The Supremacy & Centrality of Jesus & Bible Reading

“To preach the Bible as ‘the handbook for life,’ or as the answer to every question, rather than as the revelation of Christ, is to turn the Bible into an entirely different book. This is how the Pharisees approached Scripture, as we can see clearly from the questions they asked Jesus. For the Pharisees, the Scriptures were a source of trivia for life’s dilemmas.”  Michael Horton

One of my priorities in life and ministry is to encourage and equip the average person to meaningfully and regularly read the Bible. So few read it at all even though many have developed strong opinions about that which they have never read.

I’ve learned over the years that the enemy of our souls has a multi pronged strategy re: our Bible reading. First he of course tries to prevent people from reading it at all. And even though it is by far the best selling book ever written, and continues to be the best selling book worldwide every year. And even though people in other nations routinely risk their lives to obtain a copy and to read it – many people in America still have never read it. There is no rational reason for this. The root cause rather is spiritual.   Second, if he cannot prevent people from reading it, then he/they try to distract and divert us from reading it meaningfully to where our lives are transformed. Jesus alludes to this in His parable of the soils as seen in Matthew 13:19, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart…”.  It’s as if he/they live to try to keep God’s living word from sinking in, knowing what impact it will have if it does sink in. A purely scholastic or academic reading of it? No problem. But a reading where we hear the voice of God (not audibly usually); a reading where we know God is speaking straight to us through that passage – that keeps them awake at night.  Third, if the devil and his minions cannot keep us from reading it, they will often try to keep us from reading it purposefully. That is they will try to get us off on tangents and pursuing rabbit trails. The last thing in the world they want is for us to read it according to the purpose for which it was written. And it is that overarching purpose that I want to speak to in the rest of this post.

Remember the account in Luke 9 of Jesus taking Peter, James and John to the top of a mountain with Him to pray (vs. 28)? While praying Jesus was transfigured and all of a sudden out of nowhere He is found to be conversing with two men whom Jews especially revere, men who died hundreds of years previous to this - - Moses and Elijah (vs. 29-31). Peter, James and John – true to form – had fallen asleep. But then they woke up vs. 32 says, “….they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him.”  Jesus was full of glory and splendor; Moses and Elijah were well....two men. But Peter didn’t see it that way. Especially once he noticed Moses and Elijah seemingly starting to leave, he kicked into action and “….said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here (implying it was not good for Moses and Elijah to leave); let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah” – not realizing what he was saying (Luke adds).” “While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.” (vs. 34). While Peter was still talking the cloud sent by God formed and overshadowed them. And while Peter was still talking this happened, “Then a voice came out of the cloud saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” (vs. 35).  God the Father broke into Peter’s babbling and did not mention Moses and Elijah at all. Totally ignoring them, He commanded Peter, James and John to cling to and give great focused attention to every word that came out of Jesus’s mouth.

This reminds me of the passage in Hebrews 3:3 where the writer speaking of Jesus said, “For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house.”  The author of the book of Hebrews knew his Jewish audience had an inappropriate reverence for Moses and an inadequate reverence for Jesus.

Jesus knew this too and often made sure His disciples knew that the Law, Psalms and the Prophets all pointed to Him and were written to reveal Him and prepare us for Him. Remember the time where Jesus was speaking to the Jews as described in John 5 and Jesus corrected them for their wrong headed and wrong hearted reading of the Scriptures? “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me.” (vs. 39). These Jews diligently searched the Scriptures but for the wrong reasons. They thought the O.T. Scriptures were given for us to try to follow them (out of our own goodness and self righteousness) as some kind of moral code, and that eternal life would be the result or reward of our efforts.  Listen friends, it is entirely possible to diligently and regularly search the Scriptures and not see what God wants you to see; and not experience what God wants you to experience. Reading the Bible in a meaningful and purposeful way that God is involved with and pleased with is not merely an intellectual exercise. It is highly spiritual with all kinds of unseen spiritual activity going on to help you and to destroy you.

The disciples were slow to get this, so one of the things Jesus helped them with in his appearances to them after His resurrection was helping them see the Scriptures were written to help people find eternal life and salvation and hope and meaning in Jesus Himself.

Remember the conversation He had with the two people walking to Emmaus? After hearing them describe the tragedy of Jesus’s death and then the confusion and amazement re: the women who reported they saw an empty tomb with angels, and then other disciples who verified what the women had said, Jesus replied, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory? Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.”  Vs. 25-27. All the Scriptures in one way or another point to and prepare the way for us to see and know and love and obey Jesus.

In another of Jesus’s post resurrection appearances – this time to the 12 disciples and probably some others close to them – after they realized it was really Him that suddenly appeared in their room, Luke writes, “Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.“ Luke 24: 44  It is very easy to read the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms and not see and really meditate on the things written about Jesus. One of the reasons He delayed ascending to heaven is so His disciples could see this clearly.

I would love to see the body of Christ worldwide reading the Old Testament more. But it will do us little good if we do not see the primary reason for which those 39 books are written. There is nothing noble about reading the Bible (Old or New Testament) if it does not result in a greater knowledge of and love for and devotion to Jesus.

I’ve known people throughout the years who loved Bible prophecy re: the end times, and devoured the pages that speak of it, but did they love Jesus more as a result? Did devouring those passages help them know and love Jesus more? In some cases I wonder...

I’m absolutely convinced God has never changed His mind and covenant re: His chosen people Israel. But I’ve known of people who read and studied the Bible primarily to prove that and proclaim that and dwell on that and write books on that. Did all of their reading and studying and writing cause them to love Jesus more and seek Him more and cling to Him more?  Well only God knows for sure.

The apostle Paul wrote concerning Israel - his kinsmen, "Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation." Romans 10:1 He grieved for them and fought in prayer for them. But his overiding passion was to know Christ, to be made complete in Christ, and to proclaim Christ and Him crucified, and to see every man made complete in Christ.

I've heard people say things like, "I can't wait to get to heaven so I can meet Moses or Daniel or the apostle Paul or....". Well shouldn't we be busting at the seams to get to heaven to see Jesus?

Listen friends, antichrist spirits have thousands of years of experience of getting people off track and focused on anything biblical other than knowing and loving and being clothed with Jesus. If they can’t convince you that Jesus really wasn’t the Son of God, sent from heaven, conceived in Mary’s womb, etc., then they will try to get you to get anamored with trivial Biblical non Jesus centered things, of which there are many.

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;  and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.” I John 4:1-3

Do not hear me saying we shouldn’t study passages about the end times, nor understand well God’s covenant and sovereign choosing of Israel. But do hear me saying we all need to depend upon the Holy Spirit daily for the supernatural ability to hear what He wants us to hear and see what He wants us to see. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would come primarily to do that, “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,”  John 15:26 (see also John 16:13,14).

Father please help all of us who read this article to meditate in Your word day and night, dependent upon the Holy Spirit, for the purpose of knowing and loving and adoring our glorious Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Protect us from diversions and distractions from that greatest of pursuits. For we ask it in Jesus’s name. Amen.

“The Bible is to me the most precious thing in the world just because it tells me the story of Jesus.” George MacDonald