The Bible's validity was supported multiple times by Jesus during His three year ministry upon this earth leading up to His death. He consistently made reference to the writings of Moses and other prophets. He equated Old Testament scripture with the very word of God every time.
He revealed how many of His activities were the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. First, we’ll examine some eyewitness accounts from Matthew regarding statements of Jesus Christ that uphold the truth of Scripture.
While Jesus gave a speech to the multitudes from the top of a mountain, he firmly supported the divine authority of the Old Testament as a whole.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. – Matthew 5:17,18, NIV
He was giving proof that God had preserved every letter of Moses' books and the rest of the prophets, and He assured His listeners that He came to fulfill its prophecies. Why would Jesus speak with such certainty about the writings of Old Testament prophets?
When some Pharisees questioned Jesus about the issue of divorce, He directed their attention to the Book of Genesis, thereby supporting it’s divine authority.
And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and He said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?" – Matthew 19:4,5 [from Genesis 1:27; 2:24], EMTV
Many of us are familiar with the two greatest commandments in the Bible–to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus quoted these verses and said, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matt. 22:37-40, KJV) First of all, Jesus is deliberately quoting two separate books of Moses–Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. Secondly, Jesus is upholding all Scripture by implying that “the law and the prophets” are based upon love for God and others.
In talking about the end days and the rule of the future global leader, Jesus provided proof that the book of Daniel is also the word of God:
Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand). – Matthew 24:15 [from Daniel 9:27; 12:11], MKJV
Jesus also forewarned His closest disciples that He was going to die soon, but that it was to be a fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies:
And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise." – Luke 18:31-33, ESV
Jesus was speaking in general of the various prophecies written in centuries past about His life’s purposes. Psalms 22 and Isaiah 53 are powerful Old Testament books that revealed the future ministry and purposes of Jesus the Messiah.
Luke wrote down an event that occurred between Jesus and two men after His resurrection. Jesus was explaining to them that He had to suffer to fulfil the word of the prophets, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:25-27, ESV)
Luke also transcribed a conversation that Jesus had with His disciples not long before He ascended up to heaven as proof of even more aspects of Old Testament scriptures.
Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. – Luke 24:44,45, ESV
I’ll end this article with one example from the Book of John where he records one segment of a long speech which Jesus was giving. Jesus equated belief in the scripture of Moses with faith in Jesus Christ.
For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?" – John 5:46,47, ESV
As we near the end of this series, we are next going to see how the Bible compares false prophets and apostles with those called by God: Why believe the Bible IX, Comparison with false prophets and apostles
If you missed any articles in this series, start from the beginning: Why believe the Bible, Introduction
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