Years ago, my father gave me a copy of a list entitled, “New Testament Quotations of Old Testament Passages.” As a student of the Bible, my father was a treasure trove of resources for anyone who wanted to study or teach the scriptures. For many years, he was, in fact, a teacher of teachers in my home church, researching and sharing his knowledge with teachers in preparation for the following Sunday’s lesson. I always loved this about him, and am thankful for a father who not only loved God’s Word but shared it with so many.
In 2010, after my return to the United States from twenty years in overseas mission service, I pulled out this sheet and used it for a deep-dive study into God’s Word. I wanted to see how the Old Testament scriptures influenced and were used by both Jesus and other New Testament writers, and I purposefully focused on how they were applied to the situation at that time but also how we could apply them today.
This verse from the Apostle Paul to the believers in Rome became the focus for my study:
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
Romans 15:4 (NIV)
As Paul talks about how everything that was given to us in the past was meant to teach us, he also goes on to say that in the encouragement we receive from God’s Word, we are maturing toward the goal of having the same attitude as Christ, learning to accept each other as brothers and sisters in Christ to the praise of God. He then says:
For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.
Romans 15:8-9
What were the promises God made to the patriarchs? That his people would praise him among the nations, bringing Gentiles and Jews together in faith and worship of Christ the King.
Many times, as Christians, we neglect the Old Testament as unnecessary to our faith. It’s all about Christ, after all, so why do we need the books written before his coming? How many blessings have we denied ourselves by neglecting the importance of every book of the Bible? When we realize how many times Jesus quotes the Torah, Psalms, and prophets, we come to understand that each word finds its fulfillment in him, and we are richer in faith for it.
If I want my attitude to grow to be the same as that of Christ, then I need to know Scripture. This is my goal for the coming year, as I will share each Friday one of the many Old Testament verses referenced by either Jesus or the writers of the Gospels and Epistles. I pray that you will join me and grow in your faith, in the God who gives us endurance and encouragement, to be of the same mind as Christ.
God’s Word is alive and active, whether it’s found in the Old or New Testaments. May this exercise of study draw us deeper in love with his Word and be used by God to sharpen our faith and witness.
Grace and Peace
To see other series from my Friday Focus posts, start with these posts: Gems from Genesis, A Message to Be Believed, Lessons from the Mountainside, Walking in His Love, The Good Shepherd, Comfort in the Darkness, Vine Life
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