Jesus Would Obey God in ALL Things

JESUS WOULD OBEY GOD IN ALL THINGS
by Bill Blue

The impact of culture upon a Christian cannot be overstated. Modern America is a contradiction, a religious nation with a Humanistic culture. Christian Americans strive to live by the Bible, which contains admonitions to strongly oppose sin, while living in a nation whose culture says nothing is wrong so long as it does not hurt someone else. This tension causes the evolution of faiths which permit “Christians” to pick and choose those portions of the Scriptures that they will live by. What would Jesus do?

Jesus would not pick and choose which Scriptures He would obey. As we have read already, Jesus would study the Bible (Luke 2:41-50; WWJD no. 3), which He knew to contain “all truth,” (John 16:13), and give Bible answers to spiritual questions (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10; Matt. 19:4; WWJD no. 2).

Jesus began His ministry by obeying God’s will to be baptized. He did not question the purpose or necessity of baptism. When John protested that his own righteousness was inferior to Christ’s, Jesus said, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness," and then He was baptized (Matt. 3:13-15).

Jesus obeyed God in the face of temptation. Following His baptism and fasting for 40 days, Satan tempted Jesus with food (Matt. 4:3), pride (Matt. 4:6), and power (Matt. 4:8-9). Jesus chose to obey God and resist Satan’s temptations by relying upon God’s word (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10; Heb. 2:17-18; Heb. 4:15). We, too, are capable of resisting temptation. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor. 10:13).

Although Christ’s death ended the Law of Moses, He obeyed the Law during His life. “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:17-19)

Jesus obeyed God even when obedience caused Him great agony. The night before Christ was crucified He became “sorrowful and deeply distressed,” knowing what fate awaited Him (Matt. 26:37; see also Mark 14:33-34; Luke 22:44). He then prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will’…. Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.’ So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.” (Matt. 26:39, 42, 44; see also Mark 14:35, 36, 39; Luke 22:42, 44).

Christ was obedient to the point of death (Phil. 2:5-8). Christ did not want to die. He was tempted, sorrowful and deeply distressed (Heb. 4:15; Matt. 26:37; Mark 14:33-34; Luke 22:44). He prayed three times to God for another way (Matt. 26:39, 42, 44; see also Mark 14:35, 26, 29; Luke 22:42). Nonetheless, through it all, He put God’s will ahead of His own, and obeyed God by dying for a world of sinners, though Jesus Himself was sinless (Rom. 5:6-9; Phil. 2:5-8).

“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put [it] on hyssop, and put [it] to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (John 19:28-30).

In Revelation 2:10, Jesus admonishes Christians to, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Considering His example of complete obedience, how should we act when confronted with Scripture that requires us to do something we may not like? Jesus obeyed God when He was in agony. Will we ignore His command to be baptized (Mark 16:16; Matt. 28:19)? Jesus obeyed God when it meant He must die a tortuous death. Will we now refuse His commandments regarding marriage, divorce and remarriage (Matt. 5:31-32; Matt. 19:3-10), or will we, like Him, obey God in all things?

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Jesus Would Humble Himself

Jesus Would Humble Himself
By Jonathan Baker

Jesus, during his ministry, taught us many things about humbling ourselves. When the disciples asked Jesus, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” … [Jesus replied], “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:1-4). While Jesus and his disciples were at supper, Jesus “got up, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded” (John 13:4-5). Afterwards, Jesus asked, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:12-14). By washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus taught the disciples to humble themselves. “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, Truly, I say unto you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him” (John 13:15-16).

Jesus humbled Himself on numerous occasions so that others would believe He is Savior. In John 4, while Jesus was traveling through Samaria, He came to a well where there was a Samaritan woman drawing water. During this time period, the “Jews [had] no dealings with Samaritans.” Jesus, however, did not view her as lower than Himself, so He went to her, and said, “Give Me a drink”(John 4:7, 9). Astonished, the woman replied, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman” (John 4:9)? Jesus talked with her a little longer until in verse 19 she said, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.” Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman eventually led to an opportunity to speak to other Samaritans who came to believe, “that this One is indeed the Savior of the world”(John 4:40-42). Many believed that Jesus is the Christ as a result of Him being humble enough to resist Jewish prejudice against Samaritans.

