John 2:22 (ESV)
When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Knowing that John’s task throughout his gospel is belief in Jesus as Messiah, he is writing with a view to “helping people see the glory of the Son of God, experience his grace, and believe on him as the Son of God and supreme treasure of their lives and have eternal life” (John Piper). We will see in the next DAILY DOSE that there is a belief in Jesus that does not save you eternally, but today’s passage is directed as those of us who do have a saving faith…and points us to one of the results.
In the New Testament context, all 51 references to “Scripture” mean the Old Testament writings, but perhaps in this case it also refers to such Messianic prophesies as Psalm 16:10 which Peter referenced at Pentecost or perhaps the amazing contents of Isaiah 53—both combined paint a picture of his death and resurrection. Once Jesus was raised, the disciples didn’t just believe what He had said to them directly, but also fully embraced the entire Old Testament. Has that happened for you, yet? Many Christians spend most of their study time in the New Testament and neglect the “Scripture” of the Old. At the cross, Jesus unified them both.
The resurrection is at the center of our faith, and Paul made that abundantly clear when he said, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Cor. 15:14). As the Old Testament points forward to Christ time and time again, the resurrection verifies its trustworthiness and then the New Testament speaks out of that resurrection reality. As a result, the Word of God is not some sidebar issue for a true Christian, but the main mode of communication between God and His children. It is one thing to consider and even appreciate Jesus as a great moral teacher, but quite another to accept him as LORD. The former can dismiss the authority of the bible completely, while the latter builds his life on it.
Do you believe that Jesus raised from the dead? His disciples witnessed it and then, under the power of the Holy Spirit, were enabled to remember it all and then write it down (Jn. 14:26). Countless other believers over the past two thousand years labored, suffered, and in some cases were even martyred in order to pass “the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken” down to YOU. Do you feel the true weight of the bible you so easily carry with you, either as a book or on your phone? Do you fully believe it? Jesus’ resurrection is a constant reminder that you should.
