God’s Story Is Our Story: From Genesis To JesusSample

Reflecting on the last week: As we come to the final week of our reading plan, this passage is a fitting conclusion. It reminds us that the whole Old Testament points to Jesus. Jesus is the serpent crusher of Genesis 3:15. He is the offspring of Abraham through whom God’s blessing reached the nations. He is the promised descendant of Judah and David who received an everlasting kingdom. He is our passover lamb, covering our sins so that we might live. He is the true and better Exodus, freeing a people from slavery to sin and death in order to follow him. He is the fulfillment of the law, not only in that he obeyed it, but also that he proclaimed it with perfection. He is the messiah and the suffering servant whose sacrifice inaugurated God’s reign. He is the incarnation of the LORD, who established his rule on earth as it is in heaven. He is the Son of Man and the Ancient of Days foretold by Daniel, who takes all authority from the powers of the world and entrusts it to his people for the good of the world. He is our high priest, and the fulfillment of every day of atonement—dying as the once-for-all sacrifice for our sins. He is the one through whom God brings new creation. He is the one Jeremiah and Ezekiel foretold, who sends God’s spirit to indwell every believer, and establishes a new covenant: renewing hearts and inscribing them with his law. He is the true Israel, a light to the nations. He is God’s perfect covenant partner. He is the shepherd of true Israel, his church, through whom he continues to bless the nations and build his kingdom. Jesus’ true identity comes to life when we understand him in light of the Old Testament story. He is far more marvelous and shocking and subversive and glorious and amazing than he ever was apart from it. As for us, we are called to become worshipful witnesses to Jesus. We also take up the Old Testament as our heritage, our family history. Just as it shaped Christ’s whole life, so we are invited to let it shape our lives and our community. We learn from the failures of our parents and confess our own. We allow our families, our vocations and our whole lives to be subsumed into God’s kingdom-building mission. We find our ultimate hope transformed—we long for God’s kingdom and new creation. Jesus is truly the alpha and the omega. The beginning and the end.  The one to whom belongs all glory, dominion and worship forever and ever.