We're going to look at a couple of scriptures in John 5 and Luke 24. I feel that it is very important to really understand what Jesus says in these two passages in order to understand the Old Testament. Too many people do not understand the Old Testament and refuse to study it.
"Well, I only get the history."
I know, and whether you know it or not, that's all you are getting out of the New Testament. It also is history and you're missing the mystery. We want to get the mystery, but Jesus tells us exactly what is in the Old Testament and why it is important.
Have you noticed how much of the Bible is taken up with the Old Testament? How much less of the Bible is taken up with the New Testament? Galatians tells us plainly that the Old Testament Law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, so it is important to go to the Old Testament. People's Bibles look well used in the New Testament, but the Old Testament pages look like they haven't been used at all. We want to be Old Testament people as well as New Testament. In fact, I would like to get away from the terms "Old Testament" and "New Testament". Let's talk about the writings of God. These Old Testament books are for today.
John 5:39 [You] search the scriptures… Jesus is not telling the Pharisees to search the Scriptures; they already do that; …for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.
When Jesus spoke that, there was no such thing as a New Testament. Even the Gospel of John at that time had not been written. None of the New Testament books had been written when Jesus spoke that, so He is talking about the writings, the scriptures that they knew as the Law and what today we call the Old Testament. Jesus tells the Pharisees, "You think you have eternal life because of the way you study those scriptures," and they did study them, meticulously. But they didn't get anything out of it.
John 5:40,45 And you will not come to Me, that you might have life.
45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that
accuses you, even Moses, in whom you trust.
You know who the "one" is. Jesus is not talking about there is one thing or one person. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus says, "Here, O Israel, the Lord our God is one" (Mark 12:29). Most of the time in the Scriptures if it says "one," it is talking about the one God, the one Lord, it is Him.
John 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuses you, even Moses, in whom you trust.
Moses is accusing them because it is the Lord in him doing it.
John 5:46-47 For had you believed Moses, you would have believed Me: for he
wrote of Me.
47 But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe My words?
"The very fact that you do not believe Me, and you do not accept what I'm saying means you didn't believe Moses either, because Moses wrote of Me," Jesus says. Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Those five books are written about the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Scriptures speak of the Lord Jesus Christ, they are also speaking of the many-membered Christ. The Church is spoken of in there also.
Luke 24:44 And He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you…
Are you aware of when in time this is? Jesus is getting ready to ascend, to leave His disciples, and that they will never see Him again as a man.
Luke 24:44 And He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me.
Here Jesus not only says that Moses wrote of Him, but He said, "What is written by the prophets and in the psalms, all of that is written of Me and all of it has to be fulfilled."
Luke 24:45 Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures.
Now, if you want to be able to understand the Scriptures, you will need the same experience that those disciples had. You need the Lord Jesus to open your understanding to the Scriptures. Ask Him, say, "Lord, open my understanding to the Scriptures. Reveal to me Yourself in them." Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Henry DuBose