How often have you picked up a good book and skipped over the first two-thirds of the pages to start reading? Have you done the same with instructions designed to help you put something together, assemble a new end table, or set up the new iPhone? I dare say none of us would do such a silly thing. The results would be frustrating. You may be tempted to throw in the towel or pay someone who doesn’t mind reading the entire page of instructions.
Something similar occurs when we limit our reading of the Scriptures to only the New Testament. By doing so, we get only one-third of the story about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. If we only focus on the New Testament, we can’t understand Him at the level and depth He intended. We may become frustrated and discouraged in our understanding of Jesus.
God’s dealings with His people, the plan of Salvation, the prophecies, the Godhead, and His will for us can become cloudy, if not invisible, by reading only part of the story. Most of all, we get an incomplete picture of Jesus. This practice can even lead to false teaching that could add further bewilderment. Please remember that this concept does not diminish the New Testament in any way. It does the opposite. The New Testament writers disclose the fulfillment and reality of Jesus. Their passion for Jesus is built on the firm foundation of God’s inspired writers from ancient times.
All Scripture
Paul told Timothy, his young protege, this critical teaching about scripture:
“…from childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” 2 Timothy 3:16
Interestingly, the word “Scripture” refers only to the Old Testament books. The New Testament was in the process of being written when Paul wrote these words about thirty years after the cross. Neither Timothy nor Paul had a copy of the New Testament. True, the disciples’ letters were scattered throughout the churches, but there was no red-letter New Testament book of the New Testament writers for them to study.
Except for one time in Daniel 10:21, The word “Scripture” is used only in the New Testament (31 times) and always refers back to what we call the Old Testament. It was the only book Jesus, the disciples, and the Apostles used to prove that Jesus was the promised Messiah, expounding on the character of God and the plan of salvation.
So, Paul is referring to the same book Jesus quoted from. Paul says the “Old Testament” (Scripture) is good for several things in Timothy’s ministry and, therefore, our work today:
1.) wisdom for salvation;
2.) for doctrine;
3.) reproof;
4.) correction; and
5.) instruction in righteousness
Scripture
Scripture is the collection of writings we call the Old Testament. This is an unfortunate title because it implies “old”; worn out, irrelevant. Some today say, “I am a New Testament Christian.” This implies they are living under the New Covenant, which should be, but the New Covenant has its basis in the writings of the Old Testament writers. A better statement of belief would be, “I am a Christian based on the entire word of God.” Modern Christian teachers have minimized these books, but by doing so, how much is overlooked about Jesus?
The Jews today have the same collection of writings. They refer to it as the Tanakh. It is divided into three main sections:
Tanakh is an acronym, made from the first Hebrew letter of each of the Masoretic Text’s three traditional divisions: Torah (literally ‘Instruction’ or ‘Law’), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings)—hence TaNaKh.
The Tanakh consists of twenty-four books, counting as one book each: 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles, and Ezra–Nehemiah. The Twelve Minor Prophets are also counted as a single book.
Therefore, all the books of the Old Testament are in the Tankah, but some are combined.
Jesus’ Scripture Study with His Disciples
At least twice, Jesus refers directly to these books of the Scriptures to explain who He is and His mission. Both times, he desired to open the eyes of His followers by teaching about Himself from the Scriptures. The story is found in the book of Luke.
After His resurrection on that 1st Day of the week, the resurrected Jesus caught up with two discouraged disciples who had just left the horror of Jerusalem that occurred on the Preparation Day (Friday). Their Rabbi had been nailed to a wooden cross like an animal! The One they loved was beaten, stripped, and finally met a suffering death. They were so discouraged that they were not praying…only discussing the scenes of that horrible day. They were, perhaps, rethinking their commitment to Jesus. Their faith had reached an all-time low.
But here is what I love about Jesus. At their lowest point, Jesus shows up! He didn’t appear to a large crowd at first, but to two lonely hurting followers. On that dusty road to Emmaus, neither man was praying for His presence, but Jesus appeared because He knew their damaged hearts. He does the same today. When you are at your lowest and don’t feel like praying, Jesus will show up just for you because of His great love and understanding!
The hurting disciples converse with the stranger, not knowing it is Jesus. They describe the scenes in Jerusalem with tears and pathos in their voice. Luke then records Jesus’ words.
Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24: 25-27
Jesus gave them a Scripture study from the Old Testament (it was not called that then) or what the Jews today would call the Tanakh. The topic? Jesus! Wouldn’t you have loved to have been a part of that study from Jesus Himself?
As suddenly as Jesus showed up, He disappeared just as they had begun their evening meal in Emmaus. This encounter left them with “hearts burning” within them. Even though the day was “far-spent,” they returned to Jerusalem with a new story to tell. They had seen Jesus in the flesh and discovered Him in Scripture. They had to tell the other disciples, so they likely ran all the way back to Jerusalem in the dark, where the other disciples were behind closed doors for “fear of the Jews” (John 20:19). When your heart is burning, you have to be running!
It was dark when they returned to Jerusalem since they had been talking with Jesus as they ate the evening meal seven miles away. They found the eleven disciples talking about Peter’s experience of seeing Jesus (Luke 24:34).
Suddenly, Jesus appears again! They think they have seen a spirit, but Jesus tells them, “Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” V. 39. Then He eats broiled fish and honeycomb with them.
But here is the relevant part to this theme: the two men on the way to Emmaus get to hear the Scripture study about Jesus a second time! When our hearts are burning and running to tell others about Jesus, we are learning.
Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Luke 24: 44-45
From this gathering of discouraged disciples, we learn that the writings of the Old Testament (the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms) are fulfilled in Jesus. Is it not obvious? We can learn many things about Jesus by reading these ancient writings.
So yes. if we only read the New Testament, we miss two-thirds of the story about Him. Our experience and faith in Jesus will explode when we discover Jesus from people like Moses, Ezra, Nehemiah, Solomon, Isaiah, David, Daniel, and many others whom God inspired to write about what they saw and experienced (2 Peter 1:21).
“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them, you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.” –Jesus (John 5:39)