How sad it is that so many people know the account, the Gospel account, yet they don’t get it. They don’t understand the meaning of the resurrection. They don’t understand the true role of the Messiah. They don’t understand that the suffering of Jesus is not disqualifying from being the Messiah. It is actually qualifying Him for being the Messiah. Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Zechariah 12, all these accounts were talking about the suffering Messiah, were talking about the fact that He had to die, were talking about the fact that He bore the sin of all of us. They were talking about the fact that when He will return they will see Him whom they pierced, and then they will mourn and then they will cry when they understand how foolish and how wrong they were.
Jesus did not fit the words of the scribes, the words of the rabbis, the words of the teachers. Jesus fit the words of the prophets, the word of God, and that is exactly the problem today in this world. People are following man’s teachings, man’s doctrines, man’s ideas, and they are getting away more and more and more from the actual word of God. And when something happens, rather than going to the word of God and checking it with the word of God, they just ask the rabbi, they just ask the priest, they just ask any religious clerk. They don’t know Him. They don’t know His word. They don’t know His resurrection, and surely they don’t have the power of that resurrection.
One of the great tragedies in these last days is the diminishing respect and reverence for the word of God. Not just in the world, but in the church as well. It is not unusual today to sit in a church service and not hear the Bible quoted, or, if it is quoted, it is a single verse or small passage that is used as a springboard to launch into the topic of the day.
Matthew 7:28-29 KJV – “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
The lack of teaching the word of God can only lead to the lack of the knowledge of God. People don’t learn that the Bible is not just a book, it is not just one among many religions’ writings. It is unlike any other book, because the author of the book is God the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). If you don’t learn that this book is authored by God, then the consequence will be exactly what we are seeing today – a lack of respect and reverence for the word of God.
Hebrews 4:12 KJV – “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Jesus did not teach the way the scribes did, because Jesus is God. He didn’t just repeat others’ interpretations of the Torah like the scribes. The words that He spoke were living and powerful, just like those inspired by the Holy Spirit in the book we call the Bible.
It is funny how some today hear the story of the resurrection as we just did at Easter. They hear of the seven sayings from the cross and the angelic encounters at the empty tomb. They hear the tomb is empty, they hear that He is risen, and then they go on about their lives like Christ is still in the grave. How can someone say they want to spend eternity in heaven with God yet can’t spend 20-30 minutes each day or an hour on Sunday reading or hearing the word of God?
Jesus gave a teaching in John 6 where he used His body and blood as an illustration about the level of commitment He expects from those who follow Him, and the “spiritual lesson” He gave offended many. John said this of their response:
John 6:66-69 KJV – “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
The Bible has some hard things to say in it, to be sure. There are many things that are counter to the culture of our day. But the words that Jesus speaks and all that the Bible records are life, and there is no other place to go to find such words. God alone has the words of life.
. We will learn that the resurrection of Jesus is not just a story. It’s a proven, historical fact. If we study the word of God, we learn of the connection between the Passover of the Jews and the death and resurrection of the King of the Jews.
If we study the word, we would learn that Psalm 22 prophesied of Jesus’ hands and feet being pierced, and of the soldiers casting lots for His clothing. If we study the word, we will find in Isaiah 53 that it was prophesied He would be silent before His accusers, be crucified among the wicked, and buried among the rich. If we study the word of God, we will learn that when Jesus returns that Zechariah 12:10 says the ones who pierced Him will mourn for Him and for the grave mistake of their ancestors.
A great preacher of a generation ago said the following:
“Bible study doesn’t bring you closer to God. Did you know there are boys who go to seminary and backslide with a Bible under their arm? What good is it to know Hebrew if you don’t know Him? What good is it to know Greek if you don’t know God? Bible study gives you knowledge about God, obedience gives you knowledge of God.”
How can you know what to obey if you don’t know God’s word? And if you don’t know what to obey, how can you then know of God? The most important thing any of us will ever do with our time is study the word of God so we can obey it and know God. As it has been said:
Seven days without reading the Bible makes one weak!
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,
