Wednesday April 15
Jesus and the Origin and History of the Bible
Jesus taught that the Bible is the Word of God in the sense that what it says is synonymous with what God says. Its origin is found in God and, therefore, contains ultimate authority for every aspect of life. God worked through history to reveal His will to humanity through the Bible.
For instance, in Matthew 19:4, 5 (NKJV), Jesus refers to a quote written by Moses. But Jesus takes this passage and says, “ ‘He who made them at the beginning . . . said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother.” ’ ” Instead of saying “Scripture says,” Jesus says, “ ‘He who made them at the beginning . . . said,’ ” attributing to the Creator’s Word what the narrator of Genesis wrote. God is, in fact, regarded here as the author of this statement, even though it was written by Moses.
Read the following passages. How did Jesus understand the historical
persons and events of the Bible?
Matt. 12:3, 4
But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?
Mark 10:6-8
But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’ ; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Luke 4:25-27
But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”
Luke 11:51
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.
Matt. 24:38
For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
Jesus consistently treats Old Testament people, places, and events as historical truth. He refers to Genesis 1 and Genesis 2, Abel in Genesis 4, David eating the showbread, and Elisha among other historical figures. He repeatedly speaks of the sufferings of the prophets of old (Matt. 5:12, Matt. 13:57, Matt. 23:34-36, Mark 6:4). In a message of warning, Jesus also describes the days of Noah: “ ‘They were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came apnd took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be’ ” (Matt. 24:38, 39, NKJV). There is every indication that Jesus was referring to this mighty act of God’s judgment as a historical event.
Because Jesus Himself refers to these historical people as real, what does it say about the power of Satan’s deceptions that many people today, even professed Christians, often deny their existence? Why must we never fall into that trap?
No comments:
Post a Comment