Jesus makes perfect what was lacking in the Patriarchs of Israel. That covenant is recorded in II Samuel 7 and celebrated in Psalms 89 and 132. Besides fulfilling Israel’s worship and its Mediatorial offices, Jesus fulfilled the Mosaic Covenant by bringing Israel’s calling among the nations to perfect completion. The argument stems from several key Scriptures: Isaiah 11:1-9, Isaiah 2:3-4, and Micah 4:2-3. (Genesis 12:1-3) The nations are blessed by being saved through faith in Christ, just as Abraham was saved by faith alone. Christ came not to destroy the old religious system but to build upon it; He came to finish the Old Covenant and establish the New. He is the Lamb of God, who fulfills Israel’s worship by sacrifice. The writer to the Hebrews calls Jesus our perfect High Priest, Who entered into the Holy Place of heaven with His own blood to make intercession for us. Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, took Israel into captivity in Babylon, and left no son of David on the throne. Second, Jesus unites in Himself the identity of all three Mediators that God established between Himself and Israel. Could the blood of bulls and of goats really take away sin? Christians honor the Old Testament as the Word of God, just as Jesus did. What does the New Testament say about Jesus? Jesus, in fact, spoke as One greater than the prophets. He came to fulfill the moral law, by yielding to it a perfect obedience, which we could never have yielded - and by paying the penalty for our breaking of it with His atoning blood, which we could never have paid. Put another way, the Old Testament is like an intricate … It is God’s Covenant with Adam and his descendants which God renewed with Noah after the Flood. How Is Jesus Shown in the Book of Genesis? But we don’t need such a tape. Adapted from The Gospel of Matthew by J.C. Ryle (Chapter 5). (Matthew 28:18-20). But Adam failed and was expelled from Paradise. Isaiah implied a life for the Suffering Servant after He died when he wrote, “But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief. But beyond that we live forever IN Jesus and He IN us. He is the Second Adam from whom the human race takes a new beginning. The New Testament is the gospel in full flower. Christians The divide of sin is great, but Jesus’ sacrifice of Love is greater. The sacrifice of Jesus was according to the Old Testament requirements of the law.Following is a comparison of requirements in the Old Testament and the fulfillment in the New Testament. He never said, “Thus saith the Lord,” the common introductory claim of God’s prophets. (Deuteronomy 18:18, Acts 3:22) God’s final word to the world has come through His Son, Jesus. With Jerusalem’s fall and the end of Judah’s independence, it appeared that God had broken His covenant. After a four hundred year rule King David’s dynasty ended. A Congregation in the Atlantic Presbyteryof the, “These are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. (I Corinthians 13:12) We cannot yet eat from the Tree of Life. Where the first Adam failed, Jesus succeeded. First, they understood that He is the Messiah, the Son of David. Here is an irony of history. Jesus does three things to complete what the Old Testament started. (Hebrews 9). Trinity. 3. Jesus and the Old Testament In examining the four gospels, we have a great amount of information to work with concerning Jesus’ view of the Old Testament. He never sinned. Jesus’ followers first understood how He fulfilled the Covenant with David, second how He fulfilled the Mosaic Covenant, and later how He fulfilled the Covenants with Abraham and Adam. (Acts 2:34, Psalm 110:1) Jesus, the Son of David, is also the Son of God, He is the Lamb of God who died for our sins, and He is the Resurrected King. But in Christ the Second Adam all is renewed. The relation between our Lord's teaching and that of the Old Testament is cleared up by our Lord in one striking sentence. The History of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America from 1528 to 2004, The History of the Broomall, PA Congregation of the RPCNA. How does He fulfill the Old Testament? Like Isaac, whose birth was miraculous, Jesus miraculously was born to fulfill the covenant made with Abraham and to fulfill every promise God ever made to mankind. In this article I will not list Old Testament prophecies such as “born in Bethlehem” (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:4-6) or “buried with the rich” (Isaiah 53:9, Matthew 27:57-60) and cite their fulfillment by Jesus. The prophet Jeremiah witnessed Jerusalem’s fall and the crisis of faith godly Israelites felt. Paul writes: “For as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of One the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19; see I Corinthians 15:45). What is the Reformed Presbyterian Church? Paul is simply following the example of the Lord Jesus who established his teaching by quoting from the Old Testament. How Jesus Fulfills the Old Testament. For them God’s plan of salvation unfolded with the Israelites, then was added to and redefined by Christ. Not only did Elisha have as his forerunner Elijah in the Old Testament, but Jesus had as His fore-runner Elijah or John the Baptist as well: as God said at the end of the Old Testament… Messiah would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) Fulfilled in Matthew 1:22-23; Luke 1:26-31. But they all looked by faith to the same Savior and were led by the same Spirit as ourselves. Jesus regains Paradise. The New Testament seeks to announce the gospel of Jesus—his life, death, and resurrection—as the fullest expression of Israel’s story. Get The Fulfillment: Jesus and the Old Testament by Timothy Tennent to learn more about how Jesus fulfills the story of God and fulfills prophecy in a special way.. 1. Reading Time: 8 minutes Only One Person Has Fulfilled All Old Testament Messianic Prophecy. He said, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” (Luke 22:20) (“New covenant” translates the Greek “kaine diatheke,” a rendering preferred in modern English translations, except that the familiar “New Testament” is still used to name the Scriptures written in connection with the New Covenant.). I.E. Seed. Conservatively, Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies in His earthly ministry. