The Scriptures that Speak of Christ
The Scriptures that Speak of Christ
Genesis 1:1
Revelation 21:1-5
The Scriptures that Speak of Christ
Jesus is the Subject of the Bible
John 5:39: “You study the Scriptures diligently because
you think that in them you have eternal life. These are
the very Scriptures that testify about me”
We understand Jesus properly if we see Him in the light
of the OT story that He completes and brings to climax.
The Scriptures that Speak of Christ
Continuity of the Testaments
• Consistent content
• Establish Israel over the nations
• Bring justice to the earth
• Gather in and bless the nations (Gentiles)
• Consistent pattern
• God’s purpose is increasingly revealed
• Progressive revelation
Jesus: Old Testament Story
Christ
Exile
David
Abraham
Matthew 1:1-17
Jesus: Old Testament Story
The Story Summarized
• Creation to Abraham
• Proto-evangelium: Gen.1:1-3:15/Gen. 3:15-Rev. 22
• Separation of Godly line and evil line (Gen. 3-11)
• Abraham to David
• Promise to Abraham: nation/curse/nations
• Israel enslaved and delivered (Exodus)
• New sense of national identity and purpose (Law)
• More details on God’s purposes
• Conquest of the land; uneven response (Judges)
• Kingship demanded; God incorporates into plan
Jesus: Old Testament Story
The Story Summarized
• David to Exile
• Consolidates Israel in land promised to Abraham
• Davidic covenant: David promised a Son with
eternal significance (more detail)
• Solomon extended Israel’s influence; temple
• Kings oppression/idolatry; renewal (prophets sent)
• Schism between nations (Israel and Judah)
• Both Israel and Judah exiled for disobedience
• Reversal of promise: land, monarchy, Gentile rule
Jesus: Old Testament Story
The Story Summarized
• Exile to Jesus
• Miracle Jews survived (God’s redemptive
intention)
• Prophets gave them hope and expanded
understanding of God’s purposes: concept of
Messiah
• Exile had chastening effect; longing for deliverance
• 400 years of silence from Malachi to Jesus
Old Testament View of History
Individual Gentiles invited in
Israel: Come and See
One identity
One culture
Messiah brings
justice
Restore Israel
politically
Gather the
nations into
worldwide peace
1. Destroy enemies and restore justice
2. Establish Israel
3. Consolidate the nations
Jesus: Old Testament Story
The Story Summarized : Matthew’s 17 verses
• Creation and the problem
• The solutions through Abraham, then David
• Exile and discipline of Israel; anticipation for Messiah
• God is sovereign in history
• God is working through Israel
• God has an agenda for the nations
• God is about to bring all to conclusion through Jesus
Jesus: Old Testament Story
Summary
• Biblical wholeness: OT is the backstory (Act 1); NT
climax (Act 2)
• Jesus was a real Jew and a real human
• Jesus is the end of the OT and beginning of NT
• God is the same in OT and NT: saved by grace not Law
• Jesus personifies Israel’s to continue God’s purposes
• No Plan A/plan B
• NT Church is in continuity (not displacing) OT Israel
Review
The Scriptures that Speak of Christ
Purpose of the class
• Christianity = an identity that is rooted in God’s
purposes; participation in past, present, future work in
Christ (who we are, came from, where we are going)
• Purposes woven into every sentence of OT
• OT: See Jesus’ Story, Promise, Identity, Mission, Values
Our identity/participation provides intimacy with God
The Scriptures that Speak of Christ
Israel’s Story
Israel’s Promise
Israel’s Identity
Israel’s Mission
Israel’s Values
Jesus' Story
Jesus' Promise
Jesus' Identity
Jesus' Mission
Jesus' Values
Derive our personal relationship: meaning,
identity, intimacy with God
The Scriptures that Speak of Christ
Israel’s Story
Israel’s Promise
Israel’s Identity
Israel’s Mission
Israel’s Values
Jesus' Story
Jesus' Promise
Jesus' Identity
Jesus' Mission
Jesus' Values
Derive our personal relationship: meaning,
identity, intimacy with God
The Scriptures that Speak of Christ
Israel’s Story
Israel’s Promise
Israel’s Identity
Israel’s Mission
Israel’s Values
Jesus' Story
Jesus' Promise
Jesus' Identity
Jesus' Mission
Jesus' Values
Derive our personal relationship: meaning,
identity, intimacy with God
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
1. Jesus is the fulfillment of OT story
• OT God has revealed the journey: In Jesus, God
reveals the journey’s end
• Mt. 1-2: Five OT scenes to make sure we don’t miss
the point: Jesus is the promise
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
1. Jesus is the fulfillment of OT story
• Assurance to Joseph (1:18-25) “Fulfill what the Lord
had spoken by the prophet” Isaiah 7:14
• Born in Bethlehem (2:1-12) “Written by the prophet”
Micah 5:2
• Escape to Egypt and return (2:13-15) “Fulfill what the
Lord had spoken by the prophet” Hosea 11:1
• The murders of Herod (2:16-18) “Fulfilled what was
spoken by the prophet” Jeremiah 31:15
• Settlement in Nazareth (2:19-23) “What was spoken
by the prophets might be fulfilled”
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
2. Promise-fulfillment, not prediction-fulfillment
• Didn’t choose most familiar Messianic predictions
• Those chosen don’t make sense as Messianic
predictions in original context
• Only Micah 5:2 (Bethlehem) traditional prediction
• Isaiah-Immanuel prediction not a Messianic
