²⁵ [Jesus] said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” ²⁷ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
- Luke 24:25-27
 
Jesus jumped into teacher-mode with his disciples in today’s passage. This passage takes place after Jesus’ death and resurrection, but before his disciples have encountered the risen Lord. They have been walking down the road with Jesus and have been kept from recognizing him (v. 15). At the end of this interaction, they would believe that Jesus has been raised from the dead.
 
So, how did Jesus do it? How did he convince his friends he was alive again?
 
He pointed them to Moses and all the Prophets. He surfed through what we now call the Old Testament and showed them time and time again what the Scriptures had to say about him. Wouldn’t you have loved to have been in on that conversation?
 
Elsewhere we read Jesus showing off his nail scars or working miracles to show that he’s alive. But here he reaches for the Bible.
 
So many of us have a hard time reading the Old Testament. Sections of it seem to drag on and on. Others spark in us a moral indignation. And still others make us feel small or ashamed. But we hang on to these scriptures because Jesus claimed that they had something to tell us about him. And we love him.
 
Andy Stanley jokes: “If a man can predict his own death and resurrection, and pull it off, I just go with whatever that man says.” And, jokes aside, this cuts to the heart of why we value, trust, and submit to what the Bible says.
 
The Bible’s glory is a reflected glory: the beauty of the moon, not the beauty of the sun. But in these dark days, we can feel grateful for a full moon shining brightly and guiding our footsteps.
 
What’s your relationship with the Bible? When, where, and how do you encounter the scriptures? What’s your plan for spending time with God in scripture? What adjustments do you need to make to have a healthier engagement with the Bible in this season of your life?