The Same As Me

For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot; and like a root out of parched ground;  Isaiah 53:2

Root – Jesus is not Superman!  He’s not Batman or even Robin.  He’s not John Wayne, John Glenn, JFK or FDR.  Jesus is nobody we would ever follow, unless we are called.

Isaiah chapter 53 is the prophetic description of the Suffering Servant.  In its language we find the incredible characteristics of the Messiah.  But it’s certainly not what we expected.  And, unfortunately, it’s not what we seek either.  The qualities of Jesus, recorded in the words of Isaiah, would brand him a “loser” in this world.  Hero worship?  Not likely.  This is a picture of a man oppressed, weak, rejected, abused, scourged, crushed and assigned to an ignominious death.  From the moment of His birth, nothing seems to go right.

The Hebrew word for “root” is shresh.  It’s often used to describe the foundation, the underlying support of something (see Deuteronomy 29:18 and Job 13:27).  Isaiah uses this word to tell us that the Messiah has a foundation like a root in parched soil.  What kind of foundation is that?  Weak, that’s what!  Roots in dry ground are easily removed.  They have no turgor.  They are under-nourished.  Their life is fragile.  Is that the mental picture you have to the foundation of the Christ?  Probably not.  You probably think of Jesus in divine terminology, so connected to the Father that nothing in life could upset Him, so strong in the faith that He stood head and shoulders above all the rest of us.  If you’re like most believers, you act as though Jesus is God disguised in human form.  You can never be like Him.  After all, He is God, right?

Don’t try to paint that kind of picture for Isaiah (or for the Father).  Jesus’ humanity extends right down to His origin.  His foundation is no different than yours or mine.  A tiny plant emerging in a hostile environment, everything in this dark realm conspiring against Him, even more so than you and me.  Jesus is the ordinary-man hero of the faith.  His obedience comes through the ordinary means of life.  His trials and temptations are the ordinary stuff we all face.  Plus some!  Jesus has no silver bullet exemption.  He was not born with silver spoon support.  His root (shresh) is from dusty ground.  Humble.  Weak.  Vulnerable.  Just like you and me.

When He calls us to follow Him, did you think He meant flying first class?