The Scriptures that Speak of Christ

The Scriptures that Speak of ChristJesus 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 ChristPurpose of the class•Christianity = an identity that is rooted in God’s purposes; participation in past, present, future work in Christ•Purposes woven into every sentence of OT•OT: See Jesus’ Story, Promise, Identity, Mission, Values

We derive our personal relationship through our participation in this story, promise, identity, mission, values

The Scriptures that Speak of ChristContinuity of the Testaments•Consistent content (glorify God: threefold purpose)• 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: Abraham, David, Exile,

Christ

Abraham

David

Exile

Matthew 1:1-17

Jesus: Old Testament Promise

14

1414

Christ

Jesus: Old Testament StoryForest

Whole

Promise

Collective Identity

Lens: Jesus

Continuity

Tree

Parts

Prediction

Personal Application

Lens: Theologicalsystem

Ordered

Jesus: Old Testament StorySummary•Bible is single story of God’s work in Christ to win what was lost at the Fall •OT is the backstory (Act 1) for 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 place as God’s instrument

Jesus: Old Testament PromiseSummary•The OT book of promise (relationship), not predictions (Promise≠prediction x6)•Promise (motor car); prediction (horse)•Jesus is OT Promise-Fulfiller (met predictions & more!)•Jewish emphasis on geography / salvation history•Covenants: Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, New•Single promise (great river); streams flowing in (history, wisdom literature, law, poetry, narrative, prophecy)

God made a living, growing promise that Jesus fulfilled

Jesus: Old Testament Story

One river/One promise/Continuity (for us today)

OT streams (history, literature, law, poetry, narrative, prophecy)

Jesus: Old Testament PromiseOT promise dimensions

•Restore/exalt Israel

•Destroy oppressors; bring justice to earth

•Bring in Gentiles through Israel

Jesus: Old Testament PromiseOT promise dimensions

•Restore/exalt Israel

•Destroy oppressors; bring justice to earth

•Bring in Gentiles through Israel

Jesus embodiment of Promise

•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)

The Scriptures that Speak of ChristIsrael’s StoryIsrael’s PromiseIsrael’s IdentityIsrael’s MissionIsrael’s Values

Jesus' StoryJesus' PromiseJesus' IdentityJesus' MissionJesus' Values

Jesus: Old Testament Identity1. What is Identity? • Who I am, where I came from, what I should do,

where I fit, what are the rules so I win/avoid loss?• Once identity is settled, every action should flow• What every teen is searching for• What most adults spend their life looking for

• In America, identity is serial and distinctive; individual• Lakers fan• Christian; X theology • Williams-Sonoma chef• Callaway golfer• VW driver

Jesus: Old Testament Identity1. What is Identity? • Most cultures are more collectivist: Identity is found

with plural words: Who are we, what should we do, where do we fit, what is our destiny?

• Biblical writers were collectivist• Holy Spirit gave Bible in collectivist terms• God carried Promise forward through nation of

Israel (collectivist)• Demonstrates His Promise by shaping Israel’s

collective identity

Jesus: Old Testament Identity2. Jewish spirituality formed identity•God commanded festivals and feasts• Connected to historical act of God’s, care,

deliverance and salvation• Weekly sabbath reminder of creation• Three annual pilgrimages to sanctuary: Passover,

Feast of weeks, Feast of Booths• Sojourns to Jerusalem• Telling stories• Crafting identity (“why are we doing this?”)

• Jewish calendar oriented around God• Shaped psyche/identity of a nation

Jesus: Old Testament Identity2. Jewish spirituality formed identity•God gave the Law to shape their identity, connected to God’s saving acts• Ex. 20:1-3 And God spoke all these words: “I am

the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.”

• Being the people of God means responding to the work of God

Jesus: Old Testament Identity2. Jewish spirituality formed identity•Spirituality was not an individual (just me and God) affair• Worship was prescribed in great detail (no

innovation)• No one could offer sacrifices in their backyard; had

to come to a communal place• Worship required bringing something, not just

spectatorship

Jesus: Old Testament Identity2. Jewish spirituality formed identity•Spirituality was meant to be lived out for the benefit of others• Laws to benefit the weakest• Laws to constrain the powerful• Laws to welcome foreigners

•Who they were as a people was defined by their acts of social compassion and justice•“Come and see”

Jesus: Old Testament Identity2. Jewish spirituality formed identity•Spirituality was linked to Story (telling, retelling, celebrating, remembering God’s saving acts)Deut. 6:20-23: In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors.”

Jesus: Old Testament Identity2. Jewish spirituality formed identity•Identity through festivals and feasts•Identity through giving the Law to build a society•Identity through communal worship, not individual worship•Identity as a people for the benefit of others•Identity as part of a Story

Jesus: Old Testament Identity3. Israel is given a unique worldview (Gen. 1-11)• Significant differences with pagan cultures of the

near east• Man’s role in created order• Pagan: man created as food for gods• Bible: man climax of creation in image of God

• Nature of God• Pagan: many gods; exploitive and capricious• Bible: One God; just and loving

• View of man• Pagan: mankind is wise• Bible: mankind is sinful and fallen

Jesus: Old Testament Identity4. God gave pictures and patterns to shape identity•OT a storehouse of images, precedents, patterns, and ideas to the apostles understand Jesus• Joseph• Joshua• Prophet: Elijah, Jeremiah (Mt. 16:14)• Serpent on the pole• Jonah/3 days

