What is the purpose of the Bible? Some say that it is a rulebook; a set of “do’s” and “don’ts” on how to live; others see it as a guideline for self-improvement. Some see it as a mysterious book filled with codes and deep hidden secrets of the world; others say that it is purely a work of fiction with no significance at all. I see the Bible as something entirely different than all of these ideas… I see the Bible as a love letter – a love letter to you – from the Creator of the Universe. A love letter designed to not only show you the Creator of the Universe and everything in it, but to unveil to you His heart and His passion for you, and His desire to reconcile you to Himself and share in a personal relationship.
Some people have a hard time accepting this idea. They see God as a distant being up in the sky, who is either not interested in the world at all, or so busy dealing with the events and troubles of the world that He could not possibly have time for us on an individual basis; however nothing could be further from the truth. The word “Bible” simply means books, but what’s so special about this particular collection of books? What’s so different about the Holy Scriptures?
I have already mentioned that I see the Bible differently from most people… I see it as a love letter. Now ultimately the greatest expression of love is to lay down your life for the one you love. To save someone, even at the expense of yourself; and this is exactly what God has done, through Jesus. Throughout the Old Testament writings (what the Jewish people call the Tanakh) there are prophecies – prophecies of the Anointed One of God, the Messiah (Mashiah) who will come to redeem and save His people. This is an action done purely from love, from a desire not to destroy, but to save.
My friend, do you know that God loves you? I’m not talking about some unsure wishing or uncertain hoping that God loves you – but do you know beyond all doubt that God loves you? 1st John 4:9 says this:
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”
The very act of God sending His only begotten Son into the world, is a clear demonstration of His love for us. Why is this a demonstration of the love of God? Because Jesus sacrificed Himself, Jesus laid down His life (in every sense of the phrase) for you, so that you would be saved, spared, rescued and redeemed.
Notice something else from our verse in 1st John 4:9… it says that we live through Him. It does not say that we live for Him, but through Him. Now I am a person who loves looking at the details… and this is a very interesting and important detail here, because there are many people who are trying desperately to live for God, instead of living through Jesus. There are people working themselves ragged trying to please God, placing undue burdens and stress on themselves in a desperate attempt to try and please God, when really there is only one thing that pleases Him; there is only one thing that delights His heart – His Son, and what is it about His Son that pleases Him so much? When He saves you from destruction, when He redeems you from the pit, when He opens blind eyes and breaks the chains of bondage. That is what delights the heart of God. (Isaiah 42:1-12).
This is why I call the Bible a love letter. Every book in it, every page, every chapter, every sentence, every word – even every letter of it is designed to you you your Savior, your redeemer, your deliverer. Jesus (Yeshua).
I mentioned that the Bible is filled with prophecies about the Messiah , the Anointed One of God. And in our time remaining today, let’s look at some of them together, and see how God has fulfilled those prophecies in His Beloved Son Jesus.
The first prophecy we can examine, is right in the 42nd chapter of Isaiah. The entire chapter is about the Messiah the Anointed One of God. The first three verses of the chapter say this:
“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my elect, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit on him: he shall bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth justice to truth.”
So this is a prophecy about a specific person. One who God upholds; who is His elect, His choice, and One in whom God is delighted just by thinking of Him. Those of you who have children, you understand that just thinking of them can put a smile on your face and give you delight.
We can also see that God has put His Spirit on Him… For what purpose? To bring forth justice to the Gentiles. (Some translations say “judgment”, but the proper word in this context is “justice”) This is not condemnation being spoken of here, but justice as of being made free, being vindicated, being delivered from bondage and oppression. Verse 3 paints a wonderful picture of the gentleness of God: Even a reed which is bruised, He will not break it. (this is not the typical picture of God that people hear from most churches!) and even the smoking flax He will not quench. The picture being painted here is this: You may be emotionally bruised, you may have been hurt in the past. Your spiritual fire, may be barely burning, but Jesus is gentle, God will not break you apart, nor will He snuff out what fire you have left… On the contrary, He will heal your wounds and rekindle your spirit – and He will do it with perfect justice.
This is a prophecy of the Messiah , and this prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus in Matthew 12:15-21, in which Jesus healed the multitudes even while some were trying to destroy Him. Do you see His heart of love for you?
