“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT)

As we mentioned in the previous devotion, this month we’ll be looking at passages in the Old Testament in which Jesus appears or is referred to. Before we do that, though, let’s briefly review how the Bible came to be. The more we understand about what God’s Word is—and isn’t—the better we can appreciate its specific references to Jesus centuries before His birth.

The Bible is the most amazing document ever given to man. Technically speaking, it is not one book. The Bible is a compilation of sixty-six books with more than forty different authors. It has been separated into two sections.

The first section contains thirty-nine books that make up the Old Testament. The second section contains twenty-seven books that make up the New Testament.

Overall, the Bible was written over the course of approximately 1,500 years and was written in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) by people all over the place—from kings to peasants to philosophers to laborers, poets, statesmen, and scholars. Moses was a political leader trained in the schools of Egypt. He wrote the first five books of the Bible that we know as the Pentateuch. Peter was a fisherman. Joshua was a military general. Daniel was the equivalent of a prime minister. Luke was a doctor. Solomon was a king. Matthew was a tax collector. Paul was a rabbi.

 The Bible is the most ambitious literary project ever conceived. And it’s a miracle. There’s no earthly reason for so many disparate parts to form such a seamless whole. But there is a heavenly reason. God guided every author, every step of the way. He didn’t dictate the words of Scripture. He allowed each author to use his own writing style and personality. But God made sure that they wrote what He intended. He inspired them to express His truths in their own words. And though they all bring different perspectives to the material, they all tell a single story.

The Bible is the story of God’s love for us, even after we sinned against Him, and His amazing plan to save us from the punishment we deserve for our sin. The Bible is the story of Jesus. He is the golden thread that runs through its pages. He bridges the Old and New Testaments. He connects sixty-six separate books into one.

We see the promise of Jesus in the Garden of Eden. We see the work of Jesus in Noah’s ark. We see the ancestors of Jesus in the stories of Abraham, Jacob, and David. We see specific predictions about Jesus in the Old Testament books of prophecy. And we see the fulfillment of everything written about Him in the Gospels.

God’s perfect plan of salvation can be seen in the perfect Book He gave the world.

Reflection question: How do you know God’s Word can be trusted?

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