THE BIBLE HAS ONE FOCUS - JESUS!

 Now, when I talk about the lenses through which one reads the Bible, I am talking about the covenants through which one reads the Bible. I am not talking about the historical context, the cultural context, or whatever contextual frameworks theologians have coined to help us stay faithful to the scriptures. (I am not in any way condemning those contextual frameworks.) I am clarifying that one can know all these contexts and still miss out on the primary person all scriptures direct us to—JESUS! We can be like the Pharisees and the Sadducees; we can know, memorise, and even ideally give the background of all scriptures and still miss out on the underlying person scriptures want us to see as we read and study the Word of God today—JESUS.

Suppose your entire yearly Bible reading aims to know and understand the various stories of each patriarch, do a background study of why something happened to them in the Bible, or find the root meaning of a Hebrew or Greek word without an eye to see JESUS. In that case, you have only gone through a history or literature class. You only know the letter, yet you need the spirit behind the Word to help you grow spiritually. Your Bible reading and studies can make you see sixteen ways to fight spiritual battles. Your Bible reading and studies can show seven steps to financial freedom. Your Bible reading and studies can show you food recipes. Your Bible reading and studies can give you twenty investment pointers. Your Bible reading can teach you the ten steps to be ahead in life. However, the entire goal of scripture to the Christian is to have an encounter with one person—JESUS. Suppose your whole yearly Bible reading and studies lacked an encounter with Jesus. In that case, you are no different from the ordinary book lover who spends hours at a library or bookstore satisfying their curiosity for knowledge with all kinds of books.

My previous writing had nothing to do with understanding your Bible reading or taking note of a word or words in Bible reading or studies. Although it is a very significant activity in Bible reading and studies, if the main thing, finding or noticing JESUS, is out of the way, it will be done in futility.

Someone once asked how the stories of Elijah, Jeremiah, and Isaiah mattered to his life today, and quickly, a Christian took offence at that question. Yet, if carefully considered, that question could have been the basis for that Christian to preach Christ. If they admired Elijah's ability to command fire, run faster than a presidential chariot, etc, all in an era where their righteousness before God was based on the blood of animals, how much more today? How much more in an era where the Christian's righteousness is a gift of Jesus Christ, the Son of God? How much more in an era where the Christian's sin has been completely wiped and erased with the precious blood of Jesus, the son of God? The blood continually speaks forgiveness, favour, peace, love, etc., over the lives of those who believe in Jesus. This is the reason why their stories are robust and relevant today. If they did that under the covenant of the blood of animals, then Jesus is right: GREATER WORKS IS DEFINITELY WHAT IS AHEAD OF US.

For Christians today, our Bible reading and studies should open our eyes to the numerous possibilities we have under the covenant of the blood of the son of God, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. If those who walked with God under the covenants of the blood of animals could have done whatever we have read while waiting for the promised Savior, JESUS CHRIST, then GREATER WORKS are the possibilities we have in us and before us. The Bible cannot be a boring history book to Christians reading it if they read it through the perfect lens of Jesus Christ. The Bible is meant to be lived by Christians, not to be memorised as if one were preparing for a spiritual examination in heaven.    

The Pharisees and Sadducees knew the scriptures but failed to see JESUS. They knew the laws of Moses but could not see the aim of all those laws—JESUS! The sad reality was their satisfaction in thinking they had learned because they could break down the scriptures for all to understand. It made them feel exceptional and respectable in the sight of all, bringing them all the satisfaction they needed. Yet, they failed to notice one truth and one truth alone: ALL SCRIPTURES POINT AT ONE PERSON—JESUS! If your Bible reading and studies haven't given you a reason to consistently be thankful to Jesus for all He has done for us today, then you are no different from the everyday book lover.

Luke 24:27 (AMP)

Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the [writings of the] prophets, He explained and interpreted for them the things referring to Himself [found] in all the Scriptures.

In the book of Luke, chapter 24, verses 13 to 27, the writer introduces us to the story of some disciples of Jesus who were on their way to a village called Emmaus. According to the story, these two disciples were heading to Emmaus chatting when Jesus drew near to them. Per the account, their perceptive capabilities were held to prevent them from noticing him as Jesus. Like a stranger, Jesus asked them why they were walking with a sad countenance. Then Cleopas, one of them, went on and on to talk about the death of Jesus and then went ahead to add about the resurrection, which the ladies had come to report to all the disciples. Jesus interjects, "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:25-27 KJV)"

The only solution the Bible offers from the Old Testament to the New Testament for Christians is one man, JESUS CHRIST. He is the only solution to all problems that will never need a review to be changed or replaced. Every other solution introduced in the Old Testament, be it a Prophet, Judge or King, either died or was replaced. This man, Jesus Christ, has been the permanent solution unveiled to us today. If your Bible reading and studies have never led you to Him, then I cannot describe what you have been doing as fruitful Bible reading or studies. Any solution that can be reviewed for change isn't a solution but a gamble. JESUS IS A PERMANENT SOLUTION, not a gamble. Until our bible reading and studies consistently bring us to this awareness, the testimonies of the men of old will always seem impossible to us. Yet, Jesus said, "GREATER WORKS THAN HIS WILL WE DO." If we read the Bible, we will know that we haven't even started the works of Jesus and can barely think of the GREATER WORKS. (to be continued)

Remain in the blessings of God as you remain in Christ.