Sometimes pride will prevent people from speaking to another that the world looks down on. This will even prevent us from speaking to others about salvation, but as in the case of the Samaritan woman in John 4, Jesus never allowed pride, nor prejudice to prevent Him from speaking to someone about the kingdom of heaven. On another such occasion Jesus refused to succumb to Jewish prejudice against tax collectors. “And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through the way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house’” (Luke 19:2-5). “When [the people of Jericho] saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner” (Luke 19:7). Despite the criticism of the people, Jesus still went with Zacchaeus and said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9). Jesus humbled himself so that others would come to believe and also have the hope of salvation.

Jesus’ greatest example of humility is His death on the cross for us. On the night before his death, Jesus went off, “And being in agony, He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground” (Luke 22:44). Jesus knew what he had to do and dreaded its coming, but despite all the dread, he prayed to God, “yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus humbled himself greatly before God for our salvation.

Remember Jesus’ examples of humility, and humble yourself. Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). ”If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” (John 13:17).

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Jesus Would Pray

JESUS WOULD PRAY
By Bill Blue

Most Americans regardless of faith would probably agree that people, even faithful Christians, do not pray enough. It comes as no surprise that unfaithful believers do not pray often enough, but why not faithful Christians? Perhaps the reasons why some Christians have poor prayer habits include material wealth and success, the influence of an ungodly culture, worldly values, and the lack of belief that God answers prayers. Perhaps tragedies and injustices in our daily lives convince some that God doesn’t care for our present needs. In the United States political-correctness has successfully banned God from schools and the workplace; God is out of sight and out of mind until the next worship service and as a result, godly people are out of practice, and have simply forgotten the importance of prayer. What would Jesus do? Jesus would pray.

Jesus had a habit of praying (Luke 5:16). We should have the same habit (1 Thess. 5:17).

Jesus would pray at any time of the day or night (Luke 6:12). Prayer was a priority for Christ. Jesus would even on occasion rise long before daylight to pray (Mark 1:35). In other words, Jesus planned for opportunities to pray.

Jesus would pray anywhere. Jesus prayed in the wilderness (Luke 5:16), on mountains (Mark 6:46, Luke 6:12, Luke 9:28), and at Gethsemane (Mark 14:32). In other words, Jesus took advantage of His opportunities to pray.

Jesus prayed long prayers (Luke 6:12) and short prayers (Luke 11:1-3). Our prayers to God have no required length as long as our prayer is humble and sincere (Matthew 6:5-7, Matthew 23:14, Mark 12:40, Luke 18:10-14, Luke 20:46-47). Regardless of length, Jesus prayed earnestly, knowing that the Creator of all things was listening (Luke 22:44).

Jesus would pray at many different occasions. Jesus prayed when He was baptized and began His ministry (Luke 3:21), before He selected twelve disciples to be His Apostles (Luke 6:12-13), at His transfiguration (Luke 9:28-32), before instituting the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26) and at His moments of greatest need (John 17:1; Luke 22:44).

Jesus would pray privately, in small groups and publicly. At times, Jesus sought opportunities to pray alone to God (Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Luke 9:18, Luke 22:41). At times, He even asked the disciples to stay behind, or sent them away, so He could pray alone (Matthew 26:36; Mark 6:46). On other occasions, He took disciples with Him to pray (Luke 9:28).

Jesus prayed for many different people:
• Himself (John 17:1);
• The Apostles (John 14:16, John 17:6-15);
• All believers (John 17:20);
• His enemies (Luke 6:28); and
• The entire world (Matthew 5:44).

Jesus prayed for many different things, such as:
• God’s work (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2) and God’s will be done (Matthew 26:39, 42);
• Children be blessed (Matthew 19:13);
• Believers be strengthened and be able to strengthen others (Luke 22:32);

Jesus tells us how to pray. “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name [in other words, honor God and acknowledge His authority] Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven [we accept God’s will] Give us our daily bread [help us with our necessities of life – not material excess] And forgive us our sins [help us with our truly important problems, like avoiding hell] For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us [we acknowledge God’s word on mercy and forgiveness (Matt. 6:14-15; Mark 11:25), thus we conform to His will] And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one [again we focus on our true needs, spiritual in nature]” (Luke 11:1-4; Luke 22:40).

