Rejected and Accepted

Mark 15:12-13 KJV
And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto Him Whom ye call the King of the Jews? [13] And they cried out again, Crucify Him.

Rejection is awkward at best, and deeply painful at worst. For good reason we avoid it and in good conscious, we don't want to do it to others. But the Son of God was rejected. As the seed of David, the people in Jerusalem had lauded Jesus as King earlier that same week...

Mark 11:9-10 KJV
And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord: [10] Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

But by week's end, He was dead.

Remember another time when Israel wanted an upgrade in administration?

​1 Samuel 8:5-6 KJV
And [Israel] said unto him, Behold, thou [Samuel] art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. [6] But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.

When Samuel prayed, the LORD opened his eyes to see what was really happening...

1 Samuel 8:7 KJV
And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.

God was rejected. Twice we see rejection, but twice is revealed a greater reality.  When Jesus was falsely accused, how could He remain silent?  When He was ultimately rejected and crucified, how could He let them have their way?  While Christ was on Pilate's porch, we get a glimpse into where His mind was by reading His prayer in John 17...

John 17:25-26 KJV
25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me. 26 And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare [it]: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.

Jesus knew His Father knew the truth.  He believed His Father loved Him.  Jesus lived like He was accepted...even to the cross!  And to be accepted by One meant more than being rejected by many!

Crazy math, right?  But now new math.  Remember 1 Samuel 8.  When God was rejected by Israel, He felt it and it hurt Him just like it hurt Samuel.  But what God said to Samuel proves exactly what Jesus believed.  God Himself believed that to be accepted by one, Samuel, meant more than being rejected by many, Israel!  It's not that God, or anyone, wants to be rejected, but it shows the supreme value of acceptance, even if it can just be found in one.  If that one is a spouse, a child, a friend, a student, a sibling, that's good and it's enough.  But even if they turn their back on you and that One is God, it's way more than enough! 

Psalm 27:10 KJV - 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

The only viable antidote to rejection is acceptance.  Be sure to find yours in the surest place you get it...because in Christ, you already have it!