MD.     

HOW WE READ THE BIBLE MATTERS!

One man believes the Christian faith is a contractual book that outlines the dos and don'ts for the Christian's prosperity if he adheres to them and for his detriment if he fails to follow them to the minute detail. 

Another believes the Christian faith today is a journey that begins from a victorious foundation of what Christ has already done on the cross with His blood for all in Christ; thus, whatever the Christian is doing is birthed from a place of "It is finished."

Even for those who believe in Christ's finished works, some hope for victory in their daily lives through Christ, and others are always assured of victory in Christ because they know Christ has won all battles, so they must only enforce that victory in everything. 

Let's carefully note that with scriptures, each person in the two categories described above can quickly and perfectly defend their stand, and they will make perfect sense in the ears of listeners. But for a listener or reader to judge whatever they are saying within scriptures without ignorantly accepting a "sincere error" which will lead to a life of "useless" bondage in Christ, one must listen or read with the lens of a Perfect Understanding of the Savior and King, Jesus Christ. Through this lens, Christians can listen, read, and journey with God without losing their liberty in Christ.

Understanding the lenses through which people read the Bible will let you know why some people think one should concentrate on the books of the Old Testament and the four gospels and ignore the epistles. You will also understand why some feel the Christian doesn't need to read the entire Bible but concentrate only on the book of Acts and the rest of the epistles and ignore the Old Testament and the Gospels. Some have even gone to the extent of teaching that the teachings of Jesus were of the Old Testament and had nothing to do with Christians today. How they all got to these conclusions, I can't tell. I know that the Bible is the Word of God written in its entirety for Christians yesterday, today and forever more.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (TPT)

God has transmitted his very substance into every scripture, for it is God-breathed. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. Then you will be God's servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfil any assignment God gives you.

In Matthew chapter 22, we are introduced to a day when the Pharisees and Sadducees were trying to find a way to have Jesus entangle himself with His words. Before Jesus' encounter with the Sadducees, He had already shamed the Pharisees, who were trying to trick Him with a question on taxes, with the famous statement: "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God." And now it was the turn of the Sadducees, a group of religious leaders who did not believe in the resurrection from the dead (no life after death), to set their best trick question to get Jesus to speak against the traditions and beliefs of the Jews.

Their question: "Teacher, Moses said, ''If a man dies without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother's name (Deut 25:5-10).'' Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest married and died without children, so his brother married the widow. But the second brother also died, and the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them. Last of all, the woman also died. So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her." (Matthew 22:23-28)

Right after the Sadducees' representative asked the question, his colleagues looked on proudly because they knew this man, Jesus, could not give them a befitting answer.

Again, their ignorance of the Person who had taken an earthly body to walk with His creation made them think this question was worth years of research. Unknown to them, the Wisdom behind all creation stood in their midst and had the perfect answer for them.

Matthew 22:29 (TPT)

Jesus answered them, "You are deluded, because your hearts are not filled with the revelation of the Scriptures or the power of God.

The above translation perfectly situates what Jesus meant in the KJV: Your head can memorise scriptures, yet your heart may lack the Spirit-filled insight of those scriptures. Meanwhile, Christians need Spirit-filled insight into scriptures, not just memorised scriptures, to walk in liberty and victory in Christ.

The Sadducees' inability to comprehend the statement, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," was proof of their ignorance of God's identity and the magnitude of His power.

How can a God who introduced Himself as "One who can be whatever He wants to be" not have the power to give life, take life and create a place beyond the sphere of men for His creation?

Didn't they read Hannah's confessions during the dedication of Prophet Samuel? How Hannah confessed that God gives life and God also kills. Didn't they read it?

Instead, they chose portions of the Bible and wholeheartedly walked in error for decades. Their failure to notice "I am" in the scriptures began their living in bondage to a lie that also had "scriptural references."

Fellow brothers and sisters in the faith, how you read the Bible matters! Reading and studying the Bible with the perfect lens can give you freedom in Christ, yet refusal to do so will keep you in bondage forever. The failure of many to use the perfect lens in Bible reading has been the basis for them questioning the promised freedom in Christ and waiting for the opportune time to walk out of the faith if God doesn't meet their deadline. (to be continued)

Remember, the blessings of God are in a location called Christ. Therefore, remain in the blessings of God as you remain in Christ.

MD.