One of the most significant stories anchoring Jesus’ life and teaching to the Hebrew scriptures is found on the road to Emmaus. Jesus is crucified publicly, then three days later He rises from the grave. Jesus then chooses to mess with the minds of two of His disciples by walking with them on a road but He does not allow them to recognize Him. He talks to them as if He does not know about His own death and challenges them because of their lack of belief in what the Hebrew scriptures actually taught. Jesus said it like this…

“O foolish ones [sluggish in mind, dull of perception] and slow of heart to believe (adhere to and trust in and rely on) everything that the prophets have spoken!

(Luke 24:25 AMPC)

He expected them to believe the Hebrew prophets and in doing so was recognizing the Old Testament as being an authoritative source of truth. He then goes on to tell them that His death was necessary and has always been a part of the plan of God from the beginning.

Was it not necessary and essentially fitting that the Christ (the Messiah) should suffer all these things before entering into His glory (His majesty and splendor)?

(Luke 24:26 AMPC)

He then takes them on a Bible study through the Hebrew scriptures and interprets how these scriptures all pointed to Him.

Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the Prophets, He went on explaining and interpreting to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning and referring to Himself.

(Luke 24:27 AMPC)

Notice that He begins with Moses (the Torah) and all the Prophets (the rest of the Old Testament) and that they are referred to as “all the Scriptures.” This is very important for us to understand so that we don’t relegate the Hebrew scriptures to being tied to some separate religion called Judaism. Jesus was teaching that His story was a continuation of the story of Israel. His story was the ultimate fulfillment of everything spoken about the Messiah to Abraham, Moses, David and all the prophets.

Jesus continues with them and breaks bread with them and then like straight out of a movie, He disappears, leaving them in wonder and amazement.

And they said to one another, Were not our hearts greatly moved and burning within us while He was talking with us on the road and as He opened and explained to us [the sense of] the Scriptures?

(Luke 24:32 AMPC)