prediction (and child named Jesus, not Immanuel)
• Hosea-Egypt prediction: Israel as a nation
• Jeremiah-Rachel prediction: picture of Israel’s Exile
• Nazareth reference has no clear OT reference
•
•
•
•
•
Assurance to Joseph (1:18-25) “Fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet” Isaiah 7:14
Born in Bethlehem (2:1-12) “Written by the prophet” Micah 5:2
Escape to Egypt and return (2:13-15) “Fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet” Hosea 11:1
The murders of Herod (2:16-18) “Fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet” Jeremiah 31:15
Settlement in Nazareth (2:19-23) “What was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled”
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
2. Promise-fulfillment, not prediction-fulfillment
• Matthew: OT has deeper level of meaning than the
grammatical-historical method of literal predictionfulfillment
• Grammatical-historical method is a recent Western
analytical approach to Bible interpretation
• Popularized in response to Biblical criticism of
1800s
• Take the whole and break in parts for analysis
• Look for original context of the book or passage
• Look for most straight-forward/literal meaning
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
2. Promise-fulfillment, not prediction-fulfillment
• Not how apostles and prophets read the Bible
• The whole Story of Christ as the context, making
any/every OT passage fair game
• The events of Jesus that shape the meaning of the
OT (we read backward through Christ)
• Example: Matthew 2:23: “He will be called a
Nazarene”
• No specific reference in OT
• Nazarene =“despised”
• Matthew inferred whole host of OT picture and
references as fulfillment of promise (prophets)
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
3. Jewish emphasis on land (geography)
• Abrahamic promise built on geography/land
(promised land)
• Exodus/conquest complete upon return to land
• David’s kingdom borders established
• Exile completed based on return to land
• Matthew: Messiah in geography
• In Jesus, Israel/Messiah’s ministry goes to borders
of Abraham’s promise land and David’s kingdom
• Born in Bethlehem (land of Abraham’s promise)
• Grew in Egypt (like nation, Jesus grew in Egypt)
• Raised in Nazareth-Galilee (promise to Gentiles)
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
3. Jewish emphasis on land (geography)
• Nazareth: Galilee Eastern Gentile land
• Is. 9:1-2 and Matt. 4:13:16 “Galilee of the
Gentiles...have seen a great light”
• Universal scope of ministry to Gentiles
• Visit to Egypt in the West
• Visit from Magi in the East
• Jesus is Israel’s Messiah but for Gentiles as well
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
3. Jewish emphasis on land (geography)
• Jews: geography always connected to history
• History slung like hammock: Egypt and Babylon
• Exodus (Egypt) and Exile (Babylon)
• Infancy of Jesus is built on foundation of Exodus
(Egypt) and Exile (Nazareth/Rachel’s mourning)
• What God did for Israel (Exodus and Exile), God
would do for Jesus Messiah
• Have to get Matthew’s drift about geography
• Promise: larger intent of care (forest)
• Prediction: grammatical-historical (trees)
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
4. Jewish Promise vs. Grammatical-historical Prediction
• Promise not prediction
• Exodus is God’s response to promise to Abraham
• Exile return is God’s response to promise to Israel
• Pattern for God’s actions
• Promise for a greater purpose
• Send away, then liberating from oppression
• Return as sign of His faithfulness; promise
• All OT writings (not just OT predictions) point to Jesus
as keeping the pattern God the Promise-Fulfiller
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
5. The difference between promise and prediction
• A promise is deeper than a prediction (predict a
marriage vs. promising to commit in marriage)
• Promise is a commitment to a relationship; prediction
requires no relationship
• A promise is made from one person to another (I
promise to help you with your homework); prediction
made about a person (I bet he struggles with his
homework)
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
5. The difference between promise and prediction
• Promise implies on-going levels of fulfillment;
prediction has no on-going levels
• Promise has a dynamic quality of ebb and flow in
relationship; Predictions are either true or not
• E.g. marriage vows are step one of promise; next
week/month/year/season take on new dynamic
situations
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
5. The difference between promise and prediction
• The relationship with God and Israel is the basis for
promise
• Started with Abraham
• Extended to David
• Exhibited in Exile
• Fulfilled in Jesus
• The predictions of the OT are secondary to the
promise of relationship between God and Israel
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
5. The difference between promise and prediction
• The promise to Israel was for a greater relationship to
the Gentile nations
• Gospel began with Abraham (Gal. 3:8) “The Scriptures
foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,
and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham:
“All nations will be blessed through you.”
