John 5:39 "Search the scriptures; for in
them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of
me."
Jesus is still speaking to the elite of the Jews, the Scribes, Priests, and
Pharisees. They had placed their trust in their own knowledge of the Scripture.
They boasted of their knowledge and their confidence was in their ability to
"quote" Scripture. The Pharisees wore a box on their forearm into
which they would place passages of Scripture which they had committed to
memory. The idea was to have the Word of God always before their eyes, but they
had allowed that to become a source of boasting. In Matthew 23:5, Jesus spoke
of them making "broad their phylacteries." This was not a
commendation; rather a part of the woes pronounced upon them. Their dependence
was upon their own ability to make themselves righteous before God. This sounds
good, except for one thing. Isaiah told us the problem with our own works:
"All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6)
Even the very law (Scriptures) they were placing their own confidence in was
condemning them. "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments:
which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD." (Leviticus 18:5)
This sounds as if it might be possible for a person to establish his own
righteousness by keeping the law. Technically, our righteousness could be
established by keeping the statutes and judgments of God, except there is a big
"two letter" word in this passage from Leviticus and that word is
"IF". "If a man do, he shall live in them." But when you go
to the book of James, we are reminded that if we offend in one point of the law,
we are guilty of all the law. That takes it to an all new level, doesn't it?
That word, "if", takes everyone out of the picture of perfectly
keeping the law except for the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Only One who has
ever been able to perfectly keep the law.
So, Jesus is telling the Scribes and Pharisees, "Search the scriptures ...
They testify of me." Paul, who was most knowledgeable of the law,
tells us the purpose for the law was to bring us unto Christ. The law
(Scripture) was/is not a road map to heaven; rather, it was an indictment
against every human being. Paul tells us in Romans, "Now we know that
what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that
every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
(20) Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be
justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." (Romans
3:19-20).
The Scriptures give no hope for those who think eternal life comes by our works. But the good news is this: The Scriptures point us to the source of true hope and assurance which is found in the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.