2 Abraham was the
father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of
Jacob,
Jacob the father of
Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the father of
Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of
Hezron,
Hezron
the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of
Amminadab,
Amminadab
the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon
the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father
of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of
Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed
the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the
father of King David. NIV
Christianity Revealed
through Old Testament Perspective
Luke picks up on the
theme of Christ as the fulfillment of the Davidic promises of the Old
Testament Scriptures.
Luke points to Christ
as the promised Messiah to sit upon the throne of David. Luke quotes what
the angel Gabriel told Mary.
Luke 1:29-33
29 Mary was greatly
troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30
But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor
with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to
give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of
the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father
David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom
will never end." NIV
In Luke chapter
three, Luke traces the lineage of Jesus Christ back through Adam.
In tracing Christ to Adam, Luke traces the roots of Christianity to the
first family in Eden. It is in Eden that the purpose of Christ sacrifice is
seen.
Genesis 3:14-15
14 So the LORD God
said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,
"Cursed are you above
all the livestock
and all the wild
animals!
You will crawl on
your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your
life.
15 And I will put
enmity
between you and the
woman,
and between your
offspring and hers;
he will crush your
head,
and you will strike
his heel." NIV
Paul speaks of the
fulfillment of this prophecy saying, “But when the time had fully come, God
sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law,
that we might receive the full rights of sons. (Galatians 4:4-6 NIV). When
Christ delivered us by his sacrifice, it was Satan’s death blow—the
fulfillment of God’s promise to Satan.
The apostles were
teaching the Old Testament scriptures when 3000 were baptized into Christ on
Pentecost.
Peter sees Christ as the fulfillment of God’s promise to King David. Peter
revealed that Jesus is now the Lord and Christ who is sitting on David’s
throne—he was preaching the spiritual restoration of David’s kingdom in
Christ.
Acts 2:22-39
22 "Men of Israel,
listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by
miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you
yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and
foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by
nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him
from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its
hold on him. 25 David said about him:
"'I saw the Lord
always before me.
Because he is at my
right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart
is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will
live in hope,
27 because you will
not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your
Holy One see decay.
28 You have made
known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with
joy in your presence.'
29 "Brothers, I can
tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his
tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had
promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his
throne. 31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the
Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.
32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.
33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the
promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For
David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
"'The Lord said to my
Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your
enemies
a footstool for your
feet." '
36 "Therefore let all
Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both
Lord and Christ."
37 When the people
heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other
apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
38 Peter replied,
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far
off — for all whom the Lord our God will call." NIV
The rich history of
the Old Testament brings the New Testament into clear focus.
New Testament
writers were teaching the Old Testament. The New Testament comes to life as
those who followed Christ saw Christ through the eyes of Moses and the
prophets. The message of the New Testament cannot be understood apart from
the teaching of the Old Testament. Paul reminded Timothy how
Timothy had been taught the Scriptures from a child. It was the Old
Testament Scriptures Timothy was taught. Paul exhorted Timothy to stand fast
in what he had been taught from a child—i.e., the Jewish Scriptures.
2 Timothy 3:14-17
14 But as for you,
continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you
know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known
the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through
faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the
man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. NIV
The Old Testament is
the fertile soil in which the New Testament is planted.
It is there that
it takes root and grows. Christianity begins to grow and
blossom for us as we grow in our understanding of God’s work throughout
Israel’s history. Those first assemblies of the saints seen in the New
Testament are the fruit of those scriptures.
The Essence of
Christ’s Teaching
It is Christ who
gives real meaning to those Scriptures.
Without those
Scriptures Christ’s life and death would have no meaning. Without Christ the
Old Testament would make no sense. Christ is the key piece to both
Testaments. Christ revealed himself as the fulfillment of Jewish Scriptures.
Luke 24:44-53
44 He said to them,
"This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be
fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the
Psalms."
