THE OLD TESTAMENT

JESUS AFFIRMED THE OLD TESTAMENT GOD'S WORD

There can be no doubt that Jesus embraced the Old Testament scriptures as nothing less than God's word to man. When Christ quoted the Old Testament He referred to it as God's word and indicated that God was speaking through the authors in what was written.

When rebuking the Pharisees for their hypocrisy Jesus quoted from the book of Exodus referring to it as "the commandment of God" and what "God said".

(Mat 15:1-6 NASB) Then some Pharisees and scribes came^ to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying, {2} "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." {3} And He answered and said to them, "And why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? {4} "For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' (Exodus 20:12) and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, LET HIM BE PUT TO DEATH.' (Exodus 21:17) {5} "But you say, 'Whoever shall say to his father or mother, "Anything of mine you might have been helped by has been given to God," {6} he is not to honor his father or his mother.' And thus you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

When being questioned about marriage and the resurrection Jesus answered by referring again to the book of Exodus commenting that God was speaking to the very people asking Him the question through the words of scripture:

(Mat 22:28-33 NASB) "In the resurrection therefore whose wife of the seven shall she be? For they all had her." {29} But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures, or the power of God. {30} "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. {31} "But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, {32} 'I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB'? (Exodus 3:6) He is not the God of the dead but of the living." {33} And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

JESUS AND OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY

Jesus indicates in the following passages that the Old testament contained information in many places describing His own life. This could only have taken place if God in His sovereignty and omniscience were to have caused these things to be written knowing that the events would take place as He planned.

(Luke 24:44-48 NASB) Now He (Jesus) said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." {45} Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, {46} and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; {47} and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. {48} "You are witnesses of these things.

In this next verse Jesus not only indicates that the Old Testament scriptures spoke of Him but He specifically says in verse 46 that Moses wrote of Him:

(John 5:39-47 NASB) {39} "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; {40} and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life. ...........{45} "Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. {46} "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. {47} "But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

JESUS RECOGNIZED THE UNCHANGING AND UNALTERABLE NATURE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

Jesus knowing the Old Testament to be God's word declared that all that was written within it's pages must be fulfilled warning that none should annul it's commandments or alter it's content.

(Mat 5:17-19 NASB) "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. {18} "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished. {19} "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

In this passage Jesus is making a point based on an old Testament scripture and appeals to the fact that "the scripture cannot be broken" to indicate that all of the Old Testament is inspired no portion of which can be emptied of it's force or broken away from the whole:

(John 10:34-36) Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law, 'I SAID, YOU ARE GODS'? {35} "If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), {36} do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?