SEVEN hundred years before the birth of Christ as a man, it was written by the prophet Isaiah, 'He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.' And this word concerning him was literally fulfilled in His earthly career as a messenger of truth. He endured sorrow and affliction and persecution to an extraordinary degree, yet it was all in behalf of those who had proved recreant to His love and long-suffering care. Yet notwithstanding this ingratitude, He never complained on His own account. His service was a labor of Infinite love, therefore the sorrow it entailed could not be even tinctured with selfish complaint. As far as He was personally affected He could bear, and did bear, willingly and patiently, all the ingratitude of loved ones and all the temptations and persecutions inspired by the adversary of souls. His grief was all because of the sad consequences to those who failed to appreciate His mission, and therefore would fail to benefit by His great sacrifice and loving service.
By a parable of a vineyard, given through the same prophet (Isaiah 5), the Lord tells what He had done for Israel. Of this 'vineyard' it is said, 'He fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein.' To emphasize this preparation He asks: 'What could have been done more to My vineyard, that I have not done in it?' For this reason He naturally 'looked that it should bring forth grapes.' And so it did, but they were 'wild grapes,' just such as grew in the wood without any preparation of soil or cultivation or protection from destroyers and thieves.
That there might be no misunderstanding of the parable, it is said that 'the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plant.' What was meant by the 'grapes' and the 'wild grapes' is also made plain: 'He looked for judgment [righteous judgment, rectitude of character], but behold oppression.'
That the sorrow of Christ was entirely unselfish is shown in His expression of grief for Jerusalem: 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.' This sad result was the cause of His weeping. Again, on the way to the cross, as certain women wept in sympathy for Him, His solicitude was for the results to them instead of to Himself. Turning to them as they followed and wept, He said, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.'
In the light of these evidences, are we to suppose that Jesus has lost His solicitude for those whom He loves, and for whom He has done so much? Can we imagine for a moment that He looks upon the wayward conduct of those who profess His name at this time, and not be grieved because of their disregard of His merciful love? Because He has changed the scene of His labor for sinners from their immediate presence to the heavenly sanctuary, there to make intercession for them, it does not follow that their rejections and backslidings do not still cause Him sorrow of heart in their behalf. 'For we have not an High Priest which can not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.' Then Christ is no less 'a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief' on account of those whose conduct shows a lack of response to His overtures of mercy, because of His more exalted position. Crucifixion of the Messiah has lost none of its cruelty, none of its expression of disregard for His continued effort in our behalf. Yet we are told that those who 'have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, . . . crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.'
To witness the fulfilment of prophecy, that 'in the last days perilous times shall come,' because 'men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,' etc., and to realize that these have 'a form of godliness,' is a sure testimony that the loving Saviour is still 'a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.' And when those who are 'lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God' are found in the ranks of those who look for the Messiah's second coming, is it not adding sorrow upon sorrow in the heart of Him who is already 'wounded for our transgressions,' and 'bruised for our iniquities'? On the other hand, 'the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy.'