How Jesus viewed the Bible

As a student someone gave me a book by JI Packer which had a chapter on how Jesus related to the Old Testament.  I’ve since lost the book!  But this blog is some of what stuck with me and has helped me.  I remember thinking “if I follow Jesus, then I must follow his view of the Bible.”  

Precious: Jesus learned, quoted, and lived by the Bible
In Psalm 1 it says, “his delight is in the Law of the Lord and on his Law he meditates day and night.”  Jesus clearly did this.  He was always quoting or referring to Scripture (Matt 5.21, 38, Matt 9.36, Matt 15.4, Mk 6.34, Mk 7.10, Mk 8.18, Mk 10.1, Mk 11.10, Mk 12.33, Luke 10.27, John 6.31, John 12.13, John 12.40….) even when he was dying (Mk 15.34).  He loved God’s word. It was his lifeline.  Jesus said he “didn’t live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4.4).  When Satan tempted him in the wilderness he defended himself with Scripture (Matt 4.8).  Jesus even took his mission from the Bible (cf. Luke 4.18-20, Matt 26.24).  In his human nature he sat under it’s authority.  

This is a challenge to us to be obedient.  Also to be learning verses. We may think we don’t need to because we have google.  But when we wake in the night, are in a crisis, have a gospel opportunity, or are facing death, google won’t help us.  Either it’s in our heads or not. 

Authoritative: Jesus taught that the Bible was God’s unchanging word
In Matthew 19.4-5 a question about marriage comes up.  Jesus responds by quoting from Genesis, thousands of years before.  He doesn’t think it is out of date, no longer relevant, or can’t cope with modern complex life.   He thinks the Bible is the end of the argument because it’s God’s word.  Interestingly the verse he quotes from Genesis 2.24 is a section of narration, not speech.  But Jesus says “God said” it.  He treated not just direct speech but all the OT as God’s word.  

Being God’s word, Jesus said the Bible could not change or cancelled.  “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10.35), “Not the smallest letter will disappear.”  (Matt 5.18).  He fulfilled Scripture as he became our priest, sacrifice, temple, cleanness, but he didn’t get rid of it.  Indeed Jesus criticised strongly those who “let go of the commands of God to hold onto human traditions.”  (Mk7.8, 13).  For Jesus, scripture was supreme over human reason, our feelings, and our traditions.

Understandable: Jesus expected that we could learn from the Bible
 Jesus knew that people could get the Bible wrong. In John 5.39 he says: “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.”  They missed the whole point of the Bible even though they read it carefully.  Truth does need revealing (Matt 11.25) as we come humbly and prayerfully through Jesus.      

But Jesus didn’t teach that it’s “all a matter of interpretation.” That “we can’t really know what the Bible writers meant because it was so long ago.”  That “we have to decide what is true for us.”  This is a modern way of thinking.  It conveniently allows us to avoid any truth claims over us.  We can decide our own truth.  And at that point God can’t challenge us, rebuke us, say anything we might not like.  He becomes a pocket size God. 
 
Jesus didn’t believe this.  As we’ve seen he was always quoting the Bible and expecting that people can understand it (with help).  In Matthew 9.13 he specifically says “go and learn what is meant by…”  He must have thought they could!  That scripture was understandable and clear.  Because God invented human language, he is able to use human language to speak truly to us.

As we seek to follow Jesus we might reflect on our own view of the Bible and whether it matches his: precious, authoritative, understandable.