed a man with a withered hand – on the Sabbath.

In Mark 2 we read how Jesus and his disciples, on the Sabbath, were walking through the grain fields picking and eating the grain. Because this was being done on the Sabbath, it violated the “work” restrictions of the Sabbath. Immediately after that…

Mark 3:1–6 – Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

CLOSE FOLLOWERS – In John 6 we read that many of those who seemed to be disciples of Jesus left him when he explained who he really was.

John 6:32–35, 66 – Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. / After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

JUDAS – We know that one of the disciples – Judas – who heard the words of Jesus and saw the miracles of Jesus betrayed him for thirty pieces of silver.

THE CROWDS – A few days earlier the people of Jerusalem lined the streets to receive their Messiah. Thy laid their garments on the ground for Jesus to walk on. They were his subjects awaiting his rule and the rescue he would bring. Miracle after miracle had been performed so that they would believe in him – there were people walking around who had been brought back to life by Jesus – so they would believe in him. All four gospels tell us that the crowds chose the release a murderer from prison if that’s what it took to kill Jesus.

THE DISCIPLES – Matthew 26:30–35, 56 – And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same. / Soon after this Judas came with the crowds to take Jesus and at that point “…all the disciples left him and fled.”

GOD THE FATHER – As Jesus hung on the cross, disfigured from torture, abandoned by almost everyone there was yet still more. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46)

Jesus was, in this moment, experiencing what he knew was coming. He was under judgment for the sins of all those he would save. God was judging the Righteous One so that sinners would be forgiven and Jesus truly would be glorified.

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From an earthly perspective most would see Jesus’ life as failure. From his perspective, however; from God’s perspective, this is his love for you in action. This is what it means to love the sinner.

1 John 4:10 – In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Galatians 3:13a – Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us

Jesus died alone so that you wouldn’t have too.

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”