The Search of a Berean*

In the Book of Acts, Paul travelled to a place called Berea. Those there who listened to Paul preach the Gospel, were described as being more noble because they searched out the scriptures for themselves to see if what Paul was telling them was true. We need to encourage believers to search the scriptures for themselves, finding the truth. Jesus spoke the following to those who thought they knew God's Word, but did not search it honestly: "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye miight have life." (Jn. 5:39-40). There was a man who was a teacher in Israel, Nicodemus, who visited Jesus at night, because he did not want the religious leaders to know. Jesus told him how the scriptures testified of Himself: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (Jn. 3:14-17). Jesus would speak several times about being "lifted up" in order to save. Jesus explained that those who did not believe the name of the Son were already condemned, while those who did believe were not condemned. He said that He was the light that has come into the world, and those who prefer to remain in darkness do so in order to continue their evil deeds: "But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (v. 18-21). Jesus warned: "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins...When ye have lift up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my father hath taught me, I speak these things...for I do always those things that please him.' And when he spake these words, many believed on him." (Jn. 8:24-30, excerpt). To those who did believe Jesus, He said: "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (v. 31-32). Jesus' Word is truth which leads to freedom. Jesus said to continue in His Word, but many believers today have a problem when confronted by the Word. After Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, which we call Palm Sunday, shortly before His death, He referred again to being "lifted up": "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me.' This he said signifying what death he should die." (Jn. 12:31-33). The people who heard this did not understand what Jesus meant by saying, 'The Son of man must be lift up". Jesus continued: "While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.' These things spake Jesus and departed, and did hide himself from them. But though he had done so many miracles, yet they believed not on him." (v. 36-37). Here the scriptures tell us that this continued unbelief, even in the face of miraculous signs done by Jesus, was a fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy when the prophet wrote, 'Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?' (See Isa. 53:1). Isaiah also prophesied, after he beheld the glory of the Lord, that their eyes would be blinded, and their hearts hardened, so that they would not believe, and therefore, would not be healed. (v. 38-41). Even the people's unbelief was prophesied beforehand, and fulfilled. Those who did believe Jesus, including those among the chief rulers, had to hide their belief because they were afraid of the religiously oppressive Pharisees, who would throw them out of the synagogues. The opinions of men meant more to them than the One who brings everlasting life. (v. 42-43). It is the same way today, as believers are afraid to speak up what scripture has said, for fear of what others would say. Jesus said that it would not be He that judges and condemns, but the words that He has spoken, which will stand as a witness against those who refused to hear and believe. The only words that Jesus spoke were the words given Him by the Father. The Father's words, His commandment, is life everlasting for man. (v. 44-50). Reject that commandment of everlasting life provided by the Father through the words of Jesus Christ, and there is no end left for a man but death in his sin. Jesus continued to cry out in the most heartfelt manner to His hearers that they should believe, even if it was only in the most basic way, and to accept the hand of salvation from death being offered to them by the Father (v. 44-45). Earlier we saw that Jesus referred to Moses and the serpent in the wilderness when describing the purpose of the Son of man (see Jn. 3:14). Let's look at the original account from the Book of Numbers. The Israelites became very discouraged as they were led by the LORD to take a longer route around the land of Edom. They began once again to complain: "And the people spake against God and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth this light bread (the miraculous manna). And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died." (Num. 21:4-6). The people acknowledged their sin against the LORD and Moses, and asked Moses to pray that the LORD would remove the serpents. The LORD (YHWH - "Behold the hand, Behold the nail") answered Moses' prayer, saying: "Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon (aleph-tav) it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." (v. 7-9). The "it" in the above verse, referring to the serpent, is written with an aleph-tav in Hebrew, which identifies Christ as He spoke of being "the Alpha and Omega" (Greek) in Revelation. Isaiah 53 brings us the prophetic picture of the Servant of the LORD who would be despised and rejected even though He would take the punishment of the iniquities and transgressions of God's people upon Himself...of Whose soul the LORD would make an offering for sin (v. 3-10). Zechariah prophesied that "...they shall look upon me (aleph-tav) whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." (Zech. 12:1-10). Isaiah said that they will see even though they had not been told of it. The Roman centurion, when he looked upon a lifted up Jesus on the cross, believed and proclaimed, "Truly this was the Son of God!" We have written a free book, "Shroud of Turin: The Perfect Summary", that is meant to cause people to "look upon" the marred image of Christ, and be healed and brought to the everlasting life of salvation. However, many people don't look. What happens when they stand before God, having had the opportunity to know, but didn't take advantage of that opportunity? Search the scriptures, Berean, and find out for yourself. *Based upon the 7/2/23 message of Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson to the Church. To hear the full message, or to contact this ministry, look for Dr. Stevenson's Facebook page. God bless you.