Read Matthew 5:17-18 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Review
1. According to these words of Jesus, why did He come?
2. How did His life connect with the prophets?
3. How is God’s law compared to heaven and earth?
Reflect
Jesus spoke directly to the reliability of Scripture, but beyond His words, His life proved its reliability too. Throughout the Bible, there are over 1,000 prophecies – 300 for Jesus given 400 years before His birth. These prophecies include specific details about Him that happened hundreds of years later, such as David prophesying His crucifixion before Romans had even invented crucifixion (Psalm 22:12-18).
The Bible’s reliability is also evident in the number of manuscripts that exist and how close they are dated to the original. The New Testament has 5,700 manuscripts dated less than 100 years from the original. The manuscripts are 99.5% accurate to the original, with only small differences being word order or spelling. When other languages are included outside of Greek, there are 24,000 total manuscripts, which dwarfs any other known text throughout history by far.
We can rely on what the Bible says. It has stood firm from the beginning of time, eclipsing any other book in its reliability. The prophets couldn’t have known what would come, but God did. And He inspired these men to write a book that has changed the course of history.
Respond
• Before now, what has been your perspective on the Bible being reliable? How does today’s reading change that?
• Do you ever find yourself relying on certain parts of the Bible but doubting others? What could help you see it as reliable in its entirety?
• When you think about Jesus fulfilling prophecy, what makes you most in awe or grateful? Consider writing a prayer of praise and gratitude for what comes to mind.
Pray through these questions, and write down what God is prompting you to do next. Share with a friend, and take a step to apply it.
Want to go deeper? Visit the Traders Point app or this link to see our recommended resources for this week’s topic. If you want to catch Sunday’s message again, you can find it here.