The Bible’s Own Hermeneutics: Jesus' View of Scripture (3)
Jesus’ View of Scripture
If we are seeking a biblical hermeneutic, there is no better place to begin than with Jesus Christ Himself.
Theologians have written volumes on the subject of biblical interpretation, and many of those works are thoughtful and helpful. Yet before we ask how Augustine interpreted Scripture, or how Luther, Calvin, Scofield, or any modern theologian approached the Bible, we should ask a far more important question:
How did Jesus interpret Scripture? After all, if anyone understood the Father’s Word perfectly, it was the eternal Son of God.
As we examine the Gospels, a remarkable pattern begins to emerge. Jesus repeatedly appealed to the written Scriptures as the final authority in every matter of faith and practice. He expected those who heard Him not only to possess the Scriptures, but also to understand them.
“It Is Written”
When Satan tempted our Lord in the wilderness, Jesus did not answer with philosophy, human reasoning, or personal opinion. Three times He simply declared, “It is written…” (Matthew 4)
Each response came directly from the book of Deuteronomy.
Notice what Jesus did not do. He did not question the authority of Scripture.
He did not suggest that the text needed to be reimagined to fit a new cultural context. He did not appeal to experience above revelation. Instead, He submitted Himself to the written Word of God and demonstrated that Scripture was sufficient to answer every temptation presented by the devil himself. Our Lord’s confidence rested not in His own ingenuity but in the authority of what God had already spoken.
“Have Ye Not Read?”
Perhaps one of the most revealing expressions in the ministry of Jesus is His repeated question: “Have ye not read…?” He asked it of the Pharisees. He asked it of the Sadducees. He asked it of those who considered themselves experts in the Scriptures.
Consider Matthew 19. When questioned about marriage and divorce, Jesus did not begin with rabbinical traditions or competing schools of interpretation. Instead, He directed His hearers back to Genesis:
“Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female…?” - Matthew 19:4
Notice His assumption. Jesus expected the answer to their question to be found in the text of Scripture itself. The issue was not that God’s Word lacked clarity.
The issue was that they had failed to understand or submit to what they had read.
“Did Ye Never Read?”
The same pattern appears in Matthew 21 and Mark 2.
Again Jesus asks,
“Did ye never read…?” - Matthew 21:42
"Have ye never read...?" - Mark 2:25
This is a striking question. He does not accuse His opponents of lacking intelligence. He does not suggest that Scripture is hopelessly obscure. Rather, He assumes that careful reading should have led them to the truth. Again and again, Jesus points people back to the written text.
“How Readest Thou?”
One of my favorite examples appears in Luke 10. A lawyer stood to test Jesus by asking,
“Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” - Luke 10:25
Jesus answered with a question:
“What is written in the law? how readest thou?” - Luke 10:26
That response deserves careful attention. Jesus asked two questions.
First, “What is written?” The authority rests in God’s written revelation.
Second, “How readest thou?” In other words, it is not enough merely to possess the Scriptures. They must also be interpreted correctly. Notice, however, that Jesus did not suggest there were countless equally valid meanings. He expected the lawyer to arrive at the correct understanding of the text. Possessing Scripture and interpreting Scripture were inseparable responsibilities.
Beginning with Moses and All the Prophets
Following His resurrection, Jesus met two discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus. Luke tells us,
“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” - Luke 24:27
Later He reminded the disciples that,
“all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” Luke 24:44
These verses are profoundly important for biblical hermeneutics. Jesus did not dismiss the Old Testament as irrelevant. Nor did He suggest that its meaning had become detached from its original revelation. Instead, He demonstrated the unity of Scripture by showing how God’s redemptive plan unfolds from Genesis to Malachi and finds its fulfillment in Himself. The Old Testament was not discarded. It was understood more fully in light of Christ.
What Does Jesus Teach Us About Interpretation?
As we step back and observe the pattern, several important principles emerge.
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