“WHO HAS BELIEVED?”
(Isaiah 52:1 – 54:17)
“Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” – Isaiah 53:1
Although I’m not a native of the fine state of Missouri, I did reside there for a time… long enough to know that they call themselves the “Show-Me State.” This is not the official nickname of Missouri, but rather a common saying, meaning the only way people from Missouri will believe anything to be true is to see it for themselves.
Throughout the three chapters of today’s assignment, Isaiah “shows us” literally the entire ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone who somehow isn’t convinced of the divinity of Christ, His miraculous birth, His suffering and sacrificial death for our sin, must not have read or understood this prophetic word from Isaiah, written centuries before Christ’s birth!
Perhaps the most well-read verse is Isaiah 53:5, stating “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.” Any question at all that this refers to Christ is laid to rest as 1 Peter 2:24 quotes the passage, saying “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
So, the question is – “who has believed our report?” Have you believed the report of God’s Word, that Jesus lived, was despised and rejected, carried our sin and our sorrows, was wounded for our sins and transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, bore stripes on His back for our healing.
Simple Truth:
Jesus Christ is our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer, and our Great Physician! By His stripes you are healed!
Reflections and Application:
- There is nothing you can do to attain salvation. It is not by works, but by trusting in the finished work of Christ.
- The life and ministry of Christ are written in the four Gospels, but were prophetically spoken hundreds of years before they took place. You can believe it!
- If you confess with your lips that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believe in your heart, you shall be saved! Believe it!
Closing Prayer…
Heavenly Father, I thank You for loving me so much that You sent Your Son, Jesus, to live a sinless life and to become the perfect sacrifice, paying for my sin. I am Your child, because of what Jesus did. In His precious name, amen.
About our Author
Tim Satryan has been in full time ministry since 1980. He has served five churches in four states. He has also served as the District Youth and Music Director for the PennDel Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God, was the Presbyter for the state of Delaware for over a decade, and for a number of years traveled with the AG Church Multiplication Network, teaching church planting and church revitalization.
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