Why Would They Believe Our Report?

Image of Augustus Henry — Inspiration from New Creation Ministry —
By Augustus Henry (PhD)

Reference: Isaiah 53

Some stories or experiences that could appear too ridiculous to be true may be more believable than you think:

The fierce Fluffy

Tamara Baker related this story: When I was around 8, my dog followed my dad to wait with me for my school bus. While they were waiting, my dad saw Fluffy get hit by a truck, so he took him and buried him. We then went out of town for the weekend. But on Sunday evening when we got home, Fluffy was standing on our porch! Dad couldn’t believe it and told us, ‘I buried him on Friday!’ Turns out, Fluffy had just been knocked out cold, so he rose from the dead and waited on us to come home.

The hard-to-believe report.

Although not that simplistic, the bible is replete with hard-to-believe occurrences, and the prophecy in Isaiah 53 is no exception: About 700 years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah wrote a bold report about the coming Messiah. He said the Messiah would come as a tender plant, a child even. He would have no attractiveness, that he would come as a tender plant coming out of dry ground. Not only that, but the Messiah who was promised to save Israel, would be hated by men, including Israel.

But worse, the report stated that God would strike him, even forsake him. Men will despise him. He will be a man of sorrow that is acquainted with grief (acquainted with grief? Familiarized with grief?). “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.” Then Isaiah revealed that he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Interpretation: The word wounded really means pierced. He was pierced because he would carry the weight of the sins of 117 billion people who have walked the face of earth throughout its history. He will bear the punishment that would produce our peace. And our healing was a product of laceration and white meat that appeared on his back when he was beaten.
The most incredible part of that prophecy is that Isaiah reported that ‘it pleased God to persecute him for the salvation of humanity.’ However, the most significant statement in this chapter is at the beginning of verse 1: Who hath believed our report? The prophet begins with skepticism about how people will perceive his report.

Who will believe that nonsense? Who will believe that a Just God will allow an innocent man to die for the sins of murderers, liars, and thieves?
Who would believe that God Himself would take the punishment and suffering at the hands of the very people who he is trying to save?
Who would believe that this innocent man would be tried, condemned, and executed without even defending himself?
Who believes the story that the suffering and death of someone could restore health, establish peace, heal sickness, and make humans immortal? Who would believe such a report?
Modern disbelief.
That is the same question we have as we go out to engage the community with the story of Jesus: who will believe our story?
Who will believe that Jesus can save struggling poor people from poverty?
Who will believe that Jesus can Heal sickness?
Who will believe that Jesus can restore broken families? Who will believe that he can discipline wayward children? But most importantly, who will believe that he has given eternal life?
Who would believe that a man who died 2 thousand years ago will return and take his followers to a mansion somewhere in the sky?

This is the thing, we have all these questions and looking for answers as to who will believe and why should they believe our story about Jesus.

The history of unbelieve.

Skepticism:

It started with the very people who received that original message. They ask Jesus, “By what authority doest thou these things – Doubting that he was the Messiah. Those same people who were holders of the Law and the Prophets literature, the same people who praised the prophet Isaiah, refused to believe his report, refuse to accept and believe the subject of the report who was Jesus.

Did you know that in Jewish theology, Isaiah 53 is known as the forbidden chapter, it is not taught (Justin Whipperman).

There is so much disbelief about Jesus among the Jews that they have banned even their own scriptures. But some of the disciples were worse. They saw him with their own eyes but doubted: Matthew 28:17, And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

This history of doubt about Jesus feeds our reality today: it is no wonder as we plan to live, speak, and evangelize for Jesus and his kingdom that our confidence could be so low.

But what can produce a restoration of confidence in his story?

It is ignited in the fact that he said “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the ends of the world.”

The agent of believability is forever here

As we attempt to represent Christ, there is a lie sitting in the back of our minds that says we are undertaking this task in our own strength, that when we evangelize, the response has something to do with our ability, that somehow, we have to know the bible inside-out. Brothers and sisters, that is a lie!

Luke 21:15: for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.

Acts 4:31: And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
John 14:16: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.
Who believed Isaiah’s report?
Apostle John believed him – he called Jesus the lamb that takes away the sins of the world.
Mathew, a government agent, believed – he recalled David spoke of the coming messiah.
Luke, a doctor, believed – he said Jesus came just as the prophet prophesied.

Paul, a great philosopher, believes it – he said that God spoke to their ancestors and the report about Jesus is true.

Peter, a fisherman, believed – he called him Messiah and the Christ, son of the living God!
A poor old lady with an age-old menstrual problem believed him – she believed that Jesus’ suffering can remedy illness.

Some believers had so much confidence in the report, they gave their lives for it.