I enjoyed hearing the many stories found in the Old Testament in my youth. Noah and his “floating zoo,” Moses parting the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho, David versus the giant, and so many more. I knew each of them by heart; however, they never stitched together to form anything more significant in my mind. The Bible appeared to simply be a collection of unique and interesting moments, with the OLD TESTAMENT (OT) to the left and NEW TESTAMENT (NT) to the right.
But, when I finally started attending classes at the Ottawa School of the Bible, I was introduced to a new concept: The entire Bible, from the first page until the last, is actually one singular story – that of JESUS. This experience totally changed my perspectives of the Word.
I recently read this telling statement in an article at TGC (thegospelcoalition.org):
“If we ever hope to properly handle the stories IN the Bible, we must first grasp the story OF the Bible.”
The famous English theologian and pastor C.H. Spurgeon stated that, as from every village, town, and hamlet in England, there is a road to London, so there is a road to Christ from every text in Scripture.
Canadian theologian and teaching pastor Bruxy Cavey shared this thought:
“The Bible summed up in one word: JESUS.”
And the disciple John puts it very clearly as he commences his Gospel:
“Christ, the Eternal Word, In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.” John 1:1-4 (NLT).
As we can see, this concept of a singular storyline has been shared in many places. And yet, I can struggle to see Jesus on the pages of the OT. When I open my Bible, I immediately see 39 individually titled books with a myriad of authors spanning millennia. This is what I “immediately” see. But what if I look a little closer and more intently?
With a little bit of guidance, I can suddenly start to see Jesus announced in “type and shadow, promise and prophecy” (TGC – Stephen Coleman) on the pages. Let me give you some examples: He is the manna that came from Heaven in the wilderness – as He is the bread of life. He is the stone from which water flowed forth in the desert – as He is our living water. He is the Good Shepherd of every comment concerning sheep and flocks. And Jesus is beautifully and perfectly described in the promise made in Isaiah 9 – a full 700 years before His arrival on the scene. Every “hero” that I read about in the OT foreshadows the true hero of the story. As much as we see the good in Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and David – JESUS is the better version of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua and David! In all instances, He shows us the truest way to walk through what each of these people had the opportunity to do. He calls us all higher. And in so many places, His coming is spoken of in terms from whispers and metaphors to direct prophecies.
Jesus, Himself said it this way:
“If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me.” John 5:46 (NLT).
So, as you take up this task of reading the Old Testament, I invite you to expand your viewpoint. Be on the outlook for Jesus appearing somehow on every page. And be reminded that the NT red letters are full of Jesus, drawing direct links to Scriptures found in the OT. Jesus is constantly reaching back, connecting all the Word had said previously to the current plan for His ministry on earth and beyond:
“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” Matthew 5:17 (NLT).
Enjoy the journey! Truly, Jesus continues to have MUCH to show us in unpacking all that He is.
PS: If you have the opportunity, I recommend you look at the JESUS-CENTERED BIBLE published by Group Publishing and Lifetree. It features blue-lettered sections throughout the OT with explanatory notes about their Jesus connectivity.
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