Last week we looked at Jesus’ view of the Scriptures. He believed they were inspired of God, and thus prophetically, historically, and verbally accurate. Jesus believed in the miracles recorded in scripture. He made arguments from single words. He displayed complete confidence in the Scriptures.
So based on his view of the Scriptures, let’s now examine how Jesus used the Scriptures.
Treasures to be studied
Jesus studied the Scriptures his whole life. At the age of 12, when most young boys interests are in other things, Jesus studied God’s Word. He amazed the experts of the Law in the Temple with “his understanding and his answers” (Luke 2:47). We read later that it was Jesus’ “custom” to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath day to study (Luke 4:16). This is why Jesus “increased in wisdom” (Luke 2:52).
Jesus exhorted others to study. In reference to Hosea 6:6 (“I desire mercy and not sacrifice”), Jesus told the Pharisees to “Go and learn what this means” (Matthew 9:13). He chastised the Sadducees for not knowing the Scriptures (Matthew 22:29).
Foundation for belief
Jesus believed the scriptures were given to produce faith. He told his enemies, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39). And again he said, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me” (John 5:46).
After his resurrection Jesus rebuked two disciples for their failure to believe. He said, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26) He called them foolish because they had not developed proper faith through God’s Word.
Protection from temptation
When Jesus was feeling weak or tempted, he went to the Scriptures. Three times Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, and three times he responded to the devil’s temptation with Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). Each time he answered the devil’s enticement to sin with “It is written!”
Authoritative instructions to be obeyed
Jesus was raised in a home where God’s Law was obeyed. He was presented in the Temple as a baby “according to the Law of Moses” in which sacrifice was offered as they were told to “in the Law of the Lord” (Luke 2:22, 24). We’re told again in that same chapter that they performed everything “according to the Law of the Lord” and that at age 12 they brought Jesus to keep the Feast of the Passover (Luke 2:39; Luke 2:41-42).
Jesus taught others to keep the Law. After cleansing a leper Jesus “sternly charged” him to show himself to the priests and make sacrifice as “Moses commanded” (Mark 1:43-44). Jesus drove the money-changers out of the Temple on the basis of what was written in Isaiah 56:7, “My house shall be called a house of prayer” (Matthew 21:13).
Not only did Jesus see the Law as governing our religious practice, but he believed it should rule our moral life as well. When asked about divorce, Jesus went to the record of creation in Genesis to provide an answer. He asked, “Have you not read…?” (Matthew 19:3-6)
Furthermore, Jesus had little patience with those who elevated tradition to the same level as God’s Law. When answering the charge that he didn’t follow the tradition of the elders, Jesus quoted from Isaiah 29:13: “in vain do they worship me; teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:5-7).
Source of eternal life
Finally, Jesus saw the scriptures as the only path to eternal life. When asked, “what shall I do to inherit eternal life,” Jesus responded by asking, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” (Luke 10:25-28).
So many today are telling us that truth is relative. We’re told the Bible is just one of many equally valid paths to God. We’re asked why we put so much emphasis on studying the scriptures and closely following them.
How do you think Jesus would reply to these challenges from our culture? The same way he responded to his own. He would tell us to diligently study the Scriptures; to go back to God’s Word to develop a genuine relationship with God; to build an abiding trust in and reverence for his Word. He would tell us to reject all other paths being sold to us as true religion or authentic spirituality, and to follow only what we can find in scripture.