Jesus in the Old Testament

Since December of 2022, we’ve been diving deep into the book of Hebrews as a church. This epistle reveals so much about who Jesus is, what He has done in the past, what He continues to do in the present, and what He will accomplish in the future. Hebrews is such a rich book that constantly points us back to the Old Testament and how Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of the promises of God. Many Christians tend to skip over the Old Testament in favor of the New Testament. The NT pages of their Bibles are marked up and worn while many of the OT pages are pristine and even stick together from lack of reading. But I hope and pray that it’s been obvious throughout this seres that you miss out on so much essential theology and blessing when you neglect the OT section of your Bible. By largely ignoring the OT, you are ignoring 75% of God’s Word. The 39 books of the OT are just as inspired and important as the 27 books of the NT. The OT constantly points forward to the person and work of Jesus Christ and this truth is made evident all thought the gospels and the epistles.

The greatest example of this is Jesus’ time with two of his followers on the Road to Emmaus after His resurrection. These two guys are bummed out because of Jesus’ death on the cross and they didn’t understand the true significance of His empty tomb. Jesus plays a bit of a holy prank on them by disguising His appearance from them. He eventually reveals to them that the Messiah had to suffer, die, and then rise from the grave. Then “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself,” (Luke 24:27 ESV). As He sits and eats with them later He says, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was with you, that everything written about me in the Law and Prophets would be fulfilled,” (Luke 24:44 ESV). So, according to Jesus, who is the OT all about? Himself! Jesus perfectly kept the Law of God which we never could. He fulfilled the promises and prophecies written about Him by men such as Isaiah, Zechariah, and Micah. We also see Jesus pop up throughout the OT in two other ways: Christophanies and foreshadowing.

A Christophany is a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ in the OT. Below are several examples.

1. The LORD Appeared to Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 18:1-33) - In Genesis 18, we are told that the LORD appears to Abraham and Sarah. This visitor who is labeled as the LORD can’t be the Father because the Bible tells us that the Father is spirit and He has never been seen and will never be seen. This isn’t the Holy Spirit because we only see Him appearing in the likeness of a dove and tongues of fire in the gospels and the book of Acts; He never appears in the form of a man throughout Scripture. So, this divine visitor must be Jesus in His pre-incarnate state because no other explanation makes sense according to Scripture.

2. The Angel of the Lord - This special and very specific angel pops up throughout the Old Testament and scholars have different opinions on who this figure is but the overwhelming majority agree that the Angel of the Lord is Jesus Christ in His pre-incarnate form. Why do many OT scholars and I believe that this angel is Jesus Himself? There are several reasons: (1) He speaks with divine authority – He often says things that only God could say and even swears by Himself which no angel or mere human being ever does throughout Scripture. Only God could swear by Himself which He did with Abraham according to Genesis 22:16 and Hebrews 6:13. (2) He appears to have to have omniscient knowledge (3) He identifies as God and is often identified as God by those whom He appears to – Hagar identifies the Angel of the Lord as God, in Genesis 22. The Angel of the Lord and the Lord are spoken about as if they are one and the same person. After Samson’s father encounters the angel, he tells his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!” (Judges 13:22). When the Angel appears to Jacob in a dream He says, “I am the God of Bethel,” (Genesis 31:13). The Angel of the Lord wrestles with Jacob (Genesis 32:22-32), appears to Moses out of the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-4:17), and calls Gideon to fight against the Midianites (Judges 6:11-27).

3. The Commander of the Lord’s Army (Joshua 5:13-15) - Before the Israelites’ famous march around Jericho, Joshua is approached by the Commander of the Lord’s army. This must be a Christophany because Joshua bows down and worships at the commander’s feet and He isn’t rebuked for doing so. If this commander was just an angel, He would have yelled at Joshua and redirected this worship to the Lord. But since He was the second member of the Trinity, He accepted Joshua’s worship because he was more than worthy of it.

4. The Fiery Furnace (Daniel 3:8-30) - After Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown into the furnace for refusing to bow down before the king’s statue, Nebuchadnezzar looks in to see that not only are these three men not hurt but there is a fourth figure among them. Nebuchadnezzar says to his guards, “I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods,” (3:25).

