(Jesus) said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow you are to believe what the prophets have said! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and beginning with all the prophets, he explained to them all that was said about him in all the holy scriptures.
Luke 24:25-27
All Scripture points us to Jesus
When Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, they stopped short of recognizing him. that sounds weird. If the goal was to make them believe he was alive, why not just say, “It’s me”? Instead, Jesus did something equally powerful. He opened the scriptures.
He introduced them to the first part of the Bible, what we call the Old Testament, and showed them how it had always pointed back to him. He may have led them back to the Garden of Eden, where God promised that one of Eve’s descendants would crush the serpent. He may have reminded them of the Passover Lamb in Exodus, whose blood saved God’s people from death. He could certainly have been pointing to the prophet Isaiah, who wrote of a suffering servant who would be “pierced for our transgressions.”
We might imagine that it would be more powerful if Jesus had appeared today. Would this not constitute an undeniable and visible testimony? If only Jesus were standing right in front of us. Wouldn’t this settle everything?
But Jesus chooses something else. He chooses his words. God’s Word does not merely provide information. It builds trust. This shows who Jesus is and what He has done. His Word shows us that His suffering was no accident. The suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus were a salvation plan written down over the centuries.
The Bible is not a random collection of spiritual ideas. It’s a growing story with a hero: Jesus. And through that Word, the Holy Spirit opens eyes as He did for those disciples on the road to Emmaus.
If you want to know who Jesus is, start where He told us to look. Open the Bible. It will lead you straight to your Savior, Jesus.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, open my eyes through Your Word. Strengthen my faith in Your promises and help me to see You on every page of Scripture. Amen.
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used with permission from Zondervan. All rights reserved world wide.
