Christ as the Rosetta Stone

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…therefore thus says the Lord GOD, See, I am laying in Zion a foundation stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation… Isaiah 28:16

Until, 1799 archaeologists and historians had struggled to understand Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics as they had no comparison with known languages. However, in that year a piece of Granodiorite was discovered which changed everything. The stone is called the Rosetta Stone and it had a text carved in three different languages on it: Ancient Egyptian, Demotic, and Ancient Greek. All of sudden archaeologists had a core of representative texts from which they were able to unlock the mystery of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. History came alive because of the discovery of the now legendary Rosetta Stone.

Before Christ came there was a lot of misunderstanding around the law, the prophets and the coming Messiah. When Jesus Christ’s ministry began to become public, the people of Israel’s hope was stirred and gradually many came to believe that this could finally be the Messiah. There was one major problem though… Jesus did not fulfil the expectations of the people.

The followers of Christ expected something quite different than what he actually did. They expected him to liberate them by force from the overlordship of the Roman Empire, and they were bitterly disappointed when he didn’t. They hadn’t understood the true meaning of the scriptures or the historical events that pointed the way to the Son of God’s life on earth.

Christ’s life, didn’t work out the way the people of the age thought it should. Even John the Baptist became confused about the true nature of Christ’s mission and needed confirmation because things were not going the way he thought they would. However, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection were all necessary for the ultimate reveal of the love and forgiveness of God the Father at the cross.

The scriptures of the Old Testament did not change, with the birth of Christ, rather his life presented a new lens through which they could be viewed. Jesus Christ was the Rosetta Stone through which all former scripture now became clear. The former scriptures also become more relevant and their application made more practical sense than it ever had been before, as the grace of God was revealed in the life of his only begotten Son.

In the same way that the life of Christ brought understanding to the reading of the Old Testament scriptures, so the scriptures that were written after Christ’s death are illuminated by Christ’s ongoing life after his resurrection. The Old and New Testament scriptures are brought into unity through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord the Son of God. The Spirit of Christ, that is the Holy Spirit, was sent to guide us into a knowledge of the Father and ultimately into all truth through aiding us in the understanding and insight of the entire Word of God contained within the scriptures. 

Just like an encoded message that needs a key phrase to decipher it the message of the Old Testament scriptures became clear only with the life of Christ and the continuation of understanding needed for reading the New Testament is also made clear by the ongoing presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit with us today. Without the recognition of the pivotal role of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the ongoing guidance of his Holy Spirit, the Word of the Father will remain an undecipherable mystery to us. So if you are struggling today to understand the Word of God and its relevance to your life, allow the life of our Lord Jesus Christ to be the Rosetta Stone which unlocks your understanding of the scripture through the leading of the Holy Spirit and the careful, close study of the Biblical text.