¶ … Jesus through the Old Testament
Christopher J.H. Wright's Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament is a book written to connect the two halves of scripture, in a way that helps Christians better understand that "…it is Jesus that gives meaning and validity to the events of Israel's Old Testament history."[footnoteRef:0] Wright is an Old Testament scholar -- an Ulsterman whose own parents had been Presbyterian missionaries in Brazil, although he would convert and become ordained in the Anglican church, and now resides in London where he directs an international ministry. His academic background is in historical study of the Old Testament, and his first full-length book was a study of economic ethics in the Old Testament. (He confesses endearingly, but unnecessarily, in the present work that he feels much less at ease with the New Testament as a scholar.) Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament is his second work, first published in 1990 and aimed at a more general readership. But it is, ultimately, a work of serious scholarship, whose goal is to investigate "the full significance of the Old Testament…in the light of where it leads -- the climactic achievement of Christ; and on the other hand, we are able to appreciate the full dimensions of what God did through Christ in the light of his historical declarations and demonstrations of intent in the Old Testament." [footnoteRef:1] [0 C.J.H. Wright. Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992), 27.] [1: Ibid., 33.]
Wright's book is composed of five longish chapters, each of which examines a facet of the Old Testament through the lens of Jesus' fulfillment and completion of its messianic prophecy. Wright offers us not only an invitation to be better Christians reading the Old Testament, he also invites us to consider Jesus reading it. The richness that Wright's reading gives to scripture, while avoiding the pitfall of glib or ghastly typological reading, make this book a work of humane exegesis. Wright breaks down his study of the relation between Jesus and the Old Testament into five basic areas. The first part examines the historical periods of Judaism through the lens of the genealogy depicted at the beginning of Matthew's gospel: from Abraham to David, then from David to exile, then the post-exilic period. Wright claims that "it is the story from which he acquired his identity and mission. It is also the story to which he gave significance and authority." [footnoteRef:2] The second part concentrates on the significance of the promise fulfilled by Christ: Wright thinks the Old Testament "sees Jesus as the final destination of an already recognized pattern of promise-fulfillment."[footnoteRef:3] The third looks at Old Testament narrative for "pictures and models" that would have guided Christ -- it is here that Wright distances himself from an overreliance on typological readings, noting "typology is a way of helping us understand Jesus in the light of the Old Testament. It is not the exclusive way to understand the full meaning of the Old Testament itself"[footnoteRef:4]. The fourth chapter defines Christ's mission in terms of the messiah's mission depicted in the Old Testament, and demonstrates how Christ accepted the terms of that mission: Wright's argument is particularly persuasive in this section, asserting that "mission lies at the very heart of all God's historical action in the Bible. Mission to his fallen, suffering, sinful human creation, and indeed ultimately to his whole creation as well. That is why he called Abraham, sent Jesus, and commissioned his apostles."[footnoteRef:5] And the concluding chapter explore's Christ's reaction to contemporary Judaism, particularly the legalism of the Pharisees, before concluding by noting what he himself hopes that he was able to accomplish in these five chapters: "We have seen that the Old Testament tells the story which Jesus completed. It declares the promise which he fulfilled. It provides the pictures and models which shaped his identity. It programmes a mission which he accepted and passed on. It teaches a moral orientation to God and the world which he endorsed, sharpened, and laid as the foundation for obedient discipleship."[footnoteRef:6] [2: Ibid., 27.] [3: Ibid., 74.] [4: Ibid., 116.] [5: Ibid., 175.] [6: Ibid., 252.]
But the central thrust of Wright's study is to look at the Old Testament through Christ, and also through Christ's eyes.In some sense, we could say that Wright'a perspective in this work intends to give the reader a sort of intellectual...
Greidanus' Preaching Christ from the Old Testament and Merrill's Everlasting Dominion: A Theology of the Old Testament may be compared and contrasted on the grounds that both approach the Old Testament Scriptures, though each does it a different and unique way. Greidanus' method of examining the Old Testament is to approach it from the perspective of the New Testament -- namely, to show how Christ is evident all throughout the
Jesus Through the Old Testament There is no denying the impact of Jesus on Christianity and on many of the fundamental tenets that form the core of this particular religion. However, the fulfillment of the prophecy that Jesus manifested is merely one in a long line of prophecies that stem from the Old Testament. Oftentimes, this fact is overlooked by modern evangelism and teaching about Christianity. However, this very topic
He considers that one would be an ignorant if he were to declare himself a true Christian without being acquainted with parts of the Old Testament. It would be wrong if someone were to interpret the Old Testament on the basis of the information in the New Testament. This would mean that the New Testament is the perfect interpretation of the Old Testament. However, the truth is that the more
In Genesis 3:15, God said, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel." According to some biblical experts, this is an oblique reference to the coming of Messiah. This is taken by many as one of the earliest Messianic prophecies describing Satan's brief victory over the Messiah and the Messiah's ultimate
Christopher Wright's book In contemporary times, many modern and post-modern Christian churches and denominations focus almost explicitly on deconstructing passages in the New Testament to reinforce the value of Jesus and his effect on Christianity. As such, there has been a dearth of emphasis on the Old Testament and its role in not only facilitating the New Testament, but also in influencing the life and position of Jesus as the
Introduction The God of the Old Testament has been viewed by scholars as something different from that of the New Testament. This mischaracterization is often produced by placing emphasis in the Old Testament on the God’s insistence that infidels be dealt with in a bloody manner (Deuteronomy 9:4-5), whereas God in the New Testament appears to preach mercy and charity and turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-40). Yet what the scholars
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