#36.

God's Word Helps Us to Recognize Who Jesus Is

John 5:39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; So far in this series we have looked at what the Word of God is, and our recent studies have focused on what it does. A consideration of these things should certainly motivate us to read the Bible, or else we should examine the condition of our hearts before the Lord! We are going to conclude the series by considering preaching more particularly, as an encouragement to us all to make sure we not only read God's Word but also hear it preached whenever we have opportunity. This week, though, we will look at one final thing that the Word of God does that is most important: it helps us recognize Who Jesus is. In our text, Jesus rebukes the Jews because they possessed the Scriptures and yet they did not recognize the Messiah when He came. "These are the Scriptures that testify about me", He says. The fact is that even without having the New Testament (like the Jews of Jesus' day), you could know exactly where Messiah would be born, what He would be like, what He would do, how He would die, rise and ascend to heaven, and that through His life and His sacrifice he would earn righteousness for His people, save them from Hell, purchase the gift of the Holy Spirit for them and welcome them into His eternal kingdom at the end of the age. The whole Bible is written so that we may know without doubt that Jesus is the Christ. It was written over 1600 years by perhaps 40 authors and yet it has one theme and one purpose - to point to Christ. In the Old Testament Jesus and His work are anticipated: through prophecy (place of birth, virgin birth, ancestry (Son of God and son of man), nature of ministry, manner and purpose of death, resurrection, ascension and so on it is a long list!), reflected in the lives of individuals like Melchizedek, Moses, Joseph, David and many others - another long list! Displayed through events (water flowing from a rock, the manna coming from heaven, the bronze serpent that Moses made and lifted up, Jacob's ladder that reached to heaven, the tabernacle furniture and ceremonies and so on - again, a long list) Appearing as "The Angel of the Lord" in several accounts throughout the Old Testament, to Joshua, to the parents of Sampson, to Gideon (to name but three). In the New Testament we see Jesus born and fulfill not just some of these prophecies, types and shadows, but every last one of them! No wonder He rebuked the Jews - He had been staring them in the face every time they read the Scriptures and yet they didn't know Him when He came! Suppose for a moment that we did not have the Bible. How would you know Jesus was Who He claimed to be? He did many remarkable things and said many profound things, but without the Bible, what would these prove? So the Bible makes us very certain that Jesus is the Christ, the only Savior, and that if we put our trust in Him, we can never be disappointed. If we don't read the Bible, how will we know Who Christ really is, or How will we know we have trusted the right Jesus and not just

one of our own imagination (who could never save us)? Or how will we ever get to know this blessed One who fulfilled all prophecy that we might have eternal life? Read your Bibles! Hear the Word preached! Get to know God's only Savior from sin! 1 John 5:1013 The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. 11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

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