Who Has Believed Our Report

“Although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: ‘Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’” [1]

Do you believe Isaiah’s report? Do you believe that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and your sin as well? Jesus is One that Isaiah spoke of in Isaiah chapter 53.

The Bible says that among the rulers many believed in Jesus, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” [2]

Many rulers believed in Jesus but would not confess Him due to fear of what identification with Jesus would do to their poll numbers. The Pharisees were extremely effective at destroying the popularity of people they opposed.

Jesus cried out, saying, that whosoever believed in Him believed in Him [God] who sent Him. Jesus declared Himself the light of the world. The dispeller of darkness! The command He had from the Father was and is everlasting life. His brings people to God. [3]

Who has believed our report?

Abraham believed God’s report. The Scripture says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness.” Did you catch that? God gave Abraham credit for believing in Him. He placed righteousness in Abraham’s account as a gift because Abraham believed His Word. [4]

Ouch! This cut out the middlemen’s take. Pharisees erroneously project themselves to be the middlemen so they can take what belongs to God and enjoy it for themselves. They are like Hophni and Phinehas, the wicked sons of High Priest Eli in this regard. [5]

Abraham believed that God justifies the ungodly, and God credited Abraham’s faith to him as righteousness. David also believed in God this way. “David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works.” [6]

A ceremony did not make Abraham righteous. The Lord did! The Old Testament ceremony of circumcision has a similar relevance as the New Testament ceremony of baptism. Both ceremonies testify to the recipients faith in God. God is the Savior of the believer. Believers demonstrate their faith in God by being baptized in His Name.

“How then was it [righteousness] credited? While he [Abraham] was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also.” [7]

God imputes righteousness to those who believe in Him. Righteousness “is of faith that it might be according to [God’s] grace.” Righteousness by God’s grace makes His promise sure to all of us who believe in Him. Thus, Abraham is called the father of all us who in believe God. [8]

The faith that Abraham had in God was more than an intellectual nod. The Scripture says that Abaham “believed God gives life to the dead.” He believed that God “calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” “Contrary to hope, in hope he believed God so that he became the father of many nations.” [9]

To be a father of many nations we must have the faith of Abraham. To help people of other nations to believe in God (the great commission), we must have the faith of Abraham. The faith that births new believers in Christ needs to be in us. Paul said that faith is revealed from faith to faith. The Scripture says that Abraham was fully convinced that what God had promised He was also able to perform. [10] This is the kind of faith in God that helps others to believe in God.

Abraham was strengthened in faith as he gave glory to God. [11] God is the source and object of our faith. Let us receive from God so that we may give what only God can give to others, namely faith in Christ!

Righteousness from God was imputed to Abraham and “it is imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.” Jesus “was delivered up because of our offenses and He was raised because of our justification.” [12] This is the Gospel.

Do you believe this report? I do. “Dear Lord Jesus, please help us to lead others to believe in You!”

[1] John 12:37-38
[2] John 12:42-43
[3] John 12:44-50
[4] Romans 4:3
[5] 1 Samuel 2:12-16
[6] Romans 4:5-6
[7] Romans 4:10-11
[8] Romans 4:16-17
[9] Romans 4:17-18
[10] Romans 1:17, 4:21
[11] Romans 4:20
[12] Romans 4:23-25