Good morning!
Well, my coffee cup is full & I'm ready to go.
Probably the biggest "leftover" sticking in my mind from yesterdays text is the following verses:
Luke 24:25 He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
"Moses & the Prophets," of course, being something of a technical or 'code' name for the Scriptures; what we would call the Old Testament, but what constituted the Bible of Jesus' day. We, however, live in a very interesting day. On every side, it seems, we are beset by new ideas and old arguments as to what we can glean from the Old Testament. Is it a book of science? Does it accurately tell Creation's story to the satisfaction of 21st century minds, or does it do so couched in the terms and story of an ancient culture? Arguments, debates and accusations abound. To another extreme, there seem to be many who are actively engaged in finding all manner of "hidden treasures" for living in these pages--ranging from God's infallible plans for running a successful business to God's perfect diet and weight loss plan.
Perhaps an alternative to these considerations would be to at least begin with how first century Jewish people of faith saw their holy writings. First and foremost Torah (and by extension the writings of the Prophets) were seen as that which gives LIFE. The Torah gave life, because it revealed the one true God and His ways; those who worshipped Him were *alive*. Conversely, those who did not, were considered "dead," and without Torah, they had no chance of life. When Jesus of Nazareth opens Torah and the writings of the Prophets and finds **HIMSELF** there, a very subtle change takes place. Torah can still be seen as that which gives life--but now it is precisely so because it reveals JESUS and his blessed work as Messiah.
First generation Jewish believers in Jesus would never consider giving up "Moses and the Prophets" NOT because they were ethnically attached to old fashioned ways, and not because they were slow to jettison the remnants of the "old" religion in favor of the "new," but because they firmly believed that these writings revealed JESUS.
Cheers!
TM
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1 comment:
Well said, Tim.
That passage you highlighted is very important for the Christian understanding of the purpose of the Scriptures. Noteworthy is that the Emmaus disciples' hope and faith are restored because of the Christ's use of the Scriptures: all these things that happened in Jerusalem were necessary, prophesied, meant to be; therefore, you can believe in Me who fulfills them.
Also, it can serve as confirmation that Jesus has the words of eternal life. Not only does He teach the Torah, He practices what He preaches, and He is the source of the life it bestows.
LTZ
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