Though the Gospels Focus on Jesus, We See Him throughout the Old and New Testaments
In reading the Bible, we see that God the Father is the star of the Old Testament. In parallel fashion, Jesus is the focus of the New Testament, especially in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Each of these four writers presents us with their perspective of Jesus’s life and work, emphasizing different aspects and giving singular details.
Though having four biographies of Jesus in the Bible seems like overkill, each one provides us with unique glimpses into Jesus.
Yet Jesus appears in the Old Testament, too, which carries numerous predictions by a slew of prophets, perhaps most notably Isaiah, that all point to a future Savior.
Though these Old Testament predictions don’t mention Jesus by name, they do describe him, his life, and his mission.
In many ways the Old Testament anticipates Jesus. After all, Jesus says his purpose is to fulfill the Law of the Old Testament, not replace it, Matthew 5:17.
The disciple John writes that Jesus was present at creation and took part in it, perhaps even playing a lead role. Also consider Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18-20 and the teaching about him in Hebrews 5-7.
Or what about the fourth man who joins Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the blazing furnace in Daniel 3:25-29, the one who king Nebuchadnezzar says looks like “a son of the gods?”
And many consider the three visitors who come to see Abraham (Genesis 18:1-2) as a reference to the godhead: the Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. There are other such references, too.
John also writes about Jesus in his end time vision in Revelation.
Jesus is the reason for the rest of the New Testament, too, which focuses on the work of his followers in the book of Acts and the letters they write about him in the books of Romans through Jude.
The Bible points us to Jesus. The Old Testament anticipates him, the Gospels reveal him, and the remainder of the New Testament celebrate what he accomplished.
[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Matthew 5-7, and today’s post is on Matthew 5:17.]
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.
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