You diligently study the Scripture because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

John 5:39-40

The Pharisees were the educated men of their time. They knew the Scriptures and were the experts on application of Scripture, but they missed the Messiah when He came. The Scriptures pointed to Christ through prophecy, but they refused to believe. Have you ever wondered why they refused to believe? I have. I wonder if they were so caught up in their study of the Word that they missed The Word. Jesus said that He had come to the lost sheep of Israel; they were lost, but they didn’t know it. The Scripture reading today says that they studied the Scripture to find eternal life. Jesus said that the Scriptures only testify about Him; they do not give eternal life.

Only a relationship with Christ offers the gift of salvation. Jesus recognized that if they did not believe Moses and the prophets who wrote about Him, they would not recognize what He was telling them as the truth. (John 5:46)

It is possible to study the Scriptures and never receive Christ into your life. There are religion professors who study God’s Word and English teachers who study the Word as literature who will never come to know The Living Word, Jesus Christ. Jesus tells the unbelieving Jews that John the Baptist gave testimony to Christ, yet they did not believe.

What can we do to draw others to Christ? We know that it is His power that draws them and it is His Word that brings the truth. But it is the testimony of our lives that will make a difference for Christ; it is the world that sees the light of Christ in us that will respond in faith. The only Bible that some people may read is you. There is no substitute for studying the Word, but to lead people to Christ, we must live the Word. Are others able to see the reflection of your relationship with Christ by your actions?

Heavenly Father,

Forgive me where I have diligently studied Your Word but have not sought You, the Living Word. Sometimes in my desire to understand Your Word, I have overlooked my relationship with You. Help me to draw near to You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen