Even in rejection, God is there. We have a God who knows what rejection feels like, who lived through the ultimate rejection. Rejected by friends, followers, and his people, Jesus was put to death on a cross. But God worked through that cross and brought resurrection to Jesus and to all who follow him.
Being a Jesus follower means dealing with rejection, as Jesus did. But it also means that Jesus and God’s grace are with us amid that rejection. With God’s help, we can work through our reactions to rejection. We can work through our emotions, the uncertainty, the identity crisis, and avoid tragedy – because our God knows what rejection is like and can help us through it.
Jesus turns the uncertain certain. Jesus reminds us that our identity is that of beloved children of God, not whatever we think the world thinks of us. We will experience rejection, but Jesus is the “stone which the builders rejected” and he “has become the cornerstone” (Acts 4:11). With Jesus, the God of rejection and resurrection as our foundation, we too are resurrected after rejection. We have hope in Jesus Christ.
This message is excerpted from “What the Bible says about rejection” by Becca Ehrlich in the August 2019 Café online magazine.
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