Q. Is there a need to study the Old Testament since the teachings of Jesus are in the New Testament?

         Great question! The Bible is divided into Old Testament and New Testament (see the table of contents in your Bible). But many people struggle with reading the Old Testament since many passages do not seem to relate to our lives as easily as those of the New Testament. However we must be careful not to think that the Old Testament lacks the teachings of Jesus. In fact, when teaching his disciples after being raised from the dead, Jesus revealed to them “in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:27). 

There are all kinds of ways that the gospel of Jesus is foreshadowed in the Old Testament; from detailed predictions about Jesus’ life made hundreds of years in advance (Isaiah 53:1-9; Micah 5:2), to subtle foreshadowings that only made sense once Christ had come (compare John 3:14-15 with Numbers 21:4-9). Tracking down all these “Easter eggs” is one of my favorite ways to study the Bible. Instead of “Where’s Waldo?” we can play “Where’s Jesus in the Old Testament?” 

Many wonderful and life-changing truths are hidden in Old Testament passages (Like Psalm 23, and Isaiah 40:21-31). And even though it takes a little more leg work to unearth them, the reward is more than worth the effort!

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