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The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 3
things which their Master had said before his trial, and which they
could not at that time understand. Everything was clear and plain to
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their minds. In the life and death of Jesus they saw the fulfillment of
prophecy, and their hearts burned with love for their Saviour.
Many professed Christians throw aside the Old Testament, and
shut themselves up to the New. The cry now is, “Away with the law
and the prophets, and give us the gospel of Christ.” If the life of Christ
and the teachings of the New-Testament Scriptures were all that was
necessary to establish belief, why did not Jesus upon this occasion
merely refer to the doctrines he had taught, the wisdom and purity of
his character, and the miracles he had performed, as sufficient evidence
of his Messiahship?
The history of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as that of
the Son of God, cannot be fully demonstrated without the evidence
contained in the Old Testament. Christ is revealed in the Old Testament
as clearly as in the New. The one testifies of a Saviour to come, while
the other testifies of a Saviour that has come in the manner predicted
by the prophets. In order to appreciate the plan of redemption, the
Scripture of the Old Testament must be thoroughly understood. It is the
glorified light from the prophetic past that brings out the life of Christ
and the teachings of the New Testament with clearness and beauty.
The miracles of Jesus are a proof of his divinity; but the strongest
proofs that he is the world’s Redeemer are found in the prophecies of
the Old Testament compared with the history of the New. Jesus said to
the Jews “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal
life, and they are they which testify of me.” At that time there was
no other scripture in existence save that of the Old Testament; so the
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injunction of the Saviour is plain.
As the disciples walked on with Jesus, listening intently to his
gracious words, nothing in his bearing suggested to them that they
were listening to other than a casual pilgrim, returning from the feast,
but one who thoroughly understood the prophecies. He walked as
carefully as they over the rough stones, halting with them for a little
rest after climbing some unusually steep place. Thus the two disciples
made their way along the mountainous road in company with the
divine Saviour, who could say, “All power is given unto me in Heaven
and on earth.”