I Am The Lord, I Change Not - Part 499

How can men and women meditate on that which they do not understand? It is written in the scriptures that people cannot live by bread alone. Rather, their substance should come from every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Luke 4:4). The problem is that people are led into error because they do not know the scriptures. As a consequence, many religious institutions have been able to incorporate their own spin on the Bible which has resulted in many Christian believers (and non-believers) not knowing the truth. Matthew 22:29 states: that Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. Further, the Bible says that the truth will set us free. How can we be free if we don't read the scriptures?

Equally important, as Matthew asks in 26:54 "how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" If we read Luke 24, when they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels which said that He -- Jesus -- was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the tomb and found it even so as the women had said, but they saw Him not. Then He said unto them, Oh fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things to enter into His glory?

Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself. And they drew night unto the village whither they went and He made as though He would have gone further. But they constrained Him saying, "Abide with us for it is toward evening and the day is far spent." And He went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as He sat at meat with them, He took bread and blessed it and break and gave it to them. 

And their eyes were opened and they knew Him and He vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another -- Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us by the way -- and while He opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven gathered together and them that were with them saying, "The Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared to Simon." And they told what things were done in the way and how He was known of them in breaking of bread. 

And as they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them and said unto them, "Peace be unto you." But they were terrified and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And He said unto them, "Why are you troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet that it is I myself: handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have."

And when He had thus spoken, He showed them His hands and His feet. And while they yet believed not for joy and wondered, He said unto them, "Have you here any meat?" And they gave Him a piece of fish and a honeycomb and He took it and did eat before them. And He said unto them, "These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the psalms concerning me."

Then opened He their understanding in order that they might understand the scriptures. And said He unto them, "Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And behold I send the promise of my Father upon you but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high." (Luke 24)

This is why we need to read and search the scriptures diligently so that we might know Jesus. For if He could mightily convince the Jews publicly -- showing by the scriptures that Jesus was the prophesied Christ -- in Acts 18:28, then we need to read our Bibles so that we might know Jesus -- the Word --too. "For I am the Lord, I change not." (Malachi 3:6) Stand in the offering plate!