Relationship With a Book vs. Jesus

May 1

Read: John 5:39,40

Relationship With a Book vs. Jesus

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” (John 5:39,40)

Jesus is calling us to more than simply knowing ABOUT him… he is calling us to actually KNOW HIM. This is a supernatural reality. This is not something that will fit into the neat, little package that we have made our faith out to be. There is no way around it. Our life is hidden “in Christ” and Christ is dwelling in us. That is not something we can explain or experience using our “flesh” / material being. (cf. Col. 3:3, Col. 1:27, etc.) Jesus says to Nicodemus: “flesh gives birth to flesh, and Spirit give birth to spirit.” (paraphrase, John 3:6)

This brings us to a scandalous truth: The purpose and role of the scriptures is to facilitate and develop our relationship with “the one who calls us”- that is Jesus. (cf. yesterday’s Devo, 2 Peter 1:3-15) In this way, it is not a knowledge of the bible ALONE that will transform us… it is actually the bible in as much as it brings us into “knowledge of the one who calls us.” We need to be cautious of the very spiritually-seeming trap that is knowing the bible but not knowing Jesus! Jesus himself warns us of this same trap in John 5. It is easy to “think that in (the scriptures) you have eternal life” but the reality is that the bible holds no “eternal life” for you… only Christ has eternal life to give.

It is to be expected that we - as humans - would gravitate towards loving the bible more than loving Jesus. Reading the bible is something that we can “DO”… we can check it off. Doing so involves using what is more common to us - reading it is a “natural” process… a material process. What we need most is to have the Spirit of God awaken us to reading the bible in a way that has it become “living and active” and in doing so it leads us to Christ! (cf. Heb. 4:12) We need to talk with the Lord about what it is we are reading. We need to ask ourselves how what we are reading leads us to the one who gives LIFE. This is NOT an argument against reading the word of God, but an explanation as to WHY we read. “Sola Scriptura” (only the scriptures) îs not actually a thing! The bible itself doesn’t even advocate for this. But I understand that, if one thinks that there is no longer any supernatural relationship or communication from God then the book is all you have. As a result - your relationship with Jesus gets reduced to how much you read the book.

The word of God is CRUCIAL - you cannot rightly know Jesus without it; BUT knowing Jesus is what brings LIFE. Jesus himself (in the book / the scriptures) says so! Some of you reading this devo do not read the bible, but you DO know Jesus. I would encourage you to read the word as see how it adds to your relationship with Christ. Strengthens it. Deepens it. Gives you something to talk with him about. Some of you reading this devo love the word of God, but do you love God himself. You know the word of God, but do you know the author? The Author dwells within you as a Christian. It is quite different to know an authors work versus knowing the author themself. This knowledge of Jesus personally, his forgiveness and love, and our new identity in him is what transforms us as Christ followers. This is the way forward for the people of God. Love you guys. - JDP