What does it take to believe that God’s Word is true?
Getting the facts
I had to check it out for myself!
I understood the words spoken to me, but I didn’t believe they were true. I wanted to see the proof. Why? Because
- The source was not always accurate
- The information sounded too good (or too farfetched) to be true
- It didn’t make sense
- OR . . .It didn’t fit with my view of how things should be!
When I investigated, sometimes I found that the message I received was not correct (or not completely). However, on other occasions, I had to confess that the other person was absolutely right and I had to eat crow for my doubts.
Have you ever observed someone receiving failproof evidence of some reality, only to vehemently reiterate that the facts and tangible corroboration actually were not there? (I have probably done that myself.)
We see this occurring frequently in the Scriptures, especially in the New Testament with the Jewish leaders. The amazing thing is that the religious chiefs knew vast amounts of Scriptures by heart and were able to call up passages with just a small reference or illustration. Yet, they couldn’t put the pieces together to move beyond their preconceived notions. God’s work should match their expectations!
A new year, a new start
For the past three years, I have read through the entire Bible in a year. To provide variety, I use different translations and change up the order of reading. Often, the passage for the day reveals a brand new connection between the Old and New Testaments.
This year, I am using the Narrated Bible with all of the stories in chronological order. I pray that my eyes and heart are open to the multitude of references, prophecies, and images that portray Christ throughout all of the scriptures.
Last year, I had the privilege of collating passages in Matthew that relate back to Old Testament scriptures. I compiled a non-exhaustive list of correlating verses and made a 9-page chart of just the direct quotes or prophecies.
Remezim or inside jokes
Another 10 pages (of much smaller print) comprise a category called remezim. This is a rabbinical method of teaching that calls to mind an earlier instruction from a present action or a few words. It is like the memory of an inside joke or a familiar song that we evoke with a small hint.
Astoundingly, I see these remezim that point to Jesus in nearly every chapter of the Bible. This totally makes sense to me since Jesus is the fulfillment of all things (Matthew 5:17). The Bible is the inspired Word of God and Jesus is the Word of God in the flesh who only did and said what came from the Father. IMHO everything Jesus did on earth was an “acting out” of the promises and revelation of God.
I discovered this visual depiction of all the cross-references throughout the 66 books of the Bible–nearly 64,000 places, written across four millennia, by 40 different authors. (Check out the article for the details!) How is that for evidence of Truth?
Books and articles abound that show Jesus as the catalyst behind human history and the focus toward which all events are directed. My aim for the blog is to highlight some of the new things that I find which may not be evident at first glance.
Finishing the work
Starting in Genesis, there are many such foreshadowings of Jesus, several of which are very familiar. I will focus this article on Genesis 2:2-4.
2And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work. 3Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished.
Genesis 2:2-4
God finished the work of creation. Then, sin entered the world, bringing death, decay, and destruction. Twice, Jesus says, “It is finished.” First, He completed the work of paying for each sin and defeating death. When He comes again, He will completely eradicate sin and death.
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 19:30
And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.
Revelation 21:6
We also have His promise that He will finish the work He has begun in us.
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6
Resting from work
God rested from His work on the seventh day, the Sabbath. Jesus is our rest and in Him, we find rest–eternal peace and earthly ceasing from the labor of trying to please God. He is also the Lord of the Sabbath and brings to fruition His purposes of rest, completeness, and restoration.
28Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:28-30
9There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same pattern of disobedience.
Hebrews 4:9-11
“So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Matthew 12:8, Mark 2:28, Luke 6:5
We follow the pattern of Sabbath resting as we walk in holiness and trust him more and more for our provision and our salvation. So we see that Scripture begins and ends with the same principles of completion, rest, and blessing in Christ.
Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
Jesus ~ Matthew 5:17
Where have you found remezim in the Scriptures that point to Jesus? How do these correlating passages help you to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior, the Creator, and the Son of God?
(c) 2022 Holly Craw
Designed to Draw Near 