45 Then he opened
their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, "This
is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the
third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his
name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these
things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in
the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
50 When he had led
them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed
them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into
heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. NIV
Jesus opened the
minds of his hearers in the Sermon on the Mount as he taught spiritual
principals of the law of Moses.
His sermon embodied
the very precepts of Christianity as seen through the teaching of the Law of
Moses and the prophets. Legalism had so perverted the law that they
thought Jesus was teaching something strangely new. It was Jesus’ Sermon on
the Mount that penetrated the heart of the Jewish legalistic code by
revealing the spiritual precepts behind the rules (Matthew 5-7). The
embodiment of the law came to life in Christ as he was filled with grace and
truth. It is in the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus condenses the whole of
biblical teaching into three short chapters. The ultimate goal is to treat
others as you like to be treated. The principles set forth in Jesus’ sermon
revealed how the spirit of the rules was being violated by focusing only on
rule keeping. Jesus wasn’t teaching a new law. He was merely teaching the
spirit of the moral law given to Moses.
Paul teaches the Old
Testament moral law is very much in tact in the New Testament.
Romans 13:8-14
8Let
no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another,
for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
9The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do
not steal," "Do not covet,"[a]
and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one
rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10Love
does no harm to its neighbor.
Therefore love is the fulfillment of the
law.
11And
do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake
up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first
believed. 12The night is nearly over; the day is almost
here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of
light. 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in
orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in
dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with
the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of
the sinful nature.
As Paul writes to the
believers in Rome, we understand the moral law to love one’s neighbor is
deeply embedded in the scriptures of old.
It may be confusing.
Paul’s letter to the Colossians states Christ nailed the handwriting of
ordinances that were against us to the cross. Yet, he binds
the essence of the laws precepts on the believers in Rome.
Colossians 2:9-15
9 For in Christ all
the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given
fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In
him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not
with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done
by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him
through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead
in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you
alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the
written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood
opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And
having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of
them, triumphing over them by the cross. NIV
Christ canceled the
written code, but Paul indicates the precepts of the law are a very real
part of Christian living.
According to what Moses and Jesus taught, i.e., to love one’s neighbor,
every precept of the moral law is wrapped in the following verses Paul
penned to the Colossians.
Colossians 3:12-14
12 Therefore, as
God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each
other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love,
which binds them all together in perfect unity. NIV
We see that in
principal the law is left in tact. Now that Christ has made that sacrifice
the curse of the law is lifted.
Paul clearly sums up
the very intent of the law in the above verses. Paul teaches
the practical aspects of Christian’s in fellowship with believers—the moral
precepts of the law are in full force. They are no longer against us, but
they continue to instruct us in righteousness.
Moses and the
prophets were preached to those first believers throughout Acts’ historical
record. Christ could not be understood apart from Moses and the prophets.
Christian fellowship could not be understood apart from the history of God’s
people.
What Did Christ
Cancel?
Paul indicates that
Christ canceled the written code. We may ask, “What was against us?”
It was the law of sin and death that was against us—if you sin you die. The
law was perfect for instruction, but could not remove the curse once the law
was violated. The law which revealed God’s righteousness also revealed sin’s
condemnation. The law demanded justice. The law offered no remedy. It was
the just demands of the law that nailed Christ to the cross. His sacrifice
delivered us from the curse of the law. However, the law was left in tact
for our instruction.
The book of Hebrews
leaves no doubt that the sacrificial system of the Jewish system is replaced
with the single sacrifice of Christ.
His sacrifice declared us righteous as his sacrifice met the just demands of
the law. However, there is no evidence that the removal of the sacrificial
system removed God’s moral law.
Hebrews 4:12-16
12 For the word of
God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates
even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts
and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's
sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom
we must give account.
14 Therefore, since
we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son
of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a
high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one
who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. 16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. NIV
The “word of God” the
Hebrew writer speaks of is the Jewish Scriptures.
