No Need For Technology Published week of May 3, 2020
Technology is quickly evolving in our present culture and is usually a part of each day's news. Have you ever thought about the days of Jesus on earth and technology? They didn't have gaming systems, computers, microwaves, CD players, I could go on and on. For my point today, I am focusing on the pieces of technology they did not have which is the absence of recording devices like digital recorders, cameras, and computers. Without these electronic devices, there was an absence of tools to chronicle all that Jesus said and did while on earth.
To further build on this thought, in the three and one half years Jesus spent teaching His disciples, He never wrote anything down. There were no journalists to transcribe the words of Jesus nor did the disciples notate their experiences with the Messiah.
Do you think it ever occurred to His disciples that as Jesus began to prepare for His departure, that they worried not only about seeking the truth, but also remembering the truth they had already been taught?
In John 16:13, Jesus says that He will guide His followers to all the truth. The Holy Spirit won’t just guide us to “a” truth, but to “the” truth. We could capitalize the word “Truth” because within the context (see verses 14ff), we see He is referencing the Truth to include Himself. Further, the text says, He won’t just guide us to “some” of the truth, but “all” of the truth. What was Jesus talking about? He was referring to the coming New Testament of the Bible, which had not yet been written. Everything that would be written down - from His birth, to His death and His resurrection, to His promised triumphant return - would be given to the disciples and later to the apostles by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, it was no “big deal” that there were no recording devices available in Jesus' times because all the truth we will ever need to know on this earth about God, Jesus, salvation, sin, righteousness, holiness, heaven, and hell is found in the Bible. The bottom line is simply, the Scripture says it all. No important detail is left out. There may be other things we would like to know, but there is nothing else that we need to know.
2 Timothy 3:16 says that all Scripture is God-breathed, or inspired by God. 2 Peter 1:21 says that men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. This means the words the Holy Spirit spoke to Paul, Peter, Jude, and James have just as much authority and importance as the words that Jesus spoke. God is the divine author of the Bible.
The same Holy Spirit who inspired the disciples to write down the words of Jesus also inspired Peter, Paul, James, and others to write down the words of Jesus after He left the earth. All of these are the words of Jesus and weren’t just given to the disciples; they were given to us. The Holy Spirit not only reminded them of what to write; He reminds us of what they did write. He not only wanted them to seek the truth; He wants us to seek the truth. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to us. He is both our motivator and our guide as we seek truth.
Heavenly Father, please help me to seek the truth you have given to me. In Jesus' Name, Amen
Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.