I’m a big film buff and I love to watch movies; one of the greatest devices of the film medium is foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is when a filmmaker or writer warns the audience of a particular plot point or event that will come to pass later on in the story. One of the most famous examples of foreshadowing in film occurs in The Empire Strikes Back. In this movie, Luke Skywalker goes to the planet of Dagobah to be trained by the great Jedi master, Yoda. During his training, he duels with a vision of Darth Vader; at the end of this quick fight, Luke cuts off Vader helmeted head. Once the helmet hits the ground, the mask explodes and Luke sees his own face staring back at him. This foreshadows that Darth Vader is actually Luke’s father which we discover at the very end of the movie (spoiler alert for a 40-year-old movie). In a much greater way, the OT foreshadows or points towards Jesus through many characters and events. Theologians identify these examples of foreshadowings as types; David Murray describes types in this way: “A type is a real person, place, object, or event that God ordained to act as a predictive pattern or resemblance of Jesus’ person and work.” [1] To be clear, types are not allegories; allegories are almost always fictional stories or examples that speak to spiritual truths while types are historical people, events, places, or objects that point forward to Jesus. Below are several examples of types:

1. Jesus is the greater and better Adam who succeeded in all the ways that our first representative failed.

2. Jesus is the greater and better Noah who brought us onto the ark of salvation and saved us from the overwhelming flood of God’s wrath.

3. Jesus is the greater and better Isaac who willingly laid down His life on the altar of sacrifice.

4. Jesus is the greater and better Moses who led God’s people out of slavery to Satan, sin, and death.

5. Jesus is the greater and better Passover lamb whose blood covers us from eternal death.

6. Jesus is the greater and better bronze serpent who we look to for salvation from the deadly illness of sin.

7. Jesus is the greater and better David whose rule over the entire earth will never come to an end.

8. Jesus is the greater and better Jonah who descended into the belly of the grave for three days and three nights but rose again.

I could go on and on with more examples but this post is long enough already! I hope that it’s apparent to you that Jesus is all over the OT and you can spot Him like a Where’s Waldo book if you have the eyes to see. If this topic fascinates you and you want to know more, I recommend two fantastic books to you: Jesus on Every Page: 10 Simple Ways to Seek and Find Christ in the Old Testament by David Murray and What is Biblical Theology? by James M. Hamilton Jr.

[1]Jesus on Every Page: 10 Simple Ways to Seek and Find Christ in the Old Testament, David Murray, pg. 138.

How to Grow as an Encourager

This past Sunday, I wrapped up my sermon by expounding upon the end of Hebrews 10:25 in which we are called to encourage “one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near,” (ESV). In other words, the day of Jesus’ return is drawing ever nearer so let’s stop pushing each other down and start pulling each other up. Let us be known as encouragers instead of critics. Maybe you’ve realized that you tend towards negativity and criticism. Maybe you want to grow in your capacity and ability to encourage but you’re not sure where to start. Below are four practical considerations and methods for growing in encouragement:

1. Filter Everything You Say Through the Lens of God’s Word - I am prone to sarcasm and I can intentionally or unintentionally use my mouth to hurt others. I’ve come a long way from how I used to talk in high school and college but the Lord is still maturing me in choosing my words carefully. Ephesians 4:29 has been a guiding light for me over the past 14 years, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear,” (ESV). Paul provides a convicting and helpful filter that you need to run your words through before they exit out of your mouth. According to this filter, you should never say anything that will tear someone down instead of build them up. This means that you cannot just say whatever you are thinking or hide behind the excuse that you are a “straight shooter who tells it like it is.” This means that you will need to hold some jokes in that would be funny. This means that you need to consider how to phrase a tough suggestion or word of advice that a family member or friend needs to hear. This filter will help you to avoid saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and it will also keep you from saying the right thing at the wrong time. Notice that Paul says our words must fit the occasion. The setting and timing of our words matter just as much as the content of our words. I guarantee that this God-given filter will save you and others from a lot of pain and heartache.

2. Celebrate the Wins of Others and Speak Hope Into Their Failures - The Lord has been teaching me that an important sign of maturity is the ability to be genuinely excited for the wins of others. It’s so easy to be envious when life is going well for someone else. It’s easy to be threatened when someone in your sphere of influence accomplishes an impressive goal. On the other hand, it’s godly to be pleased that the Lord is blessing someone that you care about with success. It’s Christlike to be happy when someone else accomplishes a worthwhile task. Instead of sulking on the sidelines of someone’s success, get into the game and offer them your heartfelt congratulations. Also, do not revel in the failures and losses of others. Their failures do not equal your own success. Enter into their pain to offer them the hope of the gospel and the comfort of Christ.

