Having the mind of Christ is messy–it messes with our logic, our feelings, and our beliefs. Listen to Him!

9 Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.
16 …we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16

From yesterday: “This chapter [chapter 8] is awesome in that we are introduced to how the Word of God can change our lives. Wisdom is seeing from God’s perspective. It’s standing right beside Him looking where He’s looking and having Him explain it to us.

After writing yesterday’s Proverbs, I was reading Matthew 22 and ran across this passage:

²⁹ Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. ³⁰ At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. ³¹ But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ³² ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” ³³ When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching. Matthew 22:29-33

The Pharisees had tried to trap Jesus (v.15-22) and He turned the tables on them. Then the Sadducees (another religious group) tried. They posed a hypothetical situation that was supposed to stump Christ: A man married a woman, then he died. She was passed to his brother (in order to produce an heir for her first husband), who also died. She went through seven brothers and then she died. The question was, “Whose wife will she be in heaven?” The LORD Jesus set them straight!

1. We interpret Scripture with Scripture, meaning that we cross-reference what we read with what has already been written. King Jesus referred them to the Father’s words to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:6).
2. The LORD Jesus quoted the Father’s name in the verse, I AM (YHWH or YAHWEH, which means “ever-existing” and “ever-creating”). Look what He did in John 8:58, “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I AM!” The form of the phrase means “ever-existing,” but is different in that it is a personal pronoun and thus more intimate. GOD WAS WITH THEM!
3. Everyone was astonished because they had been taught for generations that when a person dies, he’s dead until the Messiah comes and raises everyone (see John 11:24). Jesus was telling them that we live beyond the grave IMMEDIATELY. It was a new concept and flew in the face of the Sadducees, who believed that there was NO resurrection at all.

Studying this passage shapes my belief in Jesus Christ as God in the flesh (Immanuel), and the power of God to give me life with Him beyond the grave. You will notice that I went to other passages in the Bible to help me understand the Matthew 22 passage. THAT’S interpreting the Scriptures with Scripture. I used my memory, the reference verses given in my Bible, and an electronic Bible concordance. Googling works, too. Let’s not just read a passage; let’s study it by taking it apart and examining it in light of other Scripture. Let’s ask the Spirit what it means and allow Him to shape our thoughts. Follow every nudge; don’t stop just because it sounds good or fits what we want it to say. Our integrity is at stake here. Let’s be open to TRUTH no matter where it leads us. We TRUST our Savior.

Abba, I pray that as we study Your Word, we will enjoy Your Presence and Participation. Thrill our hearts, LORD, as we seek You in the Scriptures. Grow us today for tomorrow’s questions and challenges. Amen.