Jesus and the Old Testament

by Leland M. Haines
        Jesus often referred to or quoted from the Old Testament Scriptures to support His teachings. He told the Jewish leaders, "Well did Esaias [Isaiah] prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me," showing He accepted Isaiah's prophecies (Matt. 15:7, 8; cf. Isa. 29:13). These leaders were hypocrites just as the leaders in Isaiah's generation were, and Jesus quoted Isaiah to support His point.
        After Jesus healed many in Jerusalem during His last week, the children cried out, "Hosanna to the son of David," but the chief priests and scribes were indignant at this. Jesus asked them, "Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?" (Matt. 21:15, 16; cf. Ps. 8:2). These leaders did not know that the action of these young children was correct and even possible. Jesus had to point the skeptics to the Old Testament truth that these children could praise God.
        Soon after this, Jesus, in a parable about the vineyard and hedge, asked, "Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?" (Matt. 21:42; cf. Ps. 118:22, 23). This detail prophesied in the Old Testament would be fulfilled by Him. When the Sanhedrin pronounced judgment on Jesus the Messiah and turned him over to the Romans to be put to death, little did they realize this Rejected One would become the Head of the New Covenant.
        Jesus may not have left us a formal statement about His view of the Scriptures, but we do know His views from events that occurred in His life. The above Scriptures show that Christ believed the Scriptures to be authoritative and true, even in the smallest details. All His utterances about Scripture emphasized His one thought: "Scripture cannot be broken."

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