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Old Testament lessons are still relevant in a modern-day world. Jesus is both David’s heir and the fulfillment of sacrificial worship. Jesus fulfilled all the Old Covenant types and shadows. In Jesus’ day His disciples were eager to call Him King. Also, beware of despising the law of the Ten Commandments. What Scriptures taught such a sad fate for the Messiah? That story is complex. But Jerusalem fell, and for six hundred years no son of David sat on the throne. At best in this life we see only dimly in a mirror. But Isaiah continued and said that the Servant of the Lord would be pierced through for our transgressions. All throughout the age of the Old Testament, God is inviting His people to look at him, to fix their eyes on him, because he is the only way through the mire of sin, death and confusion that we experience day in and day out. This also is what is meant by Jesus when he said that he came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it, (Matthew 5:17). Exodus 33:11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. No, they concluded. So, the question of how many prophecies Jesus fulfilled is difficult to answer with precision. We’ll begin with the Jewish longing for a Messiah, promised clearly by the Later Prophets. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. How does Jesus fulfill the covenants God made in the Old Testament with: 1. I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17). Christmas is about celebrating our true inheritance- Christ himself. To the serpent God said, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” (Genesis 3:15) God would not allow friendship between man and Satan to last. How Does Jesus Fulfill the Law and the Prophets? I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star.” (Revelation 22:16) The night Jesus was born, the angel told the shepherds that he had good news for all the people: “For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) God kept his covenant promise to David and fulfilled His word through Jeremiah by sending Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, to be Israel’s King. The words he spoke and the hope he communicated attracted them. Jesus is God’s agent to bring salvation to a lost humanity and heal a broken world. He commands his disciples to teach all nations his words first and foremost. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright © 2021, Christianity.com. The coming of Christ did not alter the position of the Ten Commandments in the least. Christians are happy to have Christ be their priest and sacrifice. In living a perfect life, Jesus fulfilled the moral laws; in His sacrificial death, Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial laws. Notice that in seeing how Jesus fulfilled the prophesies about the Messiah, we have moved backward in time from the Covenant with David, to the Mosaic Covenant (which Jeremiah labels Old and which gives its name to the Old Testament Scriptures), and now to the Covenant with Abraham. New and Everlasting Covenant – Communion/Eucharist The Covenants in the Old Testament kept growing until the Lord’s people had grown to a national kingdom. In its right place it is just as important as "the glorious gospel." The New Testament says the following about the prophetic ministry of Jesus. Philip Kosloski-published on 03/25/18. He is the King Who rules His people for God. Through Jeremiah God made explicit the promise of a New Covenant to replace Moses’ Covenant. If anything, it exalted and raised their authority (Romans 3:31). Scholars differ in their answers, generally ranging from about 200 to 400. Public Domain. Isaiah foretold a Servant of the Lord Who would bring justice to the nations, Who would be a covenant to the people, Who would restore Israel’s fortunes, Who in short would be the Messiah. There is a covenant even more ancient than the Covenants made with David, with Israel through Moses, or with Abraham, the father of the faithful. three persons one God. Jesus fulfilled the prophetic promise of a Messiah, but He is much more than another David ruling Israel. The early church debated and searched the Scriptures for the answer to that question. He is much more in three ways. 4. Jesus accepted the Old Testament Scriptures as being divinely authoritative; He never cast doubt on any of the accounts recorded in it. The books of the Old Testament contain many passages about the Messiah—all prophecies Jesus Christ fulfilled. But they sometimes resist obeying Him as King. His view can be simply stated in two words: total trust. Jesus fulfilled all of the Temple worship. Sinai. By it, the Spirit shows men their need of Christ and drives them to Him. His reign as Messiah would appear to end even before it began. Is it Okay to Watch Football on the TV on Sundays? Any number of study Bibles do that quite well. What Does It Mean to Be a Daughter of Christ? Not