John 5:39-40, 45-47 – You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. . . . Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?
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I want to make one short and simple point today. As we look here at the teaching of Jesus, we see our Lord affirm the holy scriptures. Over the past few weeks, my Blog has been overwhelmingly focused on the sufficiency and importance of the word of God. This is partly planned, because the scripture has been the topic of my preaching as well. However, this running topic is also something that is not planned; it comes up in nearly every single day’s reading.
Here, we see Jesus make two separate affirmations. First, in verses 39-40, he points out to the religious teachers that the holy scriptures point to him. Jesus, the Son of God, acknowledges publicly that the scriptures are valid, because those scriptures point to him. Then, in verses 45-47, he points to the writings of Moses, the written Torah, as witness to him.
In Sunday’s message, I pointed out from Jesus’ teaching in Luke 16:31, that the scriptures are sufficient to help people to believe and necessary for salvation. Now, in today’s Bible reading, Jesus makes the very same point in John’s gospel. Jesus lets us know that we will not believe him if we do not believe in the written word of God. Here he was pointing to the Torah, but in general, we can recognize that this is true of all the scripture. If you will not listen to the Bible, you will not and can not listen to Jesus.
Dear Lord, I again thank you for the Bible, your holy word. I ask that you will make your word more and more alive to me each day as I read what you have recorded for me to know you. Your word truly points me to you, and I will never know you apart from your word. Help me to study faithfully, that I might know you and glorify you more and more.
Pastor Travis Peterson 