Search the Scriptures
The writings of Moses, and the prophets, which were of divine
inspiration and authority, and are often appealed unto by Christ,
and his apostles, for the truth of what they delivered; and were
the standard of faith, and the test of doctrines; and therefore
to be searched diligently into, for finding divine knowledge and
improvement in it, and for the trial of doctrines. The words may
be rendered in the indicative, as an assertion, "ye do search the
Scriptures": the Jews had the sacred oracles committed to them,
and these they read, not only their kings, princes, and judges,
but the common people, who brought up their children to the
reading of them, and instructed them in them: and besides this,
these writings were read, and expounded publicly in their
synagogues every sabbath day; and at this time especially these
records were examined, and particularly those of them which
respected the Messiah, since there was now a general expectation
of him: and certain it is, that the chief priests, Scribes, and
elders, or the sanhedrim, were very much versed in the
Scriptures, and could readily refer to those which concerned the
Messiah; see an instance of this in ( Matthew
2:4-6 ) ;
for in them ye think ye have eternal life;
not the doctrine of eternal life, nor the promises of it, nor the
way to it; though all these are contained in them, and pointed
out by them: for though life and immortality are brought to light
by the Gospel, and the promise of eternal life belongs to the
covenant of grace, and the way of life and righteousness by
Christ is manifested without the law, and not by it; yet there is
much of the Gospel, and an exhibition of the covenant of grace,
and its promises, and Christ, the way of life, is directed to
typically by the tree of life, and the brazen serpent, and other
things in those writings. But the meaning here is, that they
imagined, by having these writings in their hands, and by their
reading them, and hearing them expounded every sabbath day, they
should obtain and inherit everlasting life: hence they call
F18 the law eternal life, and say
F19 concerning the reading of it, that
``he that begins to read in the book of the law is obliged to bless after this manner: blessed be he that has chosen us above all nations, and hath given us his law.--And he that finishes blesses after him in this manner: blessed is he who hath given us his law, the law of truth, and has planted "eternal life" in the midst of us.''This was an opinion of theirs: so the Persic version reads, "for such is your opinion"; and though this was a very vain one, yet it shows what a very high opinion they had of the Scriptures: and now to these our Lord appeals as witnesses for him, and against which they could not object, upon their own principles:
and they are they which testify of me;
as they do of his proper deity and divine sonship, calling him
Jehovah, God, the mighty God, and the Son of God; and of his
offices as prophet, priest, and King; and of his incarnation of a
virgin; and of the tribe, family, and place of his birth; of the
miracles which he should work; of the treatment he should meet
with from men; of his sufferings and death; of the circumstances
leading on to them, and attending them; as his riding on an ass
into Jerusalem, the betraying him by one of his familiar
acquaintance, the selling him for thirty pieces of silver, the
spitting upon, and scourging him, giving him gall for his meat,
and vinegar for his drink, and parting his garments, and casting
lots for his vesture, and the crucifixion of him, and that
between two thieves; and of his burial, resurrection from the
dead, ascension to heaven, and session at the right hand of God,
and of his future coming to judgment.
F18 Zohar in Gen. fol. 100. 3.
F19 Maimon. in Misn. Megilla, c. 4. sect. 1.