3. Let Others Know That You are Praying for Them - At Harvest, we always say to pray for someone right now when a need is expressed instead of just saying that you’ll do it later and end up forgetting. In the same vein, reach out to that individual throughout the week to let them know that you are continually lifting up their requests to the Lord. Set reminders on your phone to intercede on their behalf before the throne of grace and to contact them via text or a phone call with a message of how you are specifically praying for them. You will make someone’s day by simply letting them know that you took the time to approach the Lord on their behalf. Paul encourages us at the end of Ephesians to be “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” (6:18 ESV). Be diligent in praying for others just as much as you pray for yourself.

4. Send Handwritten Notes and Letters - As someone with atrocious handwriting that never developed in appearance since 4th grade, this suggestion pains me. My handwriting is embarrassingly bad but I still try to send out notes to people on a weekly basis because this old fashioned discipline communicates care and intentionality. Paul typically dictated his epistles to someone else who put pen to paper but he was very emphatic about pointing out whenever he actually wrote on the page with his own hand (Galatians 6:11 & 2 Thessalonians 3:17). He did this to draw his readers’ attention to his own care for their souls and to certain truths that they could not afford to ignore. FaceTime, text messaging, and phone calls are helpful tools but cannot replace the blessing and impact of receiving a handwritten letter. Make a list of people in your life that would benefit from notes of encouragement and be diligent in writing at least one or two a month. Guys reading this blog post: writing letters and notes is not a feminine or girly activity. This is a godly activity that will bless and benefit others guys in your life that desperately need to be lifted up and encouraged.

5 Quick Tips for Family Devotions

This past Sunday, I taught on the importance of discipling our children and raising them in the instruction of God’s Word. So many parents feel totally unequipped to carry out this important task and they let fear paralyze them. Please don’t let this be true of you and your family. As I said in my sermon, God doesn’t expect you to be the perfect teacher; He simply expects you to show up and do your best. You will fall and stumble in your responsibilities (I know I do) but you will learn from your mistakes and grow in your ability as a discipler and teacher. I want to offer you 5 quick tips that you can apply to your family devotional times right now.

1. Start and End with Prayer - Prayer is the cornerstone of any devotional time. It is a wise practice to bookend the reading and studying of God’s Word with prayer. Before you open up the pages of the Bible, bow before the Lord and ask for His wisdom and guidance. As you close the Bible, ask the Lord to help your family act upon what you just learned. This is the perfect time to walk your kids through the ACTS Prayer Model: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. Kids need to know that prayer isn’t just asking for things and treating God like a divine vending machine. When we pray, we praise the Lord, we confess our sins, we thank Him for all His good gifts, and we lift up our requests as well as the needs of others.

2. Sing to the Lord - As you read through Scripture, the Psalms in particular, it becomes abundantly clear that the Lord loves to be worshipped in song. We are constantly commanded to sing to the Lord and praise Him for who He is and what He has done for us. Singing songs as a family may be awkward for some of you but it’s a powerful practice and learning tool. I know my son loves to sing popular songs like Wheels on the Bus and Circle of Life but we have also trained him to sing Christian songs like Jesus Loves Me and The Lord is My Shepherd. He may not understand what he’s singing right now but the lyrics are burned into his brain and we are teaching him important theology. During your devotional time, pull up a solid and theologically rich song on YouTube that you can sing along with as a family. Classic and contemporary hymns are a great place to start: Amazing Grace, In Christ Alone, Crown Him with Many Crowns, etc.