They were designed to
penetrate the depth of our very being. The book of Hebrews
came into being as the writer teaches straight from the Old Testament. The
entire New Testament came into being as the apostles taught straight from
those Scriptures. The difference is that when they point out our sin they
point us to Christ. They encourage us to approach God with confidence to
receive mercy, find grace and help in our time of need.
Galatians 3:23-29
23 Before this faith
came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be
revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might
be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under
the supervision of the law.
26 You are all sons
of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized
into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor
Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according
to the promise. NIV
Paul writes, “we were
held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.”
The
law imprisoned them in utter hopelessness without Christ. We
all are locked into a death sentence without Christ. The law’s sentence is
clear—if you sin you die. It is the rule of the law. Yet, it is this very
concept of the law that leads us to Christ. Today the law is valid, but it
no longer holds us prisoners. We have an obligation to uphold the law, but
Christ rules. He rules to set us free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 3:27-31
27 Where, then, is
boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law?
No, but on that of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by
faith apart from observing the law. 29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he
not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only
one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised
through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not
at all! Rather, we uphold the law. NIV
Paul writes, “Do we,
then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.”
Faith does not nullify the law. Faith upholds the law. Faith must recognize
the validity of the law’s sentence of death is very much alive without
Christ. Faith in Christ means we recognize the law as something good. People
who believe in Christ uphold the law as just and righteous. It reveals sin.
It warns us that the wages of sin is death. Understanding this reveals our
need for faith in Christ. Those outside of Christ seeking to live by the
precepts of the law are to be commended. But they need Christ who meets the
just demands of the law.
The old law spoke to
the Hebrews saying, “You need more than the Law.”
No amount of
sacrifices could remove a single sin the law revealed. The law was perfect,
but it could only point out the imperfections—sinfulness of mankind.
The law serves the same purpose today. The law cannot do anything
about sin other than point out that it’s condemnation.
Romans 3:19-20
19 Now we know that
whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every
mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the
law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
If we look at the
moral law as a means to justification, it will always be against us. It will
only declare us guilty before God (Romans 7:14-ff).
When we use it to judge others; it will only leave them guilty as it
condemns us.
James 4:11-12
11 Brothers, do not
slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him
speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not
keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and
Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you — who are you to
judge your neighbor? NIV
When the law is used
to justify or condemn—it only increases our guilt—it begins to have a
negative effect.
It may make us sinful and bitter as we become judges of the law. Yet, when
we use these moral precepts to clean up our lives—as a means to
understanding our need for repentance—to become the kind of people God
desires us to become—it becomes something positive.
Often, it is hard for
religious people who have been raised on guilt and disciplined with fear to
come to grips with the true means of justification through faith in Christ.
It is hard for them to live under grace while recognizing the law as a means
to graceful living (Romans 6:1ff). It is equally difficult for religious
people who have been reared with no law to come to grips with the moral law.
The law is not a means to justification or condemnation. Sin
condemns—Christ’s sacrifice justifies—the law only reveals the condemnation
as it points us to Christ to allow God to salvage our lives on planet earth.
The Birth of God’s
Grace
The very nature of
the Old Testament moral law revealed the sinfulness of man—the law created a
consciousness of sin.
Throughout the Old Testament we witness the faithful struggling to obey God,
while their personal failures were overwhelming. Yet, God demonstrated his
mercy, justice and forbearance as he left their sins unpunished until he
laid the full burden of all our sins upon Christ as he died on the cross.
Romans 3:21-26
21 But now a
righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the
Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through
faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely
by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God
presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He
did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left
the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his
justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies
those who have faith in Jesus. NIV
Christianity finds
its meaning in the very heart of the Jewish scriptures.
Notice what Paul teaches, “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,
through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because
in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26
he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just
and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Grace cannot
be understood apart from the Old Testament. It is there that God gives us a
demonstration of his grace through his mercy and forbearance.
We see the strengths
and weaknesses of the faithful ones in the Old Testament stories.
