Here are the notes:
I. Why Write a Book God?
As Evangelicals, we believe that what we call “The Bible” is a written record of the revelation of God. It would have been simple for God to align stars to spell His name for everyone, or to continue to manifest Himself in a cloud of fire and talk to people all the time, wouldn’t it? Or, he could have just told Adam or some prophet everything he wanted to say so that there could be a nice, neat manual on how to live life. No, instead, God rolled out a picture of himself over a painstakingly long period of time (over 2000 years), in hundreds of ways, to a relatively small group of people (and only around 40 of them wrote about it). Why do such a thing? For one reason: to prepare the way to come in the flesh and speak directly to people about who He is, who we are, and to definitively proclaim His greatness though His own death and resurrection. With such an infinitely laborious and comprehensive project, a written record is the only way to capture such magnificence outside of His immediate presence.
II. How Can the Whole Bible Be About Jesus?
When understood as fragments or pieces, it is very difficult to see how the whole Bible is about Jesus. The four gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John) and the rest of the New Testament may be clearly centered on Him, but the Old Testament seemingly talks about Him indirectly and not very often. Well, from the opening chapters of Genesis, there is a promise and expectation of an offspring or child that will crush his enemies and rule over the world (Genesis 3:15). The Old Testament puts into place people, events, & places that give layers and meaning (significance) to this promise which is fulfilled in Christ. Jesus himself had this perspective of the Old Testament and taught it to His disciples.
Matthew 5:17-18 “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. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Matthew 26:52-56 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” 55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. 56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
John 5:39-47 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
Luke 24:13-27 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
How can this be so? The Old Testament never refers explicitly to the name Jesus the Christ or Jesus of Nazareth. If I wrote a letter or even a book about you, and never even mentioned your name, how could I say that what I was writing was about you? Well, I could refer to you in other ways other than your name. I could refer to you as the husband or wife of so and so. I could refer to you as the son or daughter of so and so. I could refer to you by your occupation or title at your work. I could refer to you as the man or women who live at such and such address. I could refer to you by way of comparison to other people you may resemble or the type of person you are in order to paint a picture in people’s minds. God employs all of these means to describe the coming Messiah of Israel and Savior of the world in the Old Testament. Jesus and the authors of the New Testament understood the patterns of description about Jesus in the Old Testament, and focused quite specifically on His resemblance to figures and events in the Old Testament. He is:
- A new Temple (John 2:18-22) 18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
- A new Sacrifice (John 1:29) The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
- A new Noah (Luke 17:26) Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
- A new Moses (John 1:17) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
- A new Covenant (Mark 14:22-24) And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
- A new David (Matthew 12:1-6) At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?
- A new Solomon (Matthew 12:42) The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
- A new Elijah (Mark 6:15) King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”
- A new Jonah (Luke 11:29-30) When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
- A new Exodus (Luke 9:29-31) And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
