The Testimony of Scripture get_app

The Baptist Faith and Message says that Scripture has “salvation for its end” and that it is “a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.” In other words, we believe along with the Bible that all Scripture is about Christ, points to Christ, exalts Christ! Christ shines through Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. How do we know this? Why do we understand Scripture in this way? Because Jesus understood Scripture this way.

Read Luke 24:1-35.

• Let’s make sure we are aware of the context. What day is it when these things happened?
  (the day of Jesus’ resurrection)
• What are the two disciples on the Emmaus road talking about?
  (Jesus, his death and the dashed hopes that he had been the Messiah)
• In verse 27, what does Jesus explain?
  (that all of Scripture concerns him; everything points to the Messiah)

If Jesus told these disciples that all of Scripture is about him, then surely we should understand Scripture in the same way! From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is God’s story of redemption. So, if redemption is found in Christ Jesus, then the whole story must be about him! How so? In the Old Testament, Jesus is anticipated. In the Gospels, Jesus is manifested. In Acts, Jesus is proclaimed. In the Epistles, Jesus is explained. And in Revelation, Jesus returns and makes all things new (fully consummating his work of redemption).

We could spend a long time naming all the ways that Jesus is found on every page of Scripture, but let me just list a few (your kids should recognize most of these if they attend Emmaus):

• Jesus is the promised seed of the woman from Genesis 3:15
• Jesus is the substitutionary sacrifice from Genesis 22
• Jesus is the Passover lamb from Exodus 12
• Jesus is the ultimate deliverer from Judges
• Jesus is the kinsman redeemer from Ruth
• Jesus is the promised eternal king from 2 Samuel 7 (and the perfect king lacking throughout Kings and Chronicles)
• Jesus is the true temple from 1 Kings 6

And the list goes on and on. So, as you read Scripture, remember that it is the inspired, inerrant, authoritative sufficient, necessary Word of God; but don’t forget that it is also a testimony to Christ, who is the focus of all of Scripture.

Close in a time if prayer, asking God to open your eyes that you may see the wondrous things out of God’s Word (Ps 119:18), namely that you may see Jesus shine forth on every page of Scripture.