05.03. The Bible Testifies Of Jesus Christ
The Bible Testifies Of Jesus Christ The wonder of Scripture is that Words written independently – over one thousand five hundred years - by more than 40 authors have a unified message of hope through Jesus the Messiah. The Scriptures proclaim a future crafted by GOD’s grace revealed in and by and through Jesus Christ. The spiritual heart of the Bible is the Testimony of Jesus. In Scripture, Jesus is proclaimed to be the Messiah, the Savior of mankind. The Scriptures speak of Him centuries before His coming into the pages of history. Jesus Christ did not pen one word in the Bible. But, men inspired by GOD wrote of Him - before His time on earth and after His time on earth - in astonishing detail.
Those who communed with Him, during His time on earth, wrote of what He taught. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of GOD, these men explained the awesome meaning and wonder of Jesus Christ, His life, ministry and teachings. They proclaimed the profound implications of His death and resurrection to us - personally.
It is fascinating that all of what Jesus’ disciples wrote of Him in terms of the profound implications of His death and resurrection - its spirituality - is coded in symbols in the Law that GOD gave Israel through the prophet Moses (circa 1400 BC). In fact, the design and contents of the Tabernacle, its sacrifices and the Tabernacle Feasts, explained in detail in the Law that GOD gave Moses, carry in them the spiritual meaning of the New Testament [Luke 24:44-45]. The Scriptures written before and after His sojourn on earth give meaning to Jesus Christ and His Testimony. The Scriptures written before and after His sojourn on earth proclaim that anyone of us who will – in our free will - receive His Words will actualize the life-changing power of His Words. This is how GOD testifies of Himself to the believer.
Jesus Christ Himself declared that His Words were eternal [Luke 21:33], able to impact us, by communicating into us realities that are of His Spirit and His Life [John 6:63; 1 Corinthians 15:45]. Jesus Christ declared that all that spoke of Him must be fulfilled [Luke 24:44-45]!
What is written in Scripture unveils itself in breath taking terms through the Witness and Testimony of Jesus Christ – brought to life in each one of us uniquely. For example: Scripture proposes the actual transformation of man in the character and nature of Jesus Christ. Scripture also explains in great detail the actual outcome of human history – in the context of Jesus Christ and His second coming to earth. In fact, the scenarios described in Scripture, leading to His second coming, are being seen all around the world today testifying to Scriptures divine inspiration. In the pages of the Bible, it is written that John the Apostle was actually caught up into heaven – before GOD on His throne, and the witness of millions of angels - to describe the cosmic realities of the Testimony of Jesus and His role in the outcome of human history [Revelation: chapters 4, 5, 20, 21]!
So, what exactly is the Bible and what is its core message? The Bible is a compendium of 66 books, written over a period of some 1500 years (circa 1400 BC to 100 AD). The Bible is divided into two portions called the Old Testament (written before Christ) and the New Testament (written after Christ).
Centered on the Jewish nation of Israel, descendants of Abraham through his sons Isaac and Jacob, the Scriptures reveal a Gospel message of salvation – revealed through the Testimony of Jesus - to people of all nations.
And, this Gospel of salvation is based on the fulfillment of the Old Testament Law and the Prophets [Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 5:17-18] in the person of Jesus Christ [John 14:6]. The fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets is proclaimed through the actual communication of the Testimony of Jesus into human hearts [2 Corinthians 3:3; 2 Corinthians 4:6-7; 1 John 5:10].
And, this fulfillment is available to people of all nations – through a willingness to receive the Testimony of Jesus. The result will be a growing manifestation of change in our inward parts and, the reality of a relationship with the living GOD! In the biblical narrative, Abraham (circa 2200 BC) is unveiled as a unique man in history, who heard GOD and responded to GOD. Abraham leaves his family and moves to a land where GOD would through Abraham’s generations, unfold a nation called Israel. The Old Testament narrative is centered on Israel.
Israel’s highest purpose would be to proclaim the Law and the Prophets and to establish the lineage of Jesus Christ [Matthew 1:1-17]. Israel’s highest purpose was also to become the nucleus of the Church, the Body of Christ. The principal goal of Jesus Christ’s ministry would be the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets for all humanity, through the revelation of His Life and Testimony into our hearts and our lives, resulting in actual change expressed in thought, word and deed. The essential goal of Scripture is that we will do all things in word and deed in the Name of the Lord Jesus - with thanksgiving to GOD our Father [Colossians 3:17].
It is in this reality of impacting all nations, through Jesus Christ the descendant of Abraham, that GOD by promise in the Scriptures, declared Abraham to be the spiritual father of nations [Genesis 22:18; Genesis 22:1-18].
And, through Jesus Christ the descendent of Abraham, after 2,000 years, the Scripture, and the subsequent spread of the Gospel, illustrate how Abraham has become the father of nations - today! This was never a reality when the Scriptures were being penned over 1500 years!
Imagine picking one man in human history and declaring that through him the nations would be blessed in eternity by Blood Covenant with GOD written into human hearts [Genesis 17:7; Jeremiah 31:33-34]! The Gospel of Jesus Christ has impacted the life of people from many nations. Jesus declared that His Gospel would be proclaimed in every nation of the world before the end of this age [Matthew 24:14]. This will come about in spite of persecution of the Church in all nations. The impact of the Gospel of Jesus Christ fulfills GOD’s promise to Abraham that in the seed of Abraham all the nations of the earth will be blessed [Genesis 22:18; Genesis 22:15-18; Galatians 3:16]. The Gospel of Jesus Christ unveils a message of salvation to the human soul.
Salvation is the spiritual process by which all nations will be blessed – by GOD.
Salvation proposes the creation of a new man – in Jesus Christ - from the hidden inward parts of the human being [Ephesians 2:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Corinthians 3:3].
Salvation proposes the creation of a new man in the image [Romans 8:29; Romans 8:28-30] and fullness [John 1:16-17] of Jesus Christ! In the light of the fulfillment of GOD’s blessings through salvation in the nations, Scripture described Abraham as GOD’s friend. Abraham was also called GOD’s friend because Abraham believed GOD, left his father’s household and moved into unknown places, to establish what history reveals as the lineage of the Messiah.
Remarkably, the lineage of Jesus Christ (Christ meaning Messiah) is preserved and described in Scripture over more than 2,000 years – from Abraham - on both His foster father, Joseph’s side and His mother Mary’s side [Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38]!