Friday Thought -- August 19, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. ‘If you are the Christ,’ they said, ‘tell us.’ Jesus answered, ‘If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.’ They all asked, ‘Are you then the Son of God?’ He replied, ‘You are right in saying I am.’ Then they said, ‘Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.’” (Luke 22:66-71)

What is the objective and authoritative standard by which the identity of the Messiah should be judged?

If you answered – God’s revelation in the Old Testament, then you are right. If you gave any other answer, then you are wrong. God’s Word is the objective and authoritative standard that should have helped the people who heard Jesus then and should help us today to determine if He is the Messiah.

In this passage, Jesus is on trial before the chief priests and teachers of the law. These men made up the Sanhedrin, the leading council among the Jews. They should have been the most spiritual among all the people of Israel. They should have known God’s Word better than anyone else. They should have more quickly turned to the Word than anyone else.

Yet – where is the probing of the scriptures to find its answers? Where is the question put to Jesus to ask Him to prove from God’s Word that He is the Messiah? You won’t find those things because they aren’t there. There was no turning to God’s Word among the men of the council. They relied instead on their own opinions and what they thought the Messiah would be like – and they missed the true Messiah by doing so.

Do you have questions about Jesus? Turn to God’s Word. Do you have questions about theology? Turn to God’s Word. Do you have questions about life? Turn to God’s Word. Do you have questions about eternity? Turn to God’s Word.

There is an objective and authoritative standard for all of those questions and many more. That standard isn’t our own opinion. It’s not wrapped up in what we think is right or what ought to be right. The standard is the revealed Word of God – the Bible.

His, by Grace,

Steve