• Continued/fulfilled in Christ (Gal. 3:14): “in order that
the blessing given to Abraham might come to the
Gentiles through Christ Jesus so that by faith we
might receive the promise of the Spirit.”
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
5. The difference between promise and prediction
• Promise is means of salvation (Gal. 3:29): “If you
belong to Christ (Messiah) then you are Abraham’s
seed and heirs according to the promise”
• Saved by participation in the promise, not the
fulfillment of a prediction
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
5. The difference between promise and prediction
• Promise requires a response
• A predication requires no response to God (e.g.
Cyrus releasing Jews from exile)
• A promise requires cooperation with God
• Jews had to take action to return to the land
• Abraham had to respond with faith and action for
promise to be fulfilled (father of our faith)
• Exodus happened because people physically left
land
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
5. The difference between promise and prediction
• OT pattern: God promises; empowers by grace;
people respond in faith
• Idea that OT=law and NT=grace is misleading
• God always offers grace first; asks for response
• The means of grace changes
• Miracles of Exodus
• Law and prophets for OT Israel
• Holy Spirit for the Church
Review
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
6. The pattern for God’s people
• Godly Jews: Law a gift of grace for those saved by
grace (e.g. Psalm 19:1-5)
• Exodus act of God’s grace that saved Israel
• Law came AFTER salvation
• Never a way TO salvation, but instruction for saved
people
• Law was means of receiving the promise of God
• Practical value to stay in relationship with God and
have orderly society in midst of chaos
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
6. The pattern for God’s people
• God initiates and the people respond in faith and
righteous action
• True of Israel then; true of us today (Heb. 10:19-31)
• OT is a living book of instruction to us (not just book
of predictions made/checked off)
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
7. Promise vs. Prediction: An Example
• 1895 father promises 5-yr.-old a horse own at 21
• 1916 the son’s birthday comes along
• Father keeps the intent of the promise (and more)
• Initial promise made in one historical setting
• Fulfilled in a different historical setting
• Kept commitment even though not literally
• God’s relationship to Israel is maintained as a promise
• Abraham fulfilled in Isaac - but God had more
• Nation of Israel in Exodus
• Jesus as seed of Abraham
• Church - blessing to all nations
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
Christ
Exile
David
Abraham
Pattern of “Promise-fulfillment-fresh promise fulfillment”
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
8. Jesus: Fullest expression of God’s promise
• Perfect fulfillment of partial expressions (types)
• Seed of Abraham - and more
• Passover Lamb – and more
• Son of David – and more
• Jews experienced images to appreciate the fulfillment
• Child has to appreciate horse before motorcar is
appreciated
• Israel needed the various images: Abraham, Exodus,
David to appreciate Jesus
• In Christ all the richness of OT, only better/richer
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
8. Jesus: Fullest expression of God’s promise (Tabernacle)
Part
Door/gate
Brazen altar
Laver
Lamps
Bread
Incense
Veil
Mercy seat
Priest
Promise
Point
I am the door (Jn. 10:9)
One way to God
Life as a ransom (Mk. 10:45)
Substitution for atonement
Must wash or no part of me (Jn.13:8)
Purification for presence
Light of the world (Jn. 8:12)
Illumination from God
Bread of life (Jn. 6:48)
Sustenance from God
I pray for them (Jn. 17:9)
Intercession needed
Behind the curtain…Jesus (Heb. 6:19)
Separation of God/creation
Expiation for sins (1 Jn. 2:2)
Blood needed for atonement
Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14)
God approached via representative
Review
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
9. The Promise Guaranteed (Old Testament Covenants)
• High points of the promise: agreements (Covenants)
• Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, New Covenant
• Pattern
• God’s initiative
• God’s promises
• Human response invited (but not dependent)
• Shape of Covenants
• Scope (who is directly affected)
• Substance (what is involved)
• Invitation to respond
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
Covenant with Noah
• Scope: All creation
• Substance
• God promises not to destroy creation despite human
depravity
• God promises to maintain the global environment
and regularity of nature
• There will always be enough resources for the earth
to survive
• Response: Calls on humanity to respect life and creation
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
Covenant with Abraham
• Scope: All nations
• Substance
• Posterity: From Abraham a nation for God’s purposes
• Relationship: Unique relationship with this people
• Land: Geographic space for redemption to occur
• Response:
• Walk before God/be blameless (compassion/justice)
• Pass identity to family (circumcision visible reminder)
• God wants the covenant community to emerge
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
Covenant with Moses/Israel
• Scope: National
• Law next phase of unfolding promise (not end)
• Social-cultural-legal structure to allow God’s holy
priesthood relate to the other nations
• Teach who God is
• Receive people in who want to join
• Offering sacrifice to show God’s acceptance
• Demarcating Israel from the way of other nations
• Missiological nature of Law (Abrahamic covenant:
“all peoples on earth will be blessed by you”)
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
Covenant with Moses/Israel
• Substance: Filling details what was sketched to Abraham
• Redemption of Israel from oppressors
• A relationship with, and knowledge of Yahweh
• Promised land
• Response:
• Total fidelity to Yahweh and no other gods
• Commitment to the character of Yahweh
• Royal Law: Love God/neighbor (compassion, justice)
• The Law: temporary guide until the fullness (Gal.
