John 5:39-40 -- You search and keep on searching and examining the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and yet it is those [very Scriptures] that testify about Me; and still you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
Jesus has given the religious authorities His own testimony about who He is. Then three other witnesses testifying to who He was. Today, He gives a final witness, the very scriptures (Old Testament) these men lived to memorize, uphold, and teach.
The religious authorities searched the scriptures, as one theologian put it, "with a wooden and superstitious reverence for the letter". They never let it sink into their hearts. Which meant they'd missed where all those scriptures pointed to. Instead, they memorized, lived by, and used the scriptures in support of their ways. It was all head knowledge they'd worked hard to obtain and in that they were satisfied and believed they'd found eternal life.
The key here is, THEY worked hard. There was no need for a Messiah to help them spiritually, they had the spiritual taken care of. They only needed a Messiah to take down the Roman Empire.
When our human understanding gets going, we always end up backwards from God. There is no need for help on the things of eternal life and our souls, but these annoying Romans, that's going to take God to come down and run them off. We tend to give so much weight to the temporary and simply brush aside the eternal.
When you see Jesus in Matthew 9:1-8, He does the exact opposite we'd humanly expect. There is a paralyzed man brought in and Jesus says to him, "Take heart my son; your sins are forgiven.". People of course freaked out because it still hadn't sunk in, He was the Son of God and because they brought the guy there to be healed. What's all this "sins forgiven" business about… Jesus replies in verses below.
Matthew 9:4-6 -- But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”
Jesus' priority of the eternal first, is most times in conflict with our human thoughts, desires, and understanding.
So, Jesus had told these religious authorities their pursuit of knowledge in the scriptures was empty since they failed to let it lead them to Him. They have willfully overlooked the other witnesses, and this hits them right where they have based their entire existence at, memorizing scripture, upholding, and teaching it.
Today, we are so blessed to hold the entire scriptures, Old and New Testaments, in our hands. As Christians, we have Holy Spirit to help guide us as well. We have the full details of who Jesus is. We know what He's done for us. These pharisees didn't have half of what we have. Now that's no excuse, their issue was one of the heart, caught in the pride of their own works and understanding.
What's the point?
These religious authorities had a zeal for and deep head knowledge of the Word, but they didn't have Jesus.
Christian, today we have the opposite issue, we have a deep head knowledge of Jesus, but we don't have a zeal for, or knowledge of the Word. The issue is whichever extreme you go to leaves out parts of Jesus and you can't have true relationship with half a person. You don't want half grace, half mercy, or half salvation, do you?
Just some things to think about this Thursday morning. Don't take my word on it though, get into your Bible and see for yourself what God has for you.
You are loved. You are prayed over. You are not alone.
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