More often than not they were crushed with the weight of guilt and the
consequences of their personal sin. God’s law revealed their
sinfulness—their utter hopelessness. Yet, his loving mercy salvaged their
lives. God teaches us that they were not saved because of their perfection.
They were saved by what God was planning to do through Christ.
There is a beautiful
story about David as Saul seeks to kill him.
The story reveals David’s dependence on God as his advocate to declare him
innocent or guilty. He refuses to sit in judgment on Saul. Even when he
knows Saul is out to kill him. He trusts God’s judgment. He can do this
because he knows God will rescue him from the destructive power of Saul.
Davis says:
1 Samuel 24:15
15 May the LORD judge
which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he
will rescue me from your power!" NLT
We may not have
someone seeking to kill us, but can we believe any less about God when sin
pursues us?
Listen to David as he struggles with his personal sin.
This passage demonstrates the psalmist’s dependence on the mercy and
forbearance of God to cleanse him from his sin.
Psalms 51:3-12
3 For I know my
transgressions,
and my sin is always
before me.
4 Against you, you
only, have I sinned
and done what is evil
in your sight,
so that you are
proved right when you speak
and justified when
you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful
at birth,
sinful from the time
my mother conceived me.
6 Surely you desire
truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom
in the inmost place.
7 Cleanse me with
hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will
be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and
gladness;
let the bones you
have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from
my sins
and blot out all my
iniquity.
10 Create in me a
pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast
spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me
from your presence
or take your Holy
Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the
joy of your salvation
and grant me a
willing spirit, to sustain me. NIV
It is clear David has
an understanding of the nature of God’s grace as he stands condemned by the
law.
He certainly didn’t know what God was planning to do through Christ, but he
knew God. No doubt passages such as these motivated John to assure
Christians of their salvation, while reminding us that we are not without
sin.
1 John 1:5-2:6
5 This is the message
we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no
darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the
darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the
blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim to be
without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we
make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
1 John 2
2:1 My dear children,
I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we
have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the
Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for
ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 We know that we
have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, "I know
him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in
him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in
him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must
walk as Jesus did. NIV
As David stands
before Saul he proclaims God as his advocate—as we stand before Satan we
simply proclaim Christ as our advocate who pleads our case with God in spite
of our sin.
We need to remind ourselves how God demonstrated his love to
the Jews throughout the Old Testament stories. God set them apart to a holy
calling. God gave them a law to clean up their lives. God was their
redeemer. God was their advocate. God was their protector. God was their
provider. Why did he do this for such sinful people—to demonstrate his love
and forbearance to us—his grace to us, which was to come through Christ.
Conclusion:
The Old Testament
reveals a personal God who intervenes in history. Christianity makes God
very personal as he comes to life in us—as he reigns through us—as his
original image is reborn in us.
Today many are
confused about the church as they seek to piece together a viable image of
the church.
We look backward through the pages of church history seeking to understand
the church. We look to those first assemblies of the saints. We study their
practices and seek to piece together doctrines. We seek to imitate them.
Yet, the New Testament writers see themselves through the eyes of Moses and
the prophets. They understand their assemblies as the spiritual formation of
the spiritual kingdom of God born out of the Scriptures.
The true meaning of
what we call the church in the New Testament can only be found in the
fertile soil in which she came to life.
It is where those first believer’s hearts were firmly planted. This is
crucial to understanding Christianity. We may believe in the cross, the
resurrection and the sacraments, but their true meaning cannot be understood
or truly appreciated apart from the scriptures of Jewish origin. They lead
us to Christ so that we may reflect his glory in our lives.
2 Corinthians 3:7-18
7 Now if the ministry
that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory,
so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because
of its glory, fading though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be
even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how
much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what
was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11
And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory
of that which lasts!
12 Therefore, since
we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would
put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the
radiance was fading away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day
the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been
removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when
Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to
the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where
the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled
faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness
with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
NIV