3:24)
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
Covenant with David
• Scope: House of David
• Substance: Continuation of the house of David for all
time
• With monarchy, new aspect of the Promise revealed
• Benefitted the whole nation and all the nations
• Continued commitment to the Mosaic covenant
(law, sacrifices, feasts, festivals)
• Demonstrated by Ark to Jerusalem and temple
• Not new: extension of relationship with His people
• Many Psalms that link the monarchy to the land
• Always a missiological basis (nations)
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
Covenant with David
• Response:
• Same demand for loyalty and obedience to Yahweh
• Kingly line, leading the people in obedience
• Glimpse of “nation of Israel” morphing into the “King
of Israel” as representative of the people (Kings/Chr.)
• The King must cooperate with God or God must take
other measures to bring about right response
(prophets)
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
New Covenant
• Background
• Despite times of revival, prophets could see that
Israel had failed in its commitments
• Prophets could see there was little hope in the
current system
• Prophets began to write about the hope of a new
and greater covenant
• Not a breaking of the past, but an extension
(flowering) of some new inbreaking of God
• Longing for God to break in dramatic fashion
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
New Covenant
• Scope
• National: Hope is for restoration of post-exhilic Israel
(see Jer. 34-37; Ez. 37)
• David will rule over them
• God will be vindicated
• Israel will be a light to the Gentile nations
• Universal: Nations will witness the restoration of
Israel (Isaiah 40-55), so Gentile nations integrated
into the covenant
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
New Covenant
• Scope
• Many references to Abrahamic covenant, Davidic
covenant, Mosaic covenant, leading to Israel’s
restoration followed by Gentile inclusion
• References to “Suffering Servant” to usher renewal
• Important to expectations at the time of Jesus
• Substance
• New relationship to God, like a restored marriage
• New experience of forgiveness
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
New Covenant
• Scope
• Many references to Abrahamic covenant, Davidic
covenant, Mosaic covenant, leading to Israel’s
restoration followed by Gentile inclusion
• References to “Suffering Servant” to usher renewal
• Important to expectations at the time of Jesus
• Substance
• Exile: disobedience/judgment; break in relationship
• God needed to solve the sin problem for good
• The Law was inadequate to keep them faithful
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
New Covenant
• Substance
• Glimpses of a more permanent solution (Jer. 31:24)
• A new Davidic King
• A new abundance in nature (crops, safety from
wild beasts, oppressors, nature)
• Response: Be faithful to God alone (this would be a
work God does and people respond to by faith)
Covenants to Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, New (Scope,
Substance, Response): All part of One Promise
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
Conclusion
• OT promise had three dimensions
• Restore/exalt Israel
• Destroy oppressors/bring justice
• Bring in Gentiles through Israel
• God has promised to bless the nations; He will not fail
• His blessing flows through Israel to Christ to the nations
• He has asked people to join Him in His work (OT and NT)
• All forms of the OT highlight this single theme: God’s
promise to the nations (history, wisdom literature, law,
poetry)
Jesus: Old Testament Promise
Conclusion
• The OT book of promise in relationship, not of
predictions to be fulfilled
• Jewish emphasis on geography
• Jesus is the embodiment of the Promise, dwarfing all
previous covenants (yet fulfilling them all)
• Restored/exalted Israel: Jesus personifies Israel and
is Vindicated as Lord
• Destroy oppressors: Jesus came to destroy the work
of the fallen world, flesh, devil
• Bring in Gentiles through Israel: Enter Kingdom
through person of Jesus (not just nation of Israel)
Jesus, Israel, and the Church
Individual Gentiles invited in
Israel: Come and See
One identity
One culture
JESUS
Personifies Israel
Church: Go and Tell
One identity
Many cultures
Judgment
against
world
Nations into Israel
through Son (Jesus)
OT View
1. Destroy enemies/restore justice
2. Exalt Israel
3. Bring in the nations
Kingdom Present
1. Devil defeated
2. Jesus exalted
3. Nations invited in
Kingdom Future
1. Enemies judged
2. Jesus exalted
3. Nations brought in