Jesus would pray for the right reasons. Jesus would not forget that God is a prayer’s target audience, not others listening to His prayer. Jesus would pray to enlist God’s help, not men’s attention (Matthew 6:5-7, Matthew 23:14, Mark 12:40, Luke 20:47).

Jesus tells us the benefits of prayer. Prayer strengthens our faith (Luke 18:1), and helps keep us from sin (Matthew 26:41, Mark 13:33, Mark 14:38, Luke 22:46).

Jesus would pray with faith, not doubting whether God would answer His prayer (Matthew 21:22, Matthew 26:53, Mark 11:24, Luke 18:1).

Jesus understood that some things happen only through prayer. In Mark 9:29, Jesus said to His disciples that, “This kind [of demon] can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” We do not have demon possession today, but the point is still valid. When Jesus Himself had no place else to turn, He “fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him” (Mark 14:35).

Do you pray as you should? Do you plan and find time to pray? Do you take advantage of opportunities to pray? Are your prayers humble and reverent? Do you pray for others? When times are good do you neglect prayer? Talk to your Father. In times of need do you hesitate to ask your Father for help because you failed to pray when times were good? Ask your Father for help. Jesus would.

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Jesus Would Attend Church

Jesus Would Attend Church
by Scott Mixon

Attending church is a crucial and vital part of a Christian’s life. Yet many people who consider themselves Christians don’t attend Church on a regular basis. What would Jesus do?

First and foremost, it is God's will that Christians assemble together regularly. Hebrews 10:25-27 says, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching.”

When we forsake the assembly without a valid reason, whether it is occasionally or completely, we are disobeying God and denying Him of our worship. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus says, "Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." The Church must be a top priority for the Christian.

We have a number of commands associated with the Church that can not be followed unless Christians attend. In I Corinthians 11: 23-26, Christians are told to assemble to commemorate Jesus' death by partaking of the Lord's Supper. How can we follow the command, in Hebrews 10:25, to “exhort one another” if we do not assemble with other Christians? In Ephesians 5:19 and Col. 3: 16, Christians are commanded to sing and admonish "one another.”

Members of the early Church continue to provide an example for us today concerning how often we should attend. In Acts 2:42 we read, "They continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine, in fellowship, in breaking of bread and prayer." Acts 20:7 states, "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them.” The book of 1 Corinthians also provides strong evidence that Christians met weekly (1 Corinthians 11:17-18, 20, 33; 14:23, 26). In I Corinthians 16:1-2, the New International Version and the New American Standard translations make it clear that the First Century Christians met at least weekly ( “first day of every week” – NIV and NASB).

We are commanded to be like Christ and follow his example (Phil. 2:5-8). While most Christians will agree with the command for disciples to be Christ-like, many don’t believe that their failure to assemble is a violation of that command. Let’s consider the following:

In Luke 2:42-49, when Jesus was 12 years old, his parents could not find Him after leaving Jerusalem. After searching for three days, they found him in the temple sitting among teachers, listening, and asking questions. He responded to his parents, “Why is it you are looking for me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” Even at a young age, Jesus displayed His devotion to the Father by assembling with those who were studying and teaching the Word of God.

In Luke 4:16, the Bible says that Jesus had a habit (or “custom”) of attending synagogue for worship.

Jesus maintains an example for Christians today. In fact, Jesus has never forsaken an assembly of Christians. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus said "For where two or more are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Do we want to miss being with the greatest guest of all, our Lord?

When people fall away from the Lord, it is usually not a sudden thing. They usually start by forsaking the assembly of Wednesday night Bible study. Then they start missing Sunday evening worship. Next they stop coming to Sunday morning Bible study; and then finally they stop coming to Sunday morning worship.

When we choose not to gather with other Christians, we are denying ourselves of all the benefits of worship that allow us to grow and strengthen spiritually. If we do not look forward to every opportunity we have to worship God "in spirit and in truth," how will we be able to enjoy worshipping God in heaven?

