It is written
“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’… It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’… It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (Matthew 4:4,7,10).
And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself … “All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
(Luke 24:27,44).
The Lord begins His ministry on earth by demonstrating how vital the word of God is to the life of faith. After His baptism, Jesus is confronted by Satan. The Lord demonstrated over and over again His power over Satan through His words and His miracles. But He begins this ministry repelling his attacks with the word of God.
The Lord was showing us how important it is to live in the light of God’s word. Paul writes later in the New Testament, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is our guide, and through it we live holy lives: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). God’s word is never to be misused. We don’t take it up to justify our own will. It shows us God’s will and leads us to worship and serve Him.
In Luke’s Gospel, at the end of His ministry, Jesus reveals Himself in the Old Testament Scriptures. The Lord speaks personally to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Their hearts were moved as He expounded the Scriptures to reveal Himself. Exposition of the Scriptures should never be cold or dry. It should always move our hearts and empower us to live for Christ. The disciples then travelled to Jerusalem to share their experience of the Saviour with their fellow disciples. The Lord appears and expounds everything concerning Himself in the Old Testament.
God’s word is constantly under attack and its life-blessing principles are being abandoned. In the midst of all God’s blessings in Eden, Satan’s route into Eve’s heart was a simple question, “Has God indeed said…?” (Genesis 3:1). As the Lord experienced hunger, thirst and isolation in the wilderness, as He would at Calvary, He give us the answer, “Yes!” Scripture manifests the heart and mind of God to our hearts and minds. The disciples’ hearts burned, and their understanding was opened. Through the word of God Christ’s love fills our hearts, and we are taught the mind of Christ. It is essential to the Christian experience that we open our Bibles in faith each day and seek the presence of God. In God’s presence His word guides our paths, reveals His will, and enables us to worship and serve the Saviour. He shows us that His word needs to be central to our hearts, homes, fellowship and witness. In the pages of our Bibles we see our Saviour. By seeing Jesus, we learn to walk with Him and experience His sustaining power in all circumstances.
