Ed Jones
The Old Testament records its anticipation of the Savior. However, the belief that Christ is the center of Scripture and the hermeneutical key to its proper interpretation has been the conviction of the Christian church from its very inception (Ephesians 1:1–6; Romans 16:25–27).
The Old Testament anticipates the Savior. Paul would declare before King Agrippa, “So I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” (Acts 26:22b–23).
Next, the gospels proclaim the incarnation of Christ. The word “incarnation” means “the act of being made flesh.” It comes from the Latin version of John 1:14, which in English reads, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” Because of the near-exclusive use of the Latin Vulgate in the church through the Middle Ages, the Latin term became standard. Biblical support for Jesus’ humanity is extensive.
The Book of Acts is in a very real sense the proclamation of Christ. The book of Acts provides a detailed, orderly, eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the early church and the spread of the gospel immediately after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Its narrative supplies a bridge connecting the life and ministry of Jesus to the life of the church and the witness of the earliest believers. The work also constructs a link between the Gospels and the Epistles. Written by Luke, Acts is the sequel to Luke’s Gospel, furthering his story of Jesus, and how he built his church. The book ends quite abruptly, suggesting to some scholars that Luke may have planned to write a third book to continue the story.
As a group, the Epistles are a definitive explanation of the person of Jesus Christ. They are the most spontaneous and the freest form of writing. The New Testament Epistles are the very life-blood of Christianity. They present theology, doctrine, truth, appeal, in terms of life, and pulsate with a vitality that will be fresh and re-creative until the end of time.
Finally, the Book of Revelation declares the glorification of Christ. To explain, I’ll use a quote from Billy Graham after viewing an impressionist painting: “For too long I suspect too many of us have examined the book of Revelation in the same manner. We’ve turned his great masterpiece into a series of images and brush strokes, and we’ve tried to outguess each other of the modern meaning of every star, dragon, and number. As a result, we’ve lost the grand design of the prophets’ mission. And we may have also missed the urgency of his warning.”
There you have it. The Old Testament anticipates Christ, the gospels reveal His incarnation, Acts proclaim Him, the Epistles explain His ministry, and Revelation records His glorification.
Ed Jones pastors Fellowship at the Ranch Church at Robson Ranch. This nondenominational church meets at the Robson clubhouse on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. For information, visit Fellowship’s website www.fellowshipattheranchchurch.com.