Why Is Jesus Called a "Man of Sorrows"?

The Old Testament is full of deep, prophetic passages that reveal a great deal about the nature of man, God’s plans for the universe, and the end of time that leads to a glorious eternity for those who love and obey God. Certain books contain more prophecies, and have a heavier emphasis on the Messiah, or the future of Israel, or the end of days.

The prophet Isaiah’s writings contain huge swaths of prophecy within its pages. In one of Isaiah’s prophetic passages, he spoke of a man who would live a life of pain and hardship. In one verse it says, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3).

This man of sorrows was Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit showed Isaiah a glimpse of the life of Jesus where He was rejected in His hometown, betrayed by people who loved Him, and suffered for others. Most of His life was defined by hardship, and the culmination of His ministry was sacrificing His life as an act of substitutionary atonement. Ultimately, Jesus will return to earth, not to suffer, but to rule and reign.

What Does "Man of Sorrows" Mean in Isaiah 53:3?

Jesus received the title “man of sorrows” in chapter 53 of the book of Isaiah. This particular passage is one of the more famous Messianic prophecies - a section of Scripture that foretells the coming of a future king of Israel who would redeem the world. Centuries later, Jesus would fulfill these prophecies. Early in the passage he is called the man of sorrows, and the rest of the prophecy outlines why.

It speaks about the crucifixion at Golgotha. Verses address the trial, Jesus’ silence, and the physical and spiritual suffering. It emphasizes, “...and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4). Part of the great sorrow of Jesus’ life was that when He died, the weight of all the sins of the world were laid on Him, and He suffered greatly. Each of the Gospels records eye-witness accounts of this process, and it matches with the prophecies of Isaiah 53. Some of these prophecies fulfilled by the crucifixion that underscore how Jesus was a man of sorrows include:

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth…” (Isaiah 53:7a).

“And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth” (Isaiah 53:9).

“Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).

These burdens and pains are part of the life of Christ, the climax of a life of difficulty, but preceding a glorious resurrection.

Why Would Jesus Be Sorrowful?

God could have lived His incarnate life anywhere. He could have come as a powerful king, a mighty warrior, a wealthy merchant, or in all His glory. Any of these would have made His life simpler and showed the world who He truly was. He could have claimed everything owed to Him. Instead, for His first time on earth, God the Son came in the most humble of circumstances. His family was deeply impoverished; in fact, the Bible only records them sacrificing small birds, the accepted sacrifice for the poorest in Hebrew society. His family probably carried a stigma because of the strange circumstances of his birth.

During His ministry, Jesus lived a life of hardship. Many people came to Him, interested in following Him until they learned they would have to give up things in order to do so. There are several accounts of this happening; “As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’” (Luke 9:57-58). He was homeless, and few people loved Him enough to suffer with Him.

Through His life, He knew the ultimate suffering of the cross was coming and He even told His disciples, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Luke 9:21). He lived knowing many people would reject Him, rejecting the possibility of eternal life, that He would be betrayed, and suffer a painful death condemned as a guilty man, despite living an innocent life.

What Does the Title “Man of Sorrows” Teach Us about the Character of God?

Seeing the Lord of all things called the man of sorrows is a reminder of God’s care, and our ability to harm Him by our wicked thoughts, actions, and feelings. There are many verses which remind us that God can be grieved:

Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” 

Hebrews 10:29 “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?” 

Genesis 6:5-6 “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.” 

Hosea 11:1-3 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them.”

Mark 3:4-5 “And [Jesus] said to them, ‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.’” 

John 11:35 “Jesus wept.”

Despite the many sorrows of His life, Jesus loved those around Him. He reached out to others, giving of Himself, serving instead of being served. Ultimately, those many sorrows led Him to the cross. His death on the cross is what paid the price each person should pay for the sins they have committed against God. After all this suffering, He rose up from the grave, fully alive, and providing for those who accept Him as Lord and Savior to follow Him into eternal life, where there will be everlasting joy. He may have been the man of sorrows, but He is also the wellspring of everything wonderful.

Sources

Bagnall-Baker, Thomas. Christ The Man of Sorrows. London: R. Wertheim Aldine Chambers, 1846.

Rhodes, James. Man of Sorrows, King of Glory: What the Humiliation and Exaltation of Jesus Means for Us. Wheaton: Crossway, 2021.

Wiersbe, Warren. The Names of Jesus. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1997.

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Photo credit: Unsplash/Warren Wong

Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com.