Isaiah 53:1 “Who has believed our message…?”
Are you having trouble believing for things unbelievable?
The prophecy describing the coming of the Messiah in Isaiah 53 shocks us to the core. The Creator God of all majesty and power was coming to the earth as a suffering servant. Rather than being hailed as the Mighty King, he would be “despised and rejected.” He would be identified as the slaughtered lamb. Not the conquering lion. Deceit would crush the One who knew no deceit. Hatred would inflict incomprehensible anguish on the author of love.
Anyone looking on might conclude God was punishing this suffering servant. The religious leaders of the day certainly did. They accused him of blasphemy as an excuse to cut his life short.They nailed his body to a mocking cross and threw him into a grave marked It’s over!
But it wasn’t over. Isaiah’s message proclaims news even more incredulous. So unthinkable that it stretches our imagination beyond every natural instinct. His suffering atoned for our sin. My sin. Your sin. Every single sin in the whole world. Such intercession on our behalf would give each of us a shot at eternity.
No wonder Isaiah asked, “Who has believed our message?”
Yet this unthinkable message remains as vibrant as when it was first revealed. And God, by his grace, has given us many more prophecies to verify his plan. Not one has failed to come to pass. From how and where Jesus would be born to how he would die, every prediction proves true. God gives us such evidence to help us believe this incredible message.
Ronald Reagan’s famous line, “trust but verify,” works well when dealing with fallen man. But God is infallible. His words are true. What he says will happen will happen, no matter how outlandish or improbable. He has already verified his trustworthiness.
So about those unbelievable things in your life. Believing Isaiah’s message lays the foundation for trusting God in things we don’t yet see. As long as we live, he will give us opportunities to deepen our faith. Don’t be discouraged when faced with challenges that require more faith than you think you have. Let him stretch you. And when he asks, “Who has believed our message?” heartily respond with, “I do!”