"It's All About Me"

What is the purpose of the Old Testament? There are actually a few, including setting the state for God being the Creator of the universe, and setting the stage for what the character of God is like through the Law.

But there is one main purpose of the Old Testament that we must always keep in mind or we will misunderstand the whole thing.

That is, that the entire thing - from Genesis to Malachi is about one thing: Jesus Christ. You won't find the words Jesus Christ in the Old Testament - but if you look for the Hebrew words Joshua and Messiah you will. Jesus is the Greek word for Joshua and Messiah changed to Greek is Christ - they both mean "Anointed One."

All the stories and prophecies and Psalms - they are all about God's Messiah: the Savior who came to redeem the world from the fatal disease called sin.

Think about it like a "V". On the left side of the V everything looks forward Jesus' life, death, burial and resurrection. On the right side everything looks back at what He has done. Jesus Himself said this too:

Luke 24:44-48 "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ESV

So if you have a hard time with the Old Testament, it may simply be that you have the wrong focus. Think about it in terms of God's Messiah and it'll all make sense.

Pastor Tom