Isaiah 53

Wow, talk about a jam-packed chapter. I feel like I could write a blog about every single verse! But I decided to focus on one of the things that I have always found most amazing about God: “He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” (vs 2)

Think about being in the desert, where the ground is dry, hard, and cracked. It’s unbelievably hot. There is literally no sign of life for miles—except a teeny tiny brown root that’s sticking up out of the ground. When you think of that scenario, does the word beautiful come to mind? Hardly!

Yet, this is the image Isaiah gives us about Jesus. Not a beautiful rose. Not a strong, sturdy tree. Not a lush meadow. A “root out of dry ground.” Still, after my many years of knowing the Lord, this is one of the things that most astounds me about Him. He, who is in a position to dazzle us and overwhelm our senses with amazement, comes to us in an unassuming way.

This is especially counter to the culture we live in. A friend once shared a photograph he had found on the streets of New York City. It was a photo of a gorgeous model. Looking at it, you’d have to say it was flawless. Yet, it had been thoroughly marked up by an ad agency in preparation for a magazine ad campaign. Every tiny (and I do mean tiny) freckle, line, or spot on the model’s face had been targeted for Photoshop elimination. Every minuscule stray hair circled. There were even instructions given to “thin” the model’s chin (could she be any thinner?). And, of course, this ad would be printed on the highest-quality glossy paper—everything specifically calculated to convey beauty.

Do we even have a concept of true beauty anymore?

Contrast that with a God who says, “If you see any beauty in Me, I want you to see it in My character.” God purposefully came to us in such a way that we would not flock to Him because of His good looks, His physique, His wealth, or His stardom. He came in the most unattractive way possible so we would have the opportunity to really see the great beauty that lies within Him.

How many genuine people do you know who want to be loved for their hair color, their toned body, their bank account balance, or their acting achievements? Everyone wants to be loved, but we want to be loved because of who we are, not because of what we look like or what we’ve done.

Surprise, surprise. God is the same way. He doesn’t want to be loved because He can create stars with a word or hold the oceans in His hands or bring a person back from the dead. He wants to be loved because of who He is. So, when Jesus came to this Earth and walked among us, He came in a way that gave us the very best opportunity to get to know Him.

Unassuming, even unattractive, on the outside. Amazingly beautiful to the core.

That’s our God.