The Gospel of John (1)
Pray Psalm 119.17-19.
Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
Sing Psalm 119.17-19.
(Open My Eyes: Open My Eyes, That I May See)
Open my eyes, LORD, let me see wonderful truths to transform me.
I am a stranger here in the earth; hide not from me Your glorious worth.
Deal with Your servant graciously that I may live obediently.
Open my eyes, LORD, let me see glory divine!
Read John 1.50, 51; 5.39-47; 6.31-35; 20.30, 31; meditate on John 5.39.
Preparation
1. How did Jesus show that the Old Testament spoke of Him?
2. Why did God make all Scripture to be about Jesus?
Meditation
The modus operandi of this series has been to explore the amazing claim of Jesus in verse 39, that all Scripture has Him as its primary theme. And, indeed, this is what we have seen. And, to be sure, we have not seen the half of all the ways that great theme is revealed throughout the Bible.
Jesus Himself addresses this in the gospel of John. He told Nathanael that the ladder Jacob saw in His dream was a type of Himself. The manna that sustained Israel in the wilderness was a foreshadowing of the bounty of Jesus. All the writings of Moses and all the Old Testament Scriptures point to Jesus, He said, preparing the world for His coming.
The Law of God and the covenant God entered with His people point to Jesus and bring us to Him. If the people had truly understood and believed the writings of Moses, they would have believed in Jesus (v. 46). The promises of the covenant God made with Abraham and Moses are all fulfilled in Jesus (2 Cor. 1.20), and, as we realize those promises, we partake of Him (2 Pet. 1.4), the Bread of life.
The Law points to Jesus and intends to bring us through conviction, repentance, and obedience into His life. We believe Moses, Jesus says, when we see Him in all that Moses has written. As we read Moses, therefore, let us seek Jesus, desire to know Jesus, labor to let the words of Moses shape us into the likeness of Jesus. Thus, we will truly believe Moses and gain the benefit God intends from his writings.
All Scripture is about Jesus. Knowing this must shape the way we read and study God’s Word. For if we miss Jesus in any place or part, we will have missed the whole point of what God gave us in that portion of His Word. Jesus is infinitely beautiful, wonderful, good, compassionate, true, and worthy of our attention and praise. Read, search, listen, and wait, in all your study of the Bible, until Jesus makes Himself known to you.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness” (Ps. 107.9).
“The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zeph. 3.17).
“But to you who fear My Name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings…” (Mal. 4.2).
“…Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Is. 9.6).
“…these are written that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and
that believing you may have life in His Name” (Jn. 20.31).
JESUS.
O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace.
Jesus! The Name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease,
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’Tis life and health and peace.
He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean;
His blood availed for me.
Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come;
And leap, ye lame, for joy!
My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread thro’ all the earth abroad,
The honors of Thy Name.
(Charles Wesley, 1739)
JESUS is The Theme of all Scripture, thus let my life proclaim it:
“My heart is overflowing with a good theme;
I recite my composition concerning the King;
my tongue is the pen of a ready writer” (Ps. 45.1).
Reflection
1. How does knowing Jesus is the theme of all Scripture affect your reading and study of the Bible?
2. What have you been learning about Jesus recently? How does this enhance or clarify your understanding of Him.
3. How would you show a new believer how to see Jesus as the theme of all Scripture?
We must search the Scriptures for heaven as our great end; For in them ye think ye have eternal life. We must search the Scriptures for Christ, as the new and living Way, that leads to this end. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on John 5.39
Pray Psalm 119.20-24.
Thank God that He has filled His whole Word with Jesus! Praise and thank Him for what you’re learning about Jesus throughout the Scriptures. Ask Him to help you show Jesus to your world today.
Sing Psalm 119.20-24.
(Open My Eyes: Open My Eyes, That I May See)
My soul with longing breaks for You; all of Your judgments I would do.
For You rebuke the proud and the cursed, who from Your Law have strayed, and worse.
Take from me all contempt, O LORD, for I have kept Your holy Word.
Lift all reproach from me, O LORD—my soul renew!
Princes oppose me day by day, for I continue in Your way.
I will Your statutes hold in my mind. What great delight in them I find!
LORD, let Your testimonies be light on my path to counsel me.
LORD, what delight You bring to me out of Your Word!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast takes up the book Understanding the Times to help us in knowing how to live and proclaim the Kingdom. Our twice weekly column, Crosfigell, is well into a series on the life of Brendan the Navigator, one of the great saints of the 6th century. Our ReVision series, “The Kingdom Economy”, continues this week with today’s teaching on the mission of the Kingdom. And new in our bookstore, our book, The Ongoing Work of Christ shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
