If You Believed Moses

Posted byCovenant PresbyterianPosted inDaily Devotional

Scripture: John 5:46 (ESV) – “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.”

Jesus now makes explicit what was implicit in the previous verse: Moses, whom the religious leaders revered, wrote about Him. If they had truly believed the writings of Moses—not merely read or revered them—they would have recognized and received Christ.

This statement reveals that the entire Old Testament, including the Law of Moses, is not merely a book of rules or history—it is a book of anticipation, a witness that points forward to the coming of the Messiah. From Genesis through Deuteronomy, Christ is foreshadowed in sacrifices, prophesied in promises, and embedded in the structure of the covenant.

William Gouge emphasizes that all Scripture ultimately bears the imprint of Christ. “The Law was a schoolmaster,” he wrote, “not to perfect, but to lead to Christ.” To truly believe Moses, then, is to follow his writings to their fulfillment in Jesus.

This verse challenges us to examine how we read Scripture. Do we read with a heart that looks for Christ? Do we allow the Old Testament to lead us forward to the gospel, or do we treat it as disconnected moral instruction? Christ is the central thread of all God’s revelation—and to miss Him is to miss the message.

Reflection Questions:

  1. What does it mean that Moses “wrote of” Christ? Where do you see Jesus in the writings of Moses?
  2. How can you read the Old Testament in a more Christ-centered way?
  3. What’s the difference between respecting Scripture and believing it in the way Jesus describes here?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, open our eyes to see that all of Scripture points to You. Let us not stop at reverence for Your Word, but press on to faith in the One it reveals. Teach us to read with understanding, and to believe—not merely in the words themselves, but in the Savior to whom they testify. Amen.

This devotional is based on John 5:46, with guidance from William Gouge’s reflections on Scripture and the Christ-centered teaching of Pastor Chris Cousine.

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