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Jesus Would Have Us Obey the Apostles' Commands & Examples

JESUS WOULD HAVE US OBEY THE APOSTLES’ COMMANDS AND EXAMPLES
by Randy Baker

Many people have a desire to be saved, and some of these same religious souls have chosen to rely on only a select few Scriptures for the basis for all their beliefs. I am sure you have heard it said that Jesus’ words are the only important passages - in other words, you only have to be concerned with the red-letter portions of your Bible to serve God. We are indeed blessed to have Jesus’ words for guidance so we can rightly serve God, but it is important that we ask “what would Jesus say” about the importance of the Scriptures written by the apostles. Would Jesus agree that only the red-letter portions of our Bibles are of critical importance?

When discussing the coming of His church, Jesus told his apostles, “and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18). This passage sure makes it sound like Jesus is placing critical importance on the things that the apostles would be saying and doing during the age of the church, the kingdom of Jesus. Here, Jesus says that the apostles’ teachings and examples were already authorized or “bound” in heaven.

Knowing that He would leave the apostles to return to heaven, Jesus did not leave their teachings and examples to chance. “These things have I spoken unto you, while yet abiding with you. 26But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you” (John 14:25-26). This was Jesus’ plan all along! He told the apostles all He could at that time knowing that much of it would be misunderstood and forgotten. But after His ascension back to heaven, Jesus would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to guide the apostles, teach them, and remind them of the things Jesus wanted done. The words of the apostles are certainly beginning to look very important.

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me: 27and ye also bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27). Jesus again shows that the apostles would have the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter guiding them. This Spirit was coming to the apostles from the Father Himself.

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come. 14He shall glorify me: for he shall take of mine, and shall declare it unto you” (John 16:13-14). Jesus’ own words here tell that the apostles would declare to us the very things of Jesus! Jesus makes it clear that to heed only the red-letter portions of the Bible is to ignore Jesus Himself! We must heed what the apostles say, and we must follow the examples that they set for us. Their words and examples are Jesus’ message every bit as much as Jesus’ own words.

What would Jesus say about listening to the apostles’ commands and following their examples? What would Jesus say about the importance of those Scriptures written by apostles? Jesus has plainly told us that the apostles’ messages were not their own. They were proclaiming Jesus and God’s truths to the world. To obey the apostles’ instructions, and to follow their examples, is to follow Jesus’ own will. We dare not ignore their words.

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Jesus Would Study the Bible

Jesus Would Study the Bible
By Jeff Himmel

Do you own a Bible? If so, what do you do with it – not just the book itself, but its message? What would Jesus do?

The Bible of Jesus’ day was what we call the Old Testament. These Hebrew Scriptures include the Law of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy), the history of ancient Israel (Joshua through Esther), inspired books of wisdom and poetry (Job through Song of Solomon), and the writings of God’s prophets (Isaiah through Malachi). How did Jesus treat the message of Scripture? If we approach the Bible the same way He did, we can be confident that we’re on sure footing.

When tempted by Satan, challenged by His enemies, or questioned by truth-seekers, Jesus’ response came from the word of God (see Matthew 4:1-10; 22:23-46). He truly believed the passage that He quoted in response to the Devil: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4; cf. Deuteronomy 8:3).

Many people insist that we can’t understand the Bible, much less understand it alike. What would Jesus say? He often responded to spiritual questions by asking, “Have you not read…?” or “What is written…?” (For examples, see Matthew 12:3,5; 19:4; 22:31; Luke 10:26.) He believed that people could understand the Scriptures, and that they must. Jesus never dismissed religious differences as the harmless result of “differing interpretations.” He did say that some people were “mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures” (Matthew 22:29) and that others were “slow of heart to believe” what was written (Luke 24:25). And He tried to correct people’s misunderstandings about God’s word. In Matthew 5, for example, Jesus dealt with several subjects by contrasting what the people had been taught by their leaders (“You have heard that it was said…”) with what God actually required of them (“But I say to you…”). Jesus expected people to base their beliefs and actions on a correct understanding of what God had revealed in His word.

Jesus emphasized that all of God’s revealed message was important. He acknowledged that some commandments were “weightier” (Matthew 23:23), i.e., more basic and fundamental. But in the same breath He said that even the details should not be neglected (“these you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone”). He warned against breaking even the “least” of God’s commands (Matthew 5:19).