Next, we have Jeremiah 23:5, which speaks of how the Messiah will be a righteous branch that descends from the line of David – and whether you read the Genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-17 which traces His line back through the lineage of Joseph; or you read the Genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:23-31 which traces His line back through the lineage of Mary, either way you see King David mentioned.
Also in Jeremiah 23:6, the prophecy mentions that the Messiah will be given a title: The LORD our Righteousness. The word LORD in the original Hebrew text is the actual name of God; which indicates that the Messiah will be divine and not merely a man. Now some people think that because the same title is given to the city of Jerusalem in Jeremiah 33:16, that they also think that the prophecy here in Jeremiah 23:6 is speaking of the city of Jerusalem as well. However you must remember that all believers in Jesus the Messiah (Yeshua HaMashiah) become His bride. And just as a bride will take on the name of her husband, so also will the bride of Jesus take on His name as well; and the city of Jerusalem take on the name of her King. Furthermore, due to the genealogical reference in the previous verse of Jeremiah 23:5, and since Jeremiah presents this righteous king as a stark contrast to the not-so—righteous kings of the past, this prophecy is clearly indicating a person and not a city.
Do you see the imagery being used here? It is not just merely a King returning for His city, but as a husband returning for His bride. God loves you; so much that even in times past, He inspired these prophecies which promise the salvation and redemption offered by Jesus … you don’t do something like that unless you deeply love and care about them!
Just how much does God care about you? His Son Jesus demonstrates how much in our next prophecy of Isaiah 53:4-5:
“Surely he has borne our sicknesses, and carried our pains: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was on him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
These verses tell us that the Messiah is the ultimate Healer. He bore our sicknesses and diseases and pains in His own body, so that we would not have to suffer. That is something which is done from a heart of true love. When you endure the suffering due to someone else, in order to spare them from that suffering, that is a demonstration of love – and we see that in its purest form right here in these verses.
This prophecy of the Messiah was fulfilled by Jesus in Matthew 8:16-17, when Jesus cast out the unclean spirits and healed all that were sick.
Again, this is His heart of love for you. Today if you are troubled, if you are oppressed or burdened, regardless of whether it is in your spirit, mind or body. There is a Healer, there is a deliverer, there is a Savior to which you can come.
What is the point of all of this prophecy? Why were these things written down in a book for us to read? I want to share this with you because it is another demonstration of God’s love… These things were not written just so God could show off. He doesn’t need to do that. These prophecies were not written for God’s benefit, but they were written for your benefit. So that you would see, and read and know beyond all doubt that there is a God and a Deliverer who cares for you and loves you! The same reason why anyone writes a love letter; to express their love and make it known to the recipient… which today is you. You are the recipient of God’s love, and He wants you to know it today. That is why these prophecies were written, and also why the entire Bible exists. (John 20:31)
Jesus has come to redeem you and reconcile you to God. He has done and paid what no human ever could. And today, you do not have to be afraid of God, or work to try and please Him, but simply receive His love personally for you.
What I have shared with you today may have surprised you. You may have never heard of the Bible as a love letter before. You may have never been taught that God actually loves you – and today the love of God is being offered to you; to everyone who wants to have a loving relationship with the Creator. You have have heard that you have to do some radical thing like confess an entire itemized list of your sins, or that you can only receive salvation by kneeling at the altar of a church, or some ritual washing, or whatever it may be; but no, nothing so drastic. Remember that this is a relationship with God. And as the scriptures say (Romans 10:8, Deuteronomy 30:14)
“The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.
For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.”
Today you have heard of the love of God for you; and if you have never heard of His love before, but you want it… then say so. The word “confess” literally means to agree with. It means to agree that Jesus is LORD, it means to agree that He has come to save you, and it means to agree that He loves you enough, to do what He has done. To suffer and die in your place, and to be raised again for your justification. (Romans 4:25) You see, it is all for you.
You were at one time doomed, but Jesus paid your debt. If you owed $10,000 to the bank, and someone else paid off your debt, so now your debt is clear. My advice for you is stop paying! Receive the freedom, receive the grace! Say “Thank you Jesus!” And live the rest of your life in the love of God for you.