Many people talk about the Bible. We hear from pastors, scholars, and critics. But one day I had a simple, important question. It cut through all the other noise. What did Jesus say about the Bible? If Jesus is who Christians say He is, His view matters most.
This article is not filled with big, hard words. It is a personal search. I just wanted to go back to the source. I wanted to read the stories of His life in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. How did He talk about the Bible of His time? Did He use it? Did He trust it?
What Did Jesus Say About the Bible and Its Ultimate Authority?
The first thing I saw was how Jesus treated the Bible. He did not see it as just a book of nice ideas or good stories. For Him, it had God’s full power. When He argued a point or taught a big lesson, He always went back to the written word.
This was key to His work. He always acted like the words in the Bible were God’s own words. When people questioned Him, He did not give a clever thought. He showed them the words in the book.
How Did Jesus Treat Scripture as God’s Direct Word?
Think about a time when Jesus was physically weak. He had not eaten for 40 days. Then, Satan came to tempt Him. What did Jesus use to fight back? Three times, He said the same thing: “It is written…” (Matthew 4:4-10). He did not argue about ideas. He stood on the words from the book of Deuteronomy. For Jesus, “It is written” was the last word on the subject.
He did the same thing with the religious leaders. A group called the Sadducees did not believe people would rise from the dead. They tried to trap Jesus with a tricky question. Jesus gave a sharp, clear answer. “You are wrong, because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God,” He said (Matthew 22:29). Then He used words from the book of Exodus.
Look at how He said it. He asked, “Have you not read what God said to you…?” (Matthew 22:31). He did not say, “what Moses wrote.” He made the words in the old book equal to God speaking to them right now. For Jesus, the Bible was not an old, dusty book. It was a living message from God.
- You can read the account of the temptation in the wilderness on sites like Bible Gateway to see the context for yourself.
What Did Jesus Say About the Bible and Its Smallest Details?
Sometimes people try to say the Bible is not perfect. They say the main ideas are from God, but the small details do not matter. Jesus did not see it that way at all. In His famous Sermon on the Mount, He said something amazing.
He said, “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 5:18).
This was a big deal. The “smallest letter” He spoke of is the “yodh.” It is the tiniest letter in the Hebrew language. The “least stroke of a pen” is a tiny mark that changes one letter to another.
Jesus was saying the Bible is so perfect from God that no part is an accident. Not even the smallest dot. Every detail is from God and has a reason. This shows He had a very high view of the Bible. It shows a belief that the very words are from God and can be trusted.
How Did Jesus Use the Old Testament to Explain His Own Life?
Jesus did not just see the Bible as a rulebook. He saw it as a book that was all about Him. This is a huge claim. He was not just a new teacher giving his ideas. He was saying He was the main point of the whole story. All the laws, songs, and prophecies pointed to Him.
This idea changes how you read the Old Testament. It is not just a book of history and laws for Israel. According to Jesus, it is the story God wrote leading up to His arrival. This is a vital clue when we ask, what did Jesus say about the Bible?
What Did Jesus Say About the Bible’s Prophecies Concerning Him?
A powerful moment happened right after Jesus rose from the dead. Two of His followers were walking to a town named Emmaus. They were very sad and confused. The man they followed had just been killed.
Then, a stranger joined them. It was Jesus, but they did not know it was Him. He listened to their sad story. Then He said, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26).
Then He did something great. The Bible says, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). He walked them through their own Bible. He showed them how it was all about Him. The sacrifices, the sad psalms, the words of Isaiah—He showed how it all connected. Later, he told his disciples, “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (Luke 24:44). This is a key part of knowing what did Jesus say about the Bible.
How Did Jesus See Himself as the Fulfillment of the Law and Prophets?
Before He died, Jesus made it clear He did not come to get rid of the Old Testament. He said, “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” (Matthew 5:17).
What does “fulfill” mean? It’s not just about following rules. It is much deeper. It means to finish something or bring it to its goal. Think of a plan for a house. The plan is “fulfilled” when the house is built. Your hunger is “fulfilled” when you eat a good meal.
In the same way, Jesus said that He was the goal of the Old Testament. All the ceremonies, laws, and prophecies found their final meaning in Him. The animal sacrifices pointed to His death. The law showed people they needed a Savior, and He came to be that Savior. He is the finished house that the Old Testament plan described.
