John 5:39-47: a reflection

39“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me. 40Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life. 41I don’t receive glory from men. 42But I know you, that you don’t have God’s love in yourselves. 43I have come in my Father’s name, and you don’t receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44How can you believe, who receive glory from one another, and you don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45“Don’t think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you, even Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about me. 47But if you don’t believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Jesus makes a startling charge against those who studied the Scriptures most diligently: they searched the Scriptures, yet missed the very One to whom the Scriptures pointed. You search the Scriptures, he says, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me. Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life. They studied the Scriptures carefully, expecting to find life in them; but the Scriptures testified of Christ, and they would not come to Christ, in whom the life they sought was actually found. They had the Scriptures but missed their point; they searched the pages but would not come to the One the pages pointed to. It is possible to study the Scriptures diligently and yet miss Christ, to whom they point; to have the words and miss the One they are about. The Scriptures point to Christ; to search them without coming to him is to miss the life they offer.

Notice the danger Jesus names: studying the Scriptures yet missing Christ, to whom they point. These were diligent students of Scripture; they searched it expecting to find life. But they missed the point: the Scriptures testify of Christ, and they would not come to him. They had the words but missed the One the words were about; they held the Scriptures but not the Christ to whom the Scriptures point. This is a real and sobering danger: to study the Bible diligently, even reverently, and yet miss Christ himself, treating the Scriptures as an end rather than as testimony pointing to him. The Scriptures are not given to be an end in themselves but to bring us to Christ, in whom is life. To search them without coming to him is to miss their very purpose. The pages point beyond themselves to the living Christ; to stop at the pages is to miss the One they are for.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can study the Scriptures yet miss Christ, to whom they point. We can read the Bible diligently, even reverently, and yet miss its very purpose, which is to bring us to Christ, treating the Scriptures as an end in themselves rather than as testimony pointing to him; but Jesus charged those who searched the Scriptures yet would not come to him, in whom is life. The Scriptures point to Christ; to have them and miss him is to miss the life they offer. Do not study the Scriptures as an end in themselves while missing Christ, to whom they point; let them bring you to him, in whom is life. Let the Scriptures bring you to Christ, to whom they point, rather than studying them as an end in themselves and missing him, as Jesus charged those who searched the Scriptures for life yet would not come to him though the Scriptures testified of him; for the Scriptures are given not to be an end in themselves but to bring us to Christ, in whom is life, and to search them diligently yet miss the One they point to is to miss their very purpose and the life they offer.

Lord Jesus, you make a startling charge against those who studied the Scriptures most diligently: they searched the Scriptures, yet missed the very One to whom the Scriptures pointed. You search the Scriptures, you say, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me. Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life. They studied the Scriptures carefully, expecting to find life in them; but the Scriptures testified of you, and they would not come to you, in whom the life they sought was actually found. They had the Scriptures but missed their point. Show me the danger you name: studying the Scriptures yet missing you, to whom they point. These were diligent students of Scripture; they searched it expecting to find life. But they missed the point: the Scriptures testify of you, and they would not come to you. They had the words but missed the One the words were about. This is a real and sobering danger: to study the Bible diligently, even reverently, and yet miss you yourself, treating the Scriptures as an end rather than as testimony pointing to you. The Scriptures are given not to be an end in themselves but to bring us to you, in whom is life. Take that to my heart, for I can study the Scriptures yet miss you, to whom they point. I can read the Bible diligently, even reverently, and yet miss its very purpose, which is to bring me to you, treating the Scriptures as an end in themselves; but you charged those who searched the Scriptures yet would not come to you. Keep me from studying the Scriptures as an end in themselves while missing you; let them bring me to you, Lord, to whom they point, in whom is life.