“nor from that day did anyone dare to ask Him any more questions.”
What are you hoping to see? When the read the bible, when you open up God’s Word, what are you hoping to see? The Pharisees thought of the bible as a law book, a rule book – “basic instructions before leaving earth.” And everything was filtered through that lens. You quote the Scriptures, in fact, in order to test people. Who can give the best and wittiest and most solid legal opinion – the Scriptures are the battle ground to prove yourself the best.
That was why they had asked Jesus about the great commandment. To test Him and to elevate themselves and their wisdom over Him – and the law, the rules were going to be the way they did that. But Jesus doesn’t want to play that game. He gives them an answer much bigger and profound, that our service to God is our service to our neighbor and vice versa… but that’s just a Law question. That’s not the point. The point is the Gospel.
Jesus asks a question that points to the Messiah, that the Messiah would be true God and true Man. Why? Because the bible isn’t merely a book of instructions, but it is first and foremost the story of God saving His people from their sin. It is the story of God becoming man to redeem us. It isn’t the story of the law; it is the story of Jesus for you. The Pharisees didn’t want to see that, so they stopped asking Jesus questions. He would just keep revealing Himself to them.
So what are you hoping to see when you read the Scriptures? There is indeed wonderful law in there, law that we need. When you need to know the law, there’s no better place to go. But the point, the main goal and purpose of the Scriptures must always be this: They show you and proclaim to you Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior. God grant us His Spirit that we ever more see Christ for us!
