Isaiah 53 English Standard Version (ESV)
53 Who has believed what he has heard from us? 4 Surely he has borne our griefs 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; |
“He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.”
The Suffering Servant did not rely on looks to win people to Himself. As we proclaim the good news individually or corporately, we should be careful we are not tempted into believing that clever words or a slick presentation can in some way make Jesus attractive to the unbeliever. This is a task solely reserved for the Holy Spirit!
That is not to say that we should be satisfied to swim in the shallows of our gospel understanding – indeed there is always more to be learned at the foot of the cross; nor that we should content ourselves with poor quality or miserly evangelism - our Lord poured out His soul for us – our love for the lost should be equally lavish!
But take heart reader, you need not worry about attractive presentation as you give a reason for the hope that is in you. Whether you do so eloquently or in fumbling, tongue twisted utterances, once you have pointed to the cross, it is the Holy Spirit who reveals the beauty of the Saviour to those who would otherwise esteem Him not.
Ken K