Who has believed?

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? (Isaiah 53:1)

Isaiah 53 contains one of the best known prophetic pictures of Jesus in the Old Testament. Isaiah paints a vivid picture of the Savior. He took up our pain. He bore our suffering. He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities and the punishment that brought us peace was on Him. But Isaiah 53 begins with a question. The description of Jesus is familiar to us and painfully accurate. But it's easy to overlook the prophetic force of the question. After all, it is THE question. Who will believe? Isaiah explains why the question is relevant in context. To all those who would look for the Messiah, be prepared. In hindsight we know that Jesus didn't look like they expected. Jesus didn't act like they expected. Jesus didn't come in the way they expected. His life didn't unfold the way they expected. Certainly, Jesus didn’t die like they expected. Isaiah anticipates the struggle to believe. Seven hundred years later Paul deals with the root issue again.

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:22-24)

The crucified Christ did not fit the expectations of the Jews nor did He fit the desires of the Greeks. What about me? Do I reserve my trust, my belief, based upon whether God fits the mold? What have I expected from God? In fact, have I been guilty of setting up a contingent trust? The prospect of being “disappointed” with God usually indicates that I expect God to be something other than God.  Still, the question hangs in the air. It has lingered for 2,700 years. Yet, I know it must be asked and answered. Who has believed?