Speaking of details, Jesus did not hesitate to discuss the specifics of God’s law. Some of His arguments with the Jewish leadership hinged on a particular word or phrase in a passage of Scripture (consider John 10:34-36; Mark 12:26-27; Matthew 22:41-46). To Jesus, every word of God was important.

Jesus drew important lessons from Bible history, too. He treated the historical accounts of Scripture as real events, not myths or fables. (A lot of modern believers give those historical accounts far less credit than Jesus did.) And Jesus cited historical events to prove spiritual principles (see Matthew 11:23-24; 12:41). He believed that inspired history has much to teach about God’s dealings with man.

Jesus also taught that there were certain inescapable conclusions that must be drawn from what the Scriptures said. For instance, He showed that God’s statements about marriage at the beginning of creation (Genesis 1:27 and 2:24) necessarily implied that it is a permanent relationship; thus divorce is sinful (Mark 10:2-12). He taught that the command to honor one’s parents (Exodus 20:12) necessarily implied caring for them in old age (Mark 7:10-13). Jesus expected people to examine Scripture, understand it, and draw the right conclusions.

The Bible is God’s revelation to mankind – a priceless gift. Yet it is often neglected even by those who claim to believe it. Many people have sincere religious convictions, but couldn’t begin to show from the Scriptures why they hold those convictions. Many claim to know Jesus, but know next to nothing of the Scriptures that testify of Him. Let’s follow Jesus’ example of respect for God’s written revelation.

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

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Jesus Would Give Bible Answers For Religious Questions

JESUS WOULD GIVE BIBLE ANSWERS FOR RELIGIOUS QUESTIONS
by Randy Baker
Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Jesus, through the Word of God, provided us a high standard to follow. He says “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Peter points out that Christ provided an example for us to follow (1 Peter 2:21). We may ask “what would Jesus do” when we’re facing some challenge in our lives? One of the challenges we have is knowing how to answer religious questions. When watching Jesus’ activities, what pattern can we observe that would provide us guidance on how to appropriately handle spiritual questions?

Jesus had to answer questions from a lot of different types of personalities. For example, we see Jesus answering a question from a sincere scribe in Mark 12:28, “’What commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. The second is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.’” What do we see? Jesus answered a religious question with scripture (Deut. 6:4-5; Lev. 19:18).

Jesus also had to answer hard questions from those who were not friendly toward Him. In Mark 12:18 we see an occasion when a group of Sadducees attempt to trap Jesus in a difficult question. “And there come unto him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, If a man’s brother die, and leave a wife behind him, and leave no child, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. There were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed; and the second took her, and died, leaving no seed behind him; and the third likewise: and the seven left no seed. Last of all the woman also died. In the resurrection whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.’ Jesus said unto them, ‘Is it not for this cause that ye err, that ye know not the scriptures, nor the power of God? For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as angels in heaven. But as touching the dead, that they are raised; have ye not read in the book of Moses, in the place concerning the Bush, how God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living: ye do greatly err.’” Jesus scolds the questioners for reaching erroneous conclusions. He quickly refers to scripture that answers their question (Exodus 3:6). The Sadducees had apparently reached a bad conclusion from handed-down tradition, or some writing that was not part of God’s Word, but Jesus showed they needed to rely on scripture.

Jesus even faced direct challenges from Satan himself. “And the tempter came and said unto him, ‘If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’ 4But he answered and said, ’It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ Then the devil taketh him into the holy city; and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, ‘If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and, On their hands they shall bear thee up, Lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone.’ Jesus said unto him, ’Again it is written, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God.’ 8Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and he said unto him, ‘All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.’ Then saith Jesus unto him, ’Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve’” (Matthew 4:3-10). Jesus’ approach is clear - He repeatedly says “It is written” to remind Satan of the truth (Deut. 8:3; 6:13,16; 10:20). Notice that Satan also used scripture (Psalm 91:11-12). Using scripture incorrectly is no better than ignoring it altogether. Understanding His word correctly is critical.

What did Jesus do when asked a religious question? He answered with correctly applied scripture!

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