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Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (14-3-1999 Guisborough Evangelical Church)
The controversy between Jesus and the Jews, sparked off
when He healed an invalid on the Sabbath, continues to the end of John ch.5.
Jesus points out to them that the very Scriptures which they claim to study
diligently in order to receive eternal life, are the very ones that testify to
who He is – yet they are blind, they do not see Jesus in them, so they do not
come to Him to get life.
They were very diligent students indeed – they could
tell you how many words and letters were in each book of the Old Testament,
which sections contained all 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and they
memorized great chunks of it. But so much of this was useless knowledge because
they could not see what the book was about, and how it was fulfilled in Jesus.
They never found Him in Scripture, so they never came to Him and had no eternal
life.
Going to take a brief bird’s eye view of the Bible – the Old Testament, the Bible which the Jews used, and see Christ predicted there. Then consider the New Testament, where the heart and the centre is the Lord Jesus Christ. Going to see that at the heart of the written word is the Living Word. Then draw out lessons. When we look at an old map of Britain, all roads lead to London; whatever verse we read in the Bible, it leads us to Christ.
The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, reading right to
leave. Our Old Testament contains 39 books. Jews arranged them in different
order and reduced 39 to 24 (by combining 1 & 2 Samuel, 1& 2 Kings, 1
& 2 Chronicles, and Ezra/Nehemiah into one book each, and lumping all the 12
minor prophets into one book). Their three divisions – Law, Prophets and
Writings, began with Genesis and ended with Chronicles.
Written hundreds of years before
Christ came, the books of the Old Testament contain many amazing predictions
about the coming deliverer, the virgin birth in Bethlehem, His healing ministry,
parables, His entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, His betrayal for 30 pieces of
silver, casting lots for His clothes, the piercing, His death and Resurrection. The
Son of Man will go, just as it is written of him (Mark 14:21). The Old
Testament sacrifices foreshadowed His death on the Cross.
When Jesus was with the two dejected disciples on the road to Emmaus, He did this very bible study with them, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself (Luke 24:27). Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).
In the Gospels we read of His birth, baptism, preaching, miracles, death and resurrection. Each book sees Jesus from a different angle. Matthew portrays the Jewish Messiah, Mark portrays the worker of miracles, Luke portrays the friend of sinners, and John portrays the Son of God. Even then, we do not have all we would like to know. He lived for 33 years, yet most of the Gospel records take place in 40 days. The last week of Jesus’ life is told in greatest detail, taking up one third of the Gospel pages. (Mark’s brief Gospel has been described as “the Passion story, with an introduction”) Hence His death and resurrection must be the most important thing about Him. The shadow of the Cross hung over Christ from the very beginning of His ministry, but it deepens nearer to the end.
Summed up in Holman Hunt’s famous painting – Jesus standing in the carpenter’s shop with His arms outstretched, casting a shadow on the wall in the form of a cross.
The Acts of the Apostles records the preaching of the
Gospel from Jerusalem to Rome, via Turkey and Greece. Peter and Philip, but
mainly Paul, who went on three great missionary journeys, spread the word about
what had happened to them. In their sermons and speeches they explained who
Jesus was, why He came, and how we can be saved. Many different people came to
know Him through the witness of these men, e.g. the Ethiopian Chancellor of the
Exchequer, soldiers like Cornelius, business women like Lydia.
The epistles were written by the preachers, and deal with various problems in the churches. But at the centre of all their instruction is Jesus Christ – who He is, what He has done for us, how we may know, live for and serve Him. Many practical subjects are dealt with, all under the shadow of the Cross. All centred on Christ. A useful test today when we weigh up books, hymns, sermons, prayers – where is Christ in them? Is He central?
