More Than A Book Pt. 2

---

In our last blog, we talked about how you can know the scriptures but not know Jesus. As Jesus highlighted in John 5:39-40, you may have studied the Scriptures, yet you missed the point: Jesus. The call of the Bible is not just knowing the Bible for the Bible’s sake. The Bible acts more as a compass, pointing you to Jesus, with the goal you would be more like Him. In this blog series, More Than A Book, we will discuss practical ways to know Jesus more. Today, we will discuss studying and reading the Bible to know Jesus.

The book of John starts off strong by saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” (John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭2‬). The Word was with God initially, and that Word was Jesus. Since Jesus has been with God all along, He doesn't just appear in the New Testament, He is also in the Old Testament. Jesus was the Lamb Abraham talked about when he said, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering" (Genesis 22:8). Jesus was the Passover Lamb in Exodus 12 that allowed the Israelite firstborns to survive death. In Leviticus, He is both the High Preist and the sacrifice on the altar. In Numbers, He is the ever-present guide, your pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. In Deuteronomy, He is the city of refuge and the prophet greater than Moses. I can go through every book in the Bible if I want, but to keep it short, I just went over the Pentateuch (the first 5 books in the Bible). That's why John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The Word that was with God became a human, Jesus. So, if you want to know Jesus, you must know the Word. Not just the New Testament and the sayings of Jesus, but also the Old Testament. Knowing both Old and New gives you a fuller picture of Jesus. But you can't stop at just reading the Word, you also have to study it. Studying takes longer; you have to pay attention to the little details. It may require you to do some word studies or look at commentaries, but it will increase your depth and knowledge of the Bible, helping you know Jesus more. When you study the Bible, you will find Jesus in the little things, and you will be in awestruck wonder of all He did and all the prophesies He fulfilled. You will know who He is for yourself, and not just what somebody else said about Him. When you begin to study the Word, He becomes more than a book. He becomes a perfect person who saved your life. He's more than a book.