“…He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we would desire Him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem.” – Isaiah 53:2-3

Without knowing the story behind the image above, would it attract you to the promise of a life of freedom? Would it draw you to the promise of a glorious life? Do you see the love in this picture? Do you see the beauty? Only when you know the story behind the picture, can you see the true beauty.

For some, the thought of tests, trials, the many crosses you will have to take up and bear, having to walk away from certain relationships, rejection, laying aside our own wants and tripping of fleshly desires, do not always seem that beautiful. None of what we are called to surrender or have to endure on earth will ever compare to the beautiful suffering of our Savior.

Despite the ugliness of our sins, God sees the beauty in His children. He loved us enough to send His Son, Jesus, to die a death far from beautiful that we would have access to a beautiful life. A relationship with Him.

When I look as this picture, I see a beautiful Man – scarred with all of the ugliness of my life. He may not have stunning good looks or appear majestic. He did not demand respect or even demand my life…He offered a simple invitation.

Paying a cost I could never afford to exchange the ugliness of my sins for the beauty of a new life.