•Matthew recognized the OT markers •Important for the apostles and early church to have a deep, multi-layered Israelite history

Jesus: Old Testament Identity4. God gave pictures and patterns to shape identity•John The Baptist’s doubting (Mt. 11:4-6)Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

Jesus: Old Testament IdentityJesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

Is. 61:1: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners”

Jesus: Old Testament Identity5. Building an identity is important•Why so much of Bible is OT?• Identity is formed over many centuries; seasons,

experiences, literary forms• Takes time for roots to run deep; cast

•Important foundation for Nations (Gentiles)• Strong foundation allows for building• Strong tree allows for ingrafting• OT established a beachhead; base of operations so

all cultures of the earth could find connection• Gentiles join the thick OT identity (Abraham,

David, prophets belong to them)

Jesus: Old Testament Identity5. Building an identity is important•OT was not theoretical for the apostles: it gave them clues they needed to place confidence in Jesus• Jesus was not what disciples initially expected• Once they made the connection, it deepened and

changed their reading of OT• Luke 24:27 “Beginning with Moses and the

prophets he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”

• Once they made the connection, it was easy to transfer loyalty from Israel (nation) to Israel (person of Jesus)

Jesus: Old Testament Identity5. Building an identity is important•Example: Paul (Acts 9:18-22)And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

Jesus: Old Testament Identity5. Building an identity is important•Apostles could preach Christ with confidence because of the thickness of the OT identity• Not a new religion, the flowering of all that was

growing for centuries• A rich variety of source material all relating to

Christ• Our faith is “apostolic” (Nicene Creed): apostles

are interpreters of OT identity with NT events (“this is that”)

Jesus: Old Testament Identity6. Jesus’ Identity made plain: Baptism (Mt. 3:13-17)•Father speaks; Holy Spirit descends (Trinity visible)•Words echo OT references• “You are my Son” (Ps. 2:7) Davidic covenant• “My loved one in whom I delight” (Is. 42:1)

Suffering Servant of Isaiah 40-55• “My son, my beloved” (Gen. 22:2) Abraham’s

offering of Isaac• A Father willing to give up His Son• A Son willing to sacrifice Himself

“May the force be with you”; “Here’s looking at you, kid”

Jesus: Old Testament Identity6. Jesus’ Identity made plain: Baptism (Mt. 3:13-17)•Baptism identity important to the enemy• Holy Spirit sends Jesus straight to temptation• Devil tries to divert Jesus from His mission to

destroy devil’s kingdom• Serious blow to kingdom of darkness• Jesus is victorious where Adam had failed

Recapitulation: Jesus was obedience where others failed

Jesus: Old Testament IdentityConclusion•Identity is practical part of helping us understand how we fit into the world•God formed identity in Israel• God gave Israel a unique worldview compared to

pagan neighbors (Gen. 1-11)• Communal festivals and feasts• The Law connected to God’s past saving acts• Communal worship practices• Social laws for the sake of others• Spirituality as a response to God’s saving acts

Jesus: Old Testament IdentityConclusion•God gave OT pictures and patterns to shape identity•The apostles and early believers derived their identity from thick OT history, culture, stories, images•Apostles understood the fullness of their identity because Jesus filled in the OT picture•Strong identity takes time•Strong, thick identity allowed for the Gentiles to be grafted in (we share Jewish identity)•Jesus’ baptism was key to cementing His identity

Old Testament View of History

Israel: Come and SeeOne identityOne culture

Individual Gentiles invited in

Messiah brings justice

Restore Israel politically

Gather the nations into

worldwide peace

1. Destroy enemies and restore justice2. Establish Israel3. Consolidate the nations

Jesus, Israel, and the Church

Israel: Come and SeeOne identityOne culture

Church: Go and TellOne identity

Many cultures

Individual Gentiles invited in

Judgment against world

JESUS Personifies Israel

Nations into Israel through Son (Jesus)

Kingdom Present1.Devil defeated2.Jesus exalted3.Nations invited in

OT View1.Destroy enemies/restore justice2.Exalt Israel3.Bring in the nations

Kingdom Future1.Enemies judged2.Jesus exalted3.Nations brought in

Jesus: Old Testament Mission6. Jesus’ obedience was key•Examples of recapitulation (Jesus “do-over”)• Adam failed in temptation• Israel failed after Exodus• Israel failed after Conquest• Israel’s kings failed

- Culminating in Exile -

Jesus: Old Testament Mission6. Jesus’ obedience was key•God’s plan (nations) predicated on Israel’s obedience• Pattern: Election, ethics (cooperation), mission• When Israel disobedient, God had to work around

them to get on with His mission• God will wait to accomplish mission when there is

obedience• God is not limited but His desired way is through

people• Removes excuse of accuser: “You used your

omnipotence”

Jesus: Old Testament Mission6. Jesus’ obedience was key•Jesus’ obedience opened the way • Jesus’ obedience was the way to defeat the enemy

and win the world for God• Jesus was obedient where Israel failed• New Adam• New David• New Israel

• Jesus took on flesh, became obedient, powerless even to cross; defeated the evil one without omnipotence but by powerlessness

Jesus: Old Testament Mission6. Our access to God is through Jesus•Jesus’ obedience opened our access to God•Baptism into Christ qualifies us to be Sons of Abraham•We enter into Israel through Jesus (Gal. 3:26-29; 4:4-7)