When we look at Christ, we see someone who “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Philippians 2:6). We see the Son, “for whom and by whom all things exist,” suffering (Hebrews 2:10). Christ is no misunderstood Messiah or mere prophet. He is the Lord of the universe. Rejected.

There are many forms of rejection in our world today.

For a young boy, it may be that he is always the last one picked for every game. An adult man or woman may be the victim of adultery and a painful divorce. For a worker, it may be a complete lack of recognition or promotion at work, despite all efforts. For teens and young adults, it may be the crush who says ‘no.’ Most forms of rejection force the rejected to look at themself. The worker ponders all their accomplished tasks compared to their colleagues; a divorcee wonders what he or she might have done differently; the lonely studiously observe the lives of others against their own, as recorded on social media.

All kinds of rejection are emotionally painful. Rejection hurts. It hurts because it taps into deep fears and insecurities. Rejection can be agonising. Because it seemingly defines our status or identity. But rejection shouldn’t define us, just as the opinions of others don’t determine our identity. Our identity should instead be rooted in the one who made us and whose work defines us. To resist the temptation to look either inwards or outwards when rejected, let us look upwards, to Christ. For Christ was rejected in ways you and I can never fully understand.

Christ: Qualified and Rejected

Christ was rejected despite his qualifications and experience. If anyone has squarely stared rejection in the face, it is Christ. He knows what it means to be rejected by his own. “The stone that the builder rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?” (Matthew 21:42).

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