What Did Jesus Say About the Bible When People Misused It?
Jesus had the highest view of the Bible. But He did not like how the religious leaders of His day misused it. This is an important part of the story. He saw them use God’s words to control people and make themselves look good. He said they used the Bible to hide from God, not to get closer to Him. His strongest words were for those who knew the Bible well but missed the whole point.
What Did Jesus Say About the Bible Versus Human Traditions?
Jesus often argued with the Pharisees about “tradition.” The Pharisees had made many man-made rules. They added these rules to God’s laws. They thought their rules protected God’s law. But Jesus said their rules were actually choking God’s law.
In Mark 7, the Pharisees complained that Jesus’s followers did not follow their hand-washing rule. Jesus’s answer was sharp. He said to them: “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions… You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!” (Mark 7:8-9).
He gave a clear example. God’s law said to “honor your father and mother.” This meant helping them when they were old. But the Pharisees made a loophole. A person could say their money was a gift to God. Then they could use that as a reason not to help their parents. They used a religious rule to break God’s own command. Jesus said, “Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition” (Mark 7:13). This helps answer what did Jesus say about the Bible when it clashes with our rules.
How Did Jesus Emphasize the Heart of the Law?
Jesus also saw another big problem. The religious leaders focused on small, outward rules. But they missed the heart of God’s law. They were good at keeping rules, but their hearts were far from God.
Jesus told them this in public. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23).
His point was simple. They were busy counting tiny spice seeds to give to God. But they were failing at what God really cared about. They looked good on the outside. But they did not love people. They did not seek justice for the poor. They did not show mercy to the broken.
Later, a law expert tested Jesus. He asked, “Which is the greatest commandment?” Jesus did not pick a small rule. He went to the very heart of the Old Testament. He said the top command is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Then He said the second is to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” He finished by saying, “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). For Jesus, if you do not love, you miss the whole point of the Bible.
- The role of religious groups like the Pharisees and Sadducees can be confusing. The Biblical Archaeology Society has some excellent background articles that can help clarify their beliefs and why they often clashed with Jesus.
A Final Thought on What Did Jesus Say About the Bible: Listening to His Words
So, after reading the Gospels and just listening, what did Jesus say about the Bible? The answer is very clear.
He saw the Bible of His day as God’s own words. He said it was true down to the smallest dot. It told of His death and His return to glory. He also spoke strongly against anyone who twisted the Bible. He did not like it when people used it to create rules that did not show love.
Jesus did not just approve of the Bible. He was the living Bible. The Gospel of John says He is the “Word made flesh.”
For me, this search was a great experience. It made the Bible feel new. Knowing how Jesus saw it makes me want to read it in the same way. It makes me want to check my own rules. I want to be sure I am not missing the main point: to love God and to love other people. The question is not just what He said. The real question is, what will we do now that we have heard Him?
FAQ – What Did Jesus Say About the Bible
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1. Did Jesus ever mention "the Bible"?
Jesus never said the word "Bible." That word came much later. He talked about "the Scriptures." This meant the holy books of the Jewish people. Today, Christians call these books the Old Testament. Jesus said these books were God's word.
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2. How did Jesus view the Old Testament scriptures?
Jesus said the scriptures were very important. He taught that they came from God. He said they could not be broken. He said that all the things written in them would happen. He saw them as God's true word. He used them to teach people. He also used them to show he was the one God had promised.
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3. Did Jesus quote from the scriptures?
Yes, Jesus used the scriptures a lot. He used them when he taught people. He used them when he talked with religious leaders. For example, when the devil tested him, he used words from the book of Deuteronomy. He also read from the book of Isaiah in a holy place. This showed that he knew the scriptures well and that they were true.
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4. What did Jesus say about the law and the prophets?
Jesus said he did not come to end the Law and the Prophets. He came to make them complete. "The Law and the Prophets" was a short name for the Old Testament. Jesus taught that all its rules and words were key. He showed that the Old Testament pointed to him.
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5. Did Jesus say new scriptures would be written about him?
Jesus did not say new books would be written. But he made a promise to his helpers. He said the Holy Spirit would come. The Spirit would teach them all things. It would help them recall all he had said. The books his helpers wrote became the New Testament. Christians see these books as God's word, too.
