For several years, I’ve taught Bible classes for West Coast Bible College at training conferences in Africa and elsewhere. One covers the Old Testament and another reviews the New Testament. We pack a lot in these seminars which shouldn’t be surprising. After all, the New Testament consists of 27 individual books or letters, while the Old Testament has 39! An average Bible is about 2000 pages long, so God’s Word isn’t a quick read. It takes time to plow through it!
We know that the New Testament focuses on the Lord Jesus Christ. The four Gospels cover His life, death, and resurrection, while Acts recounts the history of the early church spreading His good news throughout Israel and the Roman Empire.
Most of the New Testament documents are letters written by the apostles to churches and their leaders to help them deal with issues that competed with the Lordship of Jesus. And the last book of the Bible, Revelation, portrays the return of Jesus to establish the kingdom of God on earth.
What about the Old Testament? Does it hold value for Christians only as it prophesies about Jesus? If so, we’re free to disregard any part that doesn’t speak of the future Messiah.
But that’s not what Jesus thought about it.
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” – Luke 24:27
Soon after His resurrection, two disciples of the Lord were taking a walk to the city of Emmaus. On their journey, they discussed the news that Christ’s body was gone. But how to make sense of it?
Jesus Himself appeared and joined them, but they didn’t recognize Him. He asked them what they were talking about, and they explained about the missing body of the man they regarded as a prophet.
Yes, Jesus is a prophet–He reveals the will of God to people. But He’s so much more! Yet, these disciples didn’t know that. So Christ taught them about Himself by unpacking the Scriptures–the Old Testament.
This wasn’t the first time Jesus did this. In one of His many debates, Christ rebuked the Jewish leaders for missing the point of God’s Word.
“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” – John 5:39-40
Sad, isn’t it? These experts in the Bible missed its intention, which was to bring people to Jesus.
We could conclude that studying the Word doesn’t matter; only knowing Christ does. But this would be a mistake. Let me illustrate.
Think of the Christian life as a home. Regardless of how your childhood experience was, inside your heart you want a positive, safe, and warm place to live. A residence filled with love and security. That’s home.
Such living quarters require two things (I’m simplifying, I know!): a house and a hearth. Anything you like can serve as that house. You can envision a lavish mansion, a quaint cottage, or a high-rise apartment in a big city. Whatever you imagine, that house represents the Old Testament.
But houses need heat; you have to install a hearth. Before modern electrical systems, people put the hearth in the center of their house to heat as much of it as they could. Jesus is the hearth of the Old Testament. He’s the center that generates warmth, comfort, and relationship.
As disciples, we need both. A house without a hearth might look impressive, but no one would want to live in a cold and dark environment. A hearth is great, but if you want the fire to last, you have to shelter it.
When we combine a house and a hearth, we get a home. So also in God’s plan; when we integrate the Scripture and the Savior, we get a full picture of His spiritual kingdom.
If we want to understand the Bible, we will do so only as we draw close to Jesus. And if we want to comprehend who Christ is and what He’s done for us, we must explore His Word. As we pursue Jesus through Scripture and Scripture through Jesus, we settle into our spiritual home. And that’s a wonderful place to be!
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