only is He the sacrifice, He is also the Temple. In sum, His interpretation is this: “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me.” (John 5:39) Jesus did not start a new religion. Some people assumed he had come to replace the Old Testament Law and the work of the prophets, but revolution was not his calling. Adam lost Paradise. Since then everyone has died. Christians are commanded to read the Old Testament and are allowed to benefit from it, but they do not take everything in it as final. He spoke with authority as God’s own Son, a way of speaking that people marveled at. First, He is the Son of God as well as the Son of David. As He said, “In my Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Finally, Jesus is more than just another David because after three days He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to rule all nations. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 2. That story is complex. The religion of the Old Testament is the embryo of Christianity. Faithful Jews, however, believed Jeremiah’s word and similar prophecies by Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Micah, Zechariah, and all the prophets: that God would one day raise up a son of David to sit on his throne. God the Father, God, and God the Holy Spirit. It is a symptom of an ignorant and unhealthy state of religion when the law is lightly esteemed. Psalm 22, whose opening lines He quoted on the cross, “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me” (Matthew 27:46, Psalm 22:1), ends with triumph, “I will tell Thy name to my brethren.” (Psalm 22:22-31) The resurrected Jesus fulfills the words of Psalm 110 by sitting at God’s right hand, not on earth but in heaven. Noah--The waters now redeem us instead of destroying us. First, He is the fulfillment of the central feature of Israel’s God-given worship under the Mosaic Covenant, animal sacrifice. Jesus! One should not overlook what the Lord Jesus himself said: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). -- Luke 24:44-45, Wouldn’t you love to hear a tape of Jesus’ talk showing how He fulfilled the Old Testament? Jesus … All rights reserved. Jesus fulfills God’s Covenant with Adam by perfectly obeying the Law. Jesus and the apostles repeatedly cited OT Scripture that proved Him the Messiah. The People had waited for a thousand years. Jesus is the ultimate seed of promise. Does he have to be circumcised according to the Law of Moses and also believe in Christ? He inherits the promise of being a blessing to all nations of the earth when He grants salvation to all who trust in Him apart from works of the Law. Before expelling Adam from the Garden, God said, “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19) But God also left Adam and Eve with hope. Daily, weekly, and especially at the great feasts, the priests at the temple sacrificed animals on the altar. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:2-3) No wonder the Bible ends with the words, “Amen. First, He is the Son of God as well as the Son of David. I would. Let’s look more closely now at how Jesus fulfills God’s Covenant made through Moses. As Graeme Goldsworthy has argued, Jesus is “the goal and the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament” and is “the key to the Bible.” Therefore, everything about these laws is reinterpreted because Jesus is the center of God’s revelation, … He is the Prophet Who speaks for God to the people. But Jesus’ words take priority in the Christian’s life. The Old Covenant is to the New Covenant what promise is to fulfillment. Moses. This is how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament and makes it new. Jesus explicitly states that he is not attempting to dissolve or annul the authority and principles of the Old Testament but rather, is purposed to “fulfill them”, unfold their meaning and embody them in a living, human form. At the same time we are moving forward in time with the disciples as they grew in their understanding of Jesus. When Jesus said that all things about Him written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled, He referred to the entire Hebrew Bible I have just outlined, the Psalms standing for all the Writings. The writer to the Hebrews answers “No,” and shows why from the very sacrificial system of Moses. Core Truth: The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus reenact and fulfill the Old Testament story. The Old Covenant is recorded in Exodus 19-24 and more generally in Exodus to Deuteronomy. The key word here is “fulfill.” The New Testament authors, while valuing the Old Testament as revelation, saw Jesus to be the fulfillment of that revelation. ... the Old Testament scriptures. “How was Abraham justified?” By faith, the Bible says. On the Cross, Jesus completed the work as the great Mediator between God and man. Abraham--Through Jesus, all people of the world are blessed. By being the Son of David and God’s chosen Messiah to suffer for His people, rise to life, and ascend to heaven to rule, Jesus fulfills God’s Covenant with David beyond Israel’s wildest dreams. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. But God had promised David in a covenant that a son of his would always sit on the throne in Jerusalem. The saints in the Old Testament saw many things through a glass darkly. He is the Second Adam, the beginning of a new human race. (Isaiah 42:1-9, 49:3-13, 52:13-53:12) Messiah, the Servant of the Lord, would die to take away Israel’s sin. Genesis 3:15…..Seed of a woman (virgin birth)…..Luke 1:35, Matthew 1:18-20 2. 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