Jesus said Scripture is true. Mark 12:24 records an epic discussion between Jesus and the Sadducees, and His response started with this statement: “Jesus replied, ‘Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?’”
I recently read an encyclopedia piece which said Sadducees tended to only consider the Torah, which are the first five books of the Bible. Thus they would not have known about, or accepted, the prophecy of resurrection from Daniel 12:2, or the fact that Elisha raised a dead boy to life, as recorded in 2 Kings 4:8-37. Thus the belief of the Sadducees about the doctrine of resurrection was wrong, and Jesus told them the truth.
Matthew 5:17 records Jesus saying: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Jesus indeed fulfilled the sacred writings by living a perfect life which included obeying the Mosaic Law, and by carrying out the calling of the Messiah.
Referring to the Law and the Prophets, Jesus is referring to Scripture. The Hebrews classified Scriptures into three groups: The Torah (the Law), the Nebiim (the Prophets), and the Ketubim (the Writings). The content is the same as the content of the western “Old Testament” Scripture! Do note the Hebrew Scripture compiles the sacred texts into 24 “books,” whereas the western compilation of those sacred texts is in 39 “books.” For example, in Hebrew Scripture, the twelve “minor” prophets are all grouped together in one book.
It often gives me a rush of electricity when I read the passage of Luke 4:16-21. The passage concludes with Jesus saying: “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus was saying that Isaiah had written about Him, and that He was living it! Wow.
After the resurrection of Jesus, He explained His resurrection to two disciples in the light of Scripture. Luke 24:27 records: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Shortly thereafter, Jesus appeared to the apostles, “the Eleven” (Luke 24:33), and likewise explained His resurrection in the light of Scripture: “[Jesus] said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms’” (Luke 24:44).
Jesus said the Hebrew Scripture is true. And Jesus showed Scripture is true by dying on a cross for the forgiveness of sins, and by being resurrected from the dead, as is witnessed by the apostolic writings, which is Scripture we now refer to as the New Testament.
This truth needs to be realized in a day and age when a number of people are distorting, ignoring, or flat out rejecting the sacred writings, which were termed Scriptures in the ancient world. The result: many people are getting hurt as they veer from God’s ways. If you are a Christian, I plead with you to consider what Jesus said about Scripture, and consider the witness of Jesus who fulfilled Scripture. And if you have never considered the Bible to be sacred, I invite you to investigate that claim for yourself. And John gives us a purpose statement in John 20:31 – “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
Hunter Irvine
