When we sum it all up, we find that Jesus Christ believed Scripture, that he submitted himself to Scripture, and that he taught that a person would only believe on him as he believed Scripture. Therefore, we are left with the question: How can we profess to be followers of Jesus Christ and not hold to the same view of Scripture as he did?
Sometime later in the early months of the ministry we find disciples of John the Baptist coming to Jesus with John's question, "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" (Matt. 11:3). Jesus answers by a second reference to this same section of Isaiah's prophecy. He told them to look at Isaiah and read what he foretold about the Messiah, and then see if he is fulfilling it. In other words, Jesus challenged other people to evaluate his ministry in the light of God's Word.
Furthermore, Jesus went on to teach that not only is Scripture absolute, and not only is every part of it absolute, but that he had come to fulfill it. This means that Scripture finds its fullest meaning in him. It is by him, for him, and about him—and it is an enigma unless the one who reads it sees the Lord Jesus Christ at its core.
The first truth that we find in these verses is the truth that the Scriptures—and of course Christ was referring to the whole of the Old Testament—are absolute. They are eternal and unchangeable. They are the rock upon which the Christian can build. They stand written beyond any alteration or recall. They are the supreme court of all supreme courts. From their verdict there is no further appeal.
According to these verses Jesus taught that he did not come to supplant the Scriptures or to oppose them. He came to fulfill them and to fulfill them precisely. In later studies we will look at the specific ways in which Jesus Christ did fulfill the Scriptures. Today we want to look in a general way at the truths he taught about them.
