Today the activity of memorization, for memorizing anything, is simply seen by many people as an antiquated activity for ages past. The more technology we have, it can seem like our brain’s capacity for memory is not necessary. Not only that, but we can see our ability to remember as so flawed compared to a smartphone that we don’t even want to try. We don’t need to try. Everything is always at our fingertips.
God’s Word in Colossians 3:16 urges believers to, “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” How do Christians assure that God’s word dwells “richly” within us and not simply on our phones or even in our Bibles? Certainly a word that could describe this today is memorization. Sometimes memorization of Scripture is avoided because it is seen as too religious. We know the Pharisees, or teachers of the law in Jesus’ day, had much of Scripture memorized and they used it in the wrong ways. We don’t want to be like them, full of knowledge but also pride and hypocrisy. Their hearts were not in the right place. However, for the Christians who know we are saved from sin and death by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus alone, memorizing Scripture is a basic way that we worship God and know Him better. It is not knowledge for knowledge’s sake or for personal gain. Jesus modeled the memorization of Scripture throughout his life and ministry by demonstrating its crucial role in spiritual resilience. He exemplified memorization. Though he was fully God, he was also fully man. Being fully human, he grew in knowledge. (Luke 2:52) Just as Jesus was tired (John 4:6) or hungry (Matthew 4:2) we know he worked at memorizing Scripture.
Nancie Guthrie writes:
“Jesus, typical of Jewish boys of his time, learned from hearing the Old Testament scrolls read in the synagogue. One of the only scenes we have of him as a child depicts him staying behind in Jerusalem to sit among the teachers, ‘listening to them and asking them questions’ (Luke 2:46). He was thinking and putting it all together.” [1]
Do we assume Jesus only had the “sense” of the verses like many of us do, or do we appreciate that he truly had these verses memorized word for word? By age ten, Jewish children had the first 5 books of the Bible memorized.[2] That’s about 124 chapters or about 78,000 words. In this, Jesus set an example for believers, showing that familiarity with Scripture is possible and enables strength and clarity in times of trial.
Jesus depended on memorized Scripture for his teachings and responses to various situations. It is not as though Jesus carried around a Bible with him. He couldn’t use his phone, or even a concordance. Scrolls of Scripture were kept safely in the synagogue. Note taking was surely possible, but whenever we read about Jesus quoting Scripture, unless we’re told he is reading from a scroll, we can usually assume it is from memory. And what Jesus had memorized was from the Old Testament. “It has been estimated that over one-tenth of Jesus’ recorded New Testament words were taken from the Old Testament. In the four Gospels, 180 of the 1,800 verses that report His discourses are either Old Testament quotes or Old Testament allusions..”[3]
In Matthew 4 Jesus quoted from the Old Testament as he faced temptation in the wilderness. Confronted by Satan, he responded by quoting Deuteronomy three times: “Man shall not live by bread alone” (Deuteronomy 8:3), “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Deuteronomy 6:16), and “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only” (Deuteronomy 6:13). These verses were carefully chosen responses that affirmed Jesus’ total reliance on God’s Word. His responses underscore the power of Scripture in resisting temptation and aligning oneself with God’s will, especially under pressure.
In Matthew 5 Jesus quoted commandments like “You shall not murder” and “You shall not commit adultery” (Exod. 20:13-14) even as he emphasized the inner heart attitudes behind these actions. By doing this Jesus modeled for us Numbers 14:15: to “remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.” Yet how many of us can name even ten commandments? If not, then how can we say we are daily “remembering” these commandments?
It’s worth noting how much Jesus used the Old Testament to guide us in a day when many of us would like to only spend time in the New Testament. Yet in Luke 24:27, after his resurrection, Jesus spoke with his disciples and “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Rather than relying on his recent works or words, he pointed back to the Old Testament to explain his mission and identity. This reinforced the continuity of God’s plan throughout Scripture and encourages us today to memorize Scripture from both Old and New Testaments. Jesus’ emphasis on the Old Testament as a witness to his mission suggests that believers, too, should internalize even the Old Testament to grasp God’s overarching plan.
Ultimately, Jesus modeled that memorizing Scripture is more than an intellectual exercise. As Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” The sword of the Spirit “is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17) When danger suddenly presents itself, a warrior cannot afford to go looking for his sword; he must have it ready. As the author of Psalm 119:98 says, we too should be able to say about God’s Word, “it is ever with me,” not simply available for me to look up if I have a full battery and a good wifi signal. Jesus’ example teaches us that when Scripture dwells richly within, it equips us for every situation. Memorization done with the right heart aligns us more closely with God’s will. We face so many situations throughout the day that require quick decisions and judgments. Memorization of Scripture helps us receive His guidance, not simply the general sense of His guidance, but even more accurate guidance in life’s circumstances throughout the day.
[1] https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-book-jesus-loved-most
[2] https://www.covenantchristian.net/inscribing-scripture-on-your-childs-heart
[3] https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1060&context=second_person
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