The Creed: ‘In accordance with the Scriptures’

The Nicene Creed speaks of Jesus rising again on the third day ‘in accordance with the Scriptures’. This is also a point made by the gospels that there were intimations of what happened to Jesus embedded in the writings of the Old Testament. 

There were passages of the Old Testament which were particularly important in this regard. There are four passages into the book of Isaiah which were seen as pointing to the suffering of Jesus which the first Christians found rather puzzling and confronting. These passages are Isaiah 42:1-9; 49:1-6; 50:4-11; 52:130 – 53.12. These passages are about the suffering servant of God. We use these readings during Holy Week and the last one on Good Friday.

There are several passages in the psalms which carry the same intimation of what is to happen to Jesus. Psalm 90 in its last verses reads: “Since he clings to me in Love, I will free him; protect him for he knows my name. When he calls I shall answer: ‘I am with you’. I will save him in distress and give him glory. With length of life I will content him; I shall let him see my saving power.” 

When the first Christians read passages like that after Jesus’ death and resurrection, they saw them as prefiguring what would happen to Jesus. While many thought the coming Messiah would be like a victorious warrior, the Christians saw these passages as pointing towards what the Messiah would really be like.

Similarly, Psalm 15 at its conclusion prays: “You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right hand happiness forever”.

These are just a few passages; there are many more.

In St Luke’s lovely passage concerning the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), we find Jesus saying to them: “How foolish you are! So slow to believe all that the prophets said! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer and so enter his glory? Then, starting from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them the passages about himself throughout the scriptures”.

This was an issue of great importance to those first Christians who believed that Jesus was indeed the Messiah and they explained this to other Jewish people by reference to those passages of the Old Testament.

By Fr Frank O’Loughlin

Published: 22 March 2024