3. Focus on the Gospel and the Major Storyline of the Bible - As you read through a book of the Bible or devotional as a family, never lose sight of the basics. Constantly and clearly lay out the basics of the gospel message to your kids. They need to hear it and you need to hear it. The gospel shines through every book of the Bible and your kids need to know that God’s grace is evident on every page. We need to read the Bible through the lens of Jesus Christ. Also, the Bible is the greatest and most important story of all and it has a structure that your kids need to understand. Here’s the structure: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration (C.F.R.R.) God created the earth and mankind but we rebelled against Him and chose to sin. That could have been the end of the story. But the Lord chose to show grace by sending His son to live a perfect life, die upon a cross, rise again, and ascend back into Heaven. Anyone who believes in Christ and trusts in Him alone for forgiveness will be saved. One day, Jesus will return to make all things new and destroy evil forever. We will then spend eternity with Him and other believers in perfect peace and harmony. Make sure that your kids understand the four major points of the biblical story. For younger kids, The Jesus Storybook Bible, by Sally Lloyd-Jones is a fantastic resource. It will point your kids to Christ and lay out the basics of C.F.R.R.

4. Ask Your Kids Questions and Make Room for Their Questions - Obviously, this is a time for you to teach your kids so you’ll end up doing most of the talking. But make sure to ask your kids good questions that don’t lead to simple “Yes” or “No” answers. Quiz them on what you just studied as a family and ask how they can apply the lesson to their lives that week. Before you wrap up in prayer, check to see if they have any questions. To be honest, they’ll most likely say no or ask a totally off the wall question that has nothing to do with what you just studied. THAT’S OKAY! Most days, they’ll look at you with blank eyes or try to be silly but some days, they’ll ask a profound question that sparks a great conversation.

5. Be Patient and Don’t Expect Immediate Results - There will be days when your kids don’t want to engage in family devotions. They’ll looked checked out and bored. They may even complain, roll their eyes, or let out dramatic sighs of annoyance. Please, don’t let this discourage or dissuade you from engaging in this important discipline. Some of the teenagers in my previous ministry who seemed the most checked out were actually the most dialed in. They listened to me and absorbed way more information than I ever thought possible based on their prickly demeanor. You never know how God is moving and working in your kids’ hearts. Let us take a page out of our heavenly Father’s book as He is continually long-suffering and patient with us despite our complaining and grumbling. Be patient even where there appears to be no immediate fruit from your labors. Remember that you’re playing the long game with their kids’ spiritual development. Consistency and faithfulness over a long period of time can lead to amazing and astounding results.

Cutting Room Floor: Ecclesiastes 12:1-8

On Sunday (9/18), we saw Solomon's call in Ecclesiastes to live on purpose: be a good citizen, be generous, enjoy life! His charge ended with a picturesque description of getting old.

I was going to give a little explanation of these phrases / pictures during the sermon, but decided instead to share it here on the blog. Some of these seem pretty obvious, some maybe not as much!

1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;

As we learned – this is the point. Seek the Lord while you are young. Don't wait until you are old and bitter – it may be too late then!

What follows is the list of the things that go with old age:

2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain,

This verse refers to mental faculties. Brain fog, being a little fuzzy upstairs.

3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed,

The keepers of the house = the arms. Weakening, trembling.

The strong men = the legs. Bent, stooped over.

The grinders… are few = your teeth falling out!

Those who look… dimmed = eyesight failing.

4 and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low—

Doors shut, grinding low = this refers to your hearing failing.

Rises up… sound of a bird = somehow our hearing is failing but we can't sleep. The slightest little noise can keep us up!

Daughters of song = I believe this is speaking of the spark. That zest for life that we have as kids that we lose as we get older.

5 they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal fhome, and the mourners go about the streets—

Afraid of what is high = somehow age makes us less brave. I remember jumping off bridges as a kid. Now I'm not as fond of heights. I don't even like being this tall.

Terrors in the way = again, afraid. More and more – afraid to leave the house. What if there's an accident? What if someone comes after me to rob me? What if the weather is bad?

Almond tree blossoms = hair turning white.

Grasshopper drags itself = you will understand this when you are 40. Trying to get out of bed, everything hurts, you just pull your broke down body along.

Desire fails = many people are glad that, as last thing on the list, it's likely Solomon is saying: this is the last thing to go.

6 before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,

These are all parts of the human physiology, that, if suddenly injured, can lead to instant death:

Silver cord = spinal cord.

Golden bowl = skull.

Pitcher = heart.

Wheel = blood circulation (bleeding out).

7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

8 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.

Beautiful and sad. Solomon's point is clear: you are getting old, wearing out, heading to your death. Seek the Lord before all of this!

Pastor Jeff

-I'm older than I've ever been