JESUS NEEDED THE WORD
So We Need the Word.
“Why read the Bible? What’s the point?“
A couple of weeks ago, we started to unpack the answers. Using 2 Timothy 3:16-17 as a base-text, we looked at these related topics:
- Why Do Followers of Jesus Need the Bible?
- Do We Believe the Bible Is God-Breathed?
- Do We Use the Bible?
- How To Be Thoroughly Equipped
These of course are all great reasons to read our Bibles; because it’s God-breathed, because it’s useful and because we’re not thoroughly equipped without it. But as a Christian (a Follower of Jesus), there’s one more excellent reason:
Because Jesus needed it.
In Matthew, chapter 4, we read about Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness.
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.“
“3 The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’ 4 Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’” (Matt. 4:1-4)
Quoting the Old Testament
The words Jesus spoke can be found in Deut. 8.
“2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deut. 8:2-3)
Scripture Is a Defence
When Jesus Christ, God in flesh, needed help; He turned to Scripture. Jesus used Scripture to battle Satan. And if our Creator and Redeemer uses the Book in His time of need, than we (His created and redeemed) definitely need to be using it.
So why bother reading the Bible? What’s the point?
Yes, because it’s God-breathed, because it’s useful and because it equips us. But also because Jesus did.
If we say we follow Jesus, then reading this Book called the Bible, and applying it to our lives is a key component of being a Jesus-Follower.
