During the month of April, I’ve chosen to blog through the alphabet. Each day I will use a letter to share a Name of the Lord that begins with that letter based on Proverbs 18:10 and the fact that there is strength in the Lord’s Name. I pray you’ll be blessed and that you’ll stop by often.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 – NIV

Man of Sorrows

Of all the Names of the Lord, this Name doesn’t sound nearly as appealing. It evokes the image of regret, grief, worries or burdens. Kind of like the phrase, “if it weren’t for bad luck I’d have no luck at all.”

When we hear the word sorrow, we often think of feelings we go through at the loss of a loved one. Shakespeare penned the words, “parting is such sweet sorrow” in his play, Romeo and Juliet. To our day in age, that is sorrow.

But what did the writer of Isaiah mean when he prophesied that the Messiah would be called a man of sorrows?

Perhaps a more correct word to replace sorrows would be sufferings. We know for certain that while Jesus was on this earth, He suffered.

Jesus suffered at the hands of His family. Jesus’ own family thought Him to be “out of his mind.” (Mark 3:20-21) While I believe Jesus had a greater purpose, He was still human. And in that humanity, Jesus must have felt some suffering over the words of His siblings. We know that later Jesus’ family believed. Jesus’ brother James later became a church leader and author of a much beloved epistle.

Jesus suffered at the hands of His friends. Two of Jesus’ closest companions while on this earth turned their backs on Jesus (Mark 14:12-31). Judas betrayed Jesus and handed Him over to be arrested while Peter denied that he even knew this Man. In the midst of what was to come, Jesus knew disappointment and loss. We know Judas and Peter’s response to their actions. Judas killed himself and Peter bitterly wept. But Peter moved on and through his preaching and teaching, spread the Gospel of Jesus throughout his generation and for many to come.

Jesus suffered at the hands of His enemies. As the time drew near, Jesus was turned over to the Sanhedrin. Throughout the trials, Jesus suffered through harsh words, beatings, and lies told about Him (Mark 15:1-41). In the end, Jesus was crucified and suffered for the redemption of mankind.

Isaiah 53 paints a picture of the Man of Sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was pierced for our iniquities. He carried our burdens and our suffering. He bore the sin of all. In His stripes, we find healing.

As we continue through this week of remembrance leading up to Easter, let us reflect upon the Man of Sorrows, Jesus our Savior. Let us not grow complacent in our Christian walk. Let’s engage in our beliefs and be transformed by our belief. Let us live lives that point others to Jesus and rejoice because He has taken away the sins of the world (John 1:29).

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna