Sermon nugget Thus April 3, 2008
Theme – Evidence for truth
Verses- John 5:39-40
You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
THE TESTIMONY OF THE SCRIPTURES
Jesus is making another important claim that the scriptures point to Him being the Messiah; yet people who are diligent Bible scholars miss him. That was true when the wise men came to Herod to ask about the one born King of the Jews. Herod went immediately to the scribes, those versed in knowing the prophesies. They identified Bethlehem as the place the Messiah was to be born. Neither the scribes nor Herod went looking. The Bible scholars were more interested in studying their theology and exegesis, and parsing of verbs and dissecting prophesies than finding the Christ.
When Jesus rose from the grave the account reads that He was on the road to Emmaus walking with two men who were talking about the events of the day. Jesus opened up the Scriptures concerning himself. The story of the Old Testament points to the coming Jesus the first time as well as His coming again. Prophecy upon prophecy point to the Messiah, the chances of coincidence are impossible. The only rational explanation is Jesus is the Messiah sent from God and the Bible reveals the truth of who He is.
The Bible witnesses to the realities of Jesus if people want to know, but the Bible does not give life. The scriptures lead to the life giver. They reveal the true Christ and this fact is the key to all difficulties about the Bible and inspiration. As one pastor put it, “Does the knowledge of the Bible give us a big head or a burning heart?” It is a tool to Jesus and it is truth. It is the witness of who Jesus is.
It is hard to understand that since God has given to us this written revelation and people have been changed by Christ and witness to the fact of who He is, why are people so easily mislead? It is because they do not know the Scriptures.
When I was at Michigan State University I frankly thought agnostics and social activists would give compelling truths as to why they rejected the authority of the Bible. To my surprise those who chose to discuss it showed a remarkable ignorance of the Bible. They would take phrases and ideas and weave them into an argument that just didn’t hold up.
The reason so many people are led to false religions is the way people misuse the Bible. When they are taught the Scriptures they take verses out of context and change meanings of words, or obscure passages that “prophets of today” claim to have the insight interpretation by God
The Lord gave us the revelation of the Scriptures to study and apply to our lives and show us more fully the revelation of Jesus. Notice some of the things that Jesus says about his hearers. “You were willing to enjoy John for a little while, but you have not seen God nor heard him. You do not have his word abiding in you heart. You do not believe. You will not come to me. You have not God’s love in you.”
If you want truth, go to the Bible. Within it you will see Jesus. The faith committed to believe and obey is up to you.
Pastor Dale