Revelations is a very difficult book. Many preachers are
wary of it. It contains strange pictures and descriptions, open to different
interpretations and understanding, and leading to so many arguments about the
different points of view. Yet all can be in agreement that in it, the Return of
Christ is pre-eminent. He is given glorious titles such as Alpha and Omega,
Bright and Morning Star, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, King of Kings, Lord of
Lords, and 29 times He is the Lamb. It tells us what Christ has done, is doing,
and one day will do. We read of His final triumph, when evil is put down, when
He has His last word on the affairs of men. In a glorious new world and universe
Christ is going to reign forever and ever. He is the centre of all praise,
worship and adoration in heaven. One day all believers are going to join that
throng round the throne.
“The
Lamb is all the glory
In
Immanuel’s land”
Histories, letters, visions, proverbs, psalms, laws,
prophecies. Written by kings, statesmen, shepherds, fishermen, tax collector,
tent-maker, medical doctor and prophets. Yet complete unity. At the heart and
the centre is the Lord Jesus Christ – predicted, present, proclaimed and
pre-eminent. He is the key to unlock the Scriptures.
A.J.Gordon records how he gave children a map of the
world jigsaw puzzle to do, to keep them quiet. But they did it very quickly –
they discovered there was a picture of a man on the back of the jigsaw pieces,
and by putting together his face, they were able to assemble the countries of
the world with ease. When they found the man, they were able to put the world
together.
The man Jesus Christ is the answer and secret to the puzzle of the Scriptures. Put Christ in the centre, and all else will fall into place.
The Jews made a blunder because they were blind to Christ
as the secret of the Old Testament. We shall go wrong if we do not see Christ as
central to the Bible. It is not merely a book about ancient history or great
literature or Jewish culture and Christian beginnings. It is meant to lead us to
Christ, to find Him, live in Him, obey Him and serve Him. Christ is the Lord and
King of Scripture (Luther). As we go to a cradle to get a baby, we go to
Scripture to get Christ.
If you are not a believer, but a seeker, get a Bible. No
better place to start than John’s Gospel. Ask God to reveal the truth about
Christ and self, and show you the way to faith. If any man will do God’s
will, he will know (John 7:17). Do not just read out of curiosity, to see if
something happens. Must approach with faith and desire, thirsty to drink at the
fountainhead. The Christian life involves continuous coming to Christ, feeding
on His Word, cultivating holiness and seeing victories won. It is through
frequent interviews with the Master that we come to abide in Him and grow in Him.
All the men of God who have done anything worthwhile have
been men who have found time to feed on Christ through His Word. Through His
Word He speaks to us, and through prayer we respond to Him. If we neglect the
Bible, it will be little comfort to us in times of trial and need. We will never
be established in the truth, and will make many mistakes in life. We are strong
only when the Word of God dwells in us richly.
Let us read it in dependence on the Holy Spirit. Only He
will show us Christ, unseal the book and unlock the truth. He will cause the
Scriptures to find us and speak to our condition, causing it to be the Book of
Life. And the Holy Spirit will only do it when we come in childlike humble
spirit, in faith, willing to obey.
We must not set ourselves up as judge of Scripture – we
can only judge ourselves, and be submissive to Scripture in order to have the
Lord’s blessing on us.
Let us read it daily. Yesterday’s bread is not
sufficient for today. Today’s bread will not be adequate for tomorrow. Like
Israel, we need to gather manna every day. Andrew Bonar would ask his Glasgow
congregation, “Have you had a letter from the King today?”
Let us honour the Bible more in our families. If ours is
a Christian home, and we are in charge, let us read God’s Word to the
children, conduct family worship, to lay foundations which will be an
incalculable blessing to them as they grow up into adulthood. Begin now if you
have not already done this.
By grace, let us live by the Word of God more and more every year of our lives. Take opinions and practices, not from the world, the newspaper or the T.V., but from the Scriptures. Measure everything by the Bible’s teaching, and live by it.
The Scriptures testify of Christ. If we know Him, walk
with Him, please Him, do His will, know His grace, we will take His Word
seriously. He loved it, learned it and lived it. So must we.
