Beholding Jesus in the Divine Word

The tragic thing is that one may read the Scriptures without seeing the Lord and Savior. Many peruse the divine word with critical minds; they are doubtful of the authenticity of the Scriptures. Others fear the ridicule of friends and neighbors; they come to it with a veil upon their hearts. Many are willing to accept the Bible as a revelation from God, but if the heart is not right with Him, they will fail to behold “the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.”BSPC 39.6

The Jews of old recognized the Holy Writings as of God; they reverenced the Divine Oracles very highly. At times men could be found who would rather yield up their lives than deny the word of God. But even though they were so privileged, they failed to discern in Jesus of Nazareth the promised Messiah, the Holy One of God.BSPC 40.1

Time after time Jesus had reminded them of this, as we have already seen, but the veil was upon their hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:15.) Even the disciples had a difficult time to comprehend the Master’s words. Their minds were so filled with the prejudices of their times (they entertained with others wrong expectations concerning the coming of the Messiah) that they failed to understand God’s purpose in the mission of Christ. Time after time Jesus sought to prepare them for the great crisis of the cross, but it seems as though His words fell, to a large degree, on deaf ears.BSPC 40.2

Then came the resurrection; then came the experience with the two disciples on the way to Emmaus; then followed the experience in the upper room—the personal revelation of the Christ to their hearts. They could see Him; they could touch Him. Once again their hopes revived, the scales fell from their eyes, and they recognized even the sufferings of the Messiah as a necessary prelude to the “glory that should follow.”BSPC 40.3

In later days the Ethiopian eunuch, when reading the prophecy of Isaiah, failed to understand the meaning of the divine prediction. But God sent His servant Philip, who “preached unto him Jesus.” Here again the light shone, and the darkness fled away. Another soul was illuminated by the divine rays, and there was born in his heart a longing desire to obey his new-found Lord.BSPC 40.4

So it may be with us. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned, and if the soul is surrendered to the Lord, there is no limit to the wonderful revelation God will make to the heart and mind. As we read the Holy Bible let us pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that we may be led to see the Son of God, not only in the Old Testament; but also in the New.BSPC 40.5