5. The testimony of Jesus.
There is no competition between Jesus and His Word for highest authority. The living Word and the written Word are one. It was Jesus the Son as a member of the Godhead from eternity, Who spoke all the Words of Scripture to the writers of it. To hear from the Bible is to hear from the Son. Perhaps ten percent of Jesus’ words are quotes from or references to the Jewish Bible. Look at these words that come out of His mouth verifying His agreement with the Sacred writings.
Matthew 4:3-10
3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' " 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.' " [Psalm 91:11, 12] 7 Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.' " [Deuteronomy 6:16] 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, dSatan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.' " [Deuteronomy 6:13]
Where did Jesus get His education, the Pharisees always wanted to know. He got it from Heaven. He got it from God, from within Himself. And God the Father released messages from the words He had originated centuries before, to use in Jesus’ time of trouble.
Luke 20:27-39
27 Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, 28 saying: "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.
29 Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children. 30 And the second took her as wife, and he died childless. 31 Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died. 32 Last of all the woman died also. 33 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife." 34 And Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. 37 But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' [ Exodus 3:6, 15 ] 38 For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.
Jesus, our example as well as our God, teaches us not only to fight the Devil, but the Devil’s men, with Scripture. Only this powerful Word can defeat the liar, who has no defense against it.
Then there were the times when Jesus used Scripture to defend His actions. Such as,
Mark 11:15-17
15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? d But you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "
Here then is another use for us. Let the Word burn within us as we read it daily, and let the Holy Spirit use that burning Word to direct us into appropriate actions as the day progresses.
