How do we know that the Bible is in fact God’s revelation? That is a loaded question and there are many helpful answers that we could consider, but I want to just encourage us with the implication of one particular verse in the gospel of Matthew. Remember this account?

Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper,  7 a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table.  8 But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste?  9 “For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”  10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me.  11 “For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.  12 “For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial (Matthew 26:6-12).

There is a powerful message packed in these verses regarding the mission of Jesus on the cross and the utter devotion that followers of this Jesus should have. But it is the next verse that I would like us to consider in relationship to our question:

“Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her” (Matthew 26:13).

Do you catch the implication in this statement by Jesus? Remember, Jesus spoke these words before His death on the cross, the resurrection and the ascension. And by the inspiration of the Spirit these words were pinned by Matthew sometime before the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70. Here is the point: These words by Jesus assume that the gospel would be preached throughout the world. Actually, assume is an understatement. The words of Jesus are a veiled sovereign declaration about the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. By implication this gospel that was being repudiated by most and accepted by only a few misunderstanding followers was going to explode into proclamation throughout the world. Another implication is that the life and ministry of Jesus Christ would be preserved and it certainly has been in God’s revelation the Bible.

So how do we know that the Bible is unique? That it is the revelation of God? Among many other answers this verse shows us that it prophetically bares the marks of divine revelation. There are countless texts in Scripture that set the reader on the path of understanding that this book is like no other book. It is God the Father’s perfect revelation of His Son Jesus the Christ by the Holy Spirit for the glory of the Triune God. Give yourself to it and for it; Jesus has given Himself for you.