The Key To Understanding The Bible
The key to understanding every word, every chapter, and every story in the Bible is found in the Gospel of John 5:39. Once we understand the message of these words everything else makes sense.
The Bible is a record of the lives of numerous people over thousands of years who either did or did not get the point. For us the message is simple. Follow the example found in the lives of the people who got the point. Learn from the mistakes of those who came before us but didn’t get it.
Here’s the verse.
“You search the Scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me so that I can give you this eternal life.”
When Jesus made this statement, He was talking to people who probably knew the theological intricacies of the Bible better than you or I ever will. They were men who had spent their lives studying the scriptures, memorizing verses, and arguing over their meanings. They knew it all, yet missed the whole point. They didn’t recognize the prophesied Messiah when He was standing right in their midst.
So when we read the Bible and try to learn from its lessons, one thing is clear. It’s not what you know, it’s Who you know. All the stories in the Bible are just that – stories. There is no value in them except that they point toward Jesus. There is no life in the words. The only real and eternal life any of us will ever receive will be found at the feet of Jesus. In order for us to grab a hold of that life, we have to find our way into His presence. He is waiting there to reach out and touch us. When He places His hand on us a well spring of living water flows from Him into us and we are transformed from death to life for ever. With that touch we get it. We get eternal life and we will never be under the power of death again.