In the previous two blogs, I’ve listed five reasons to continue reading the Old Testament:

• “All scripture” is inspired and profitable
• Paul preached “the whole counsel of God”
• Some of the New Testament doesn’t make sense without it
• There are principles there you won’t discover anywhere else
• There are examples to follow or avoid

Here’s the last one that I’ll write about. You want to read the Old Testament because…

Jesus is there!

He may not be in every chapter, but he is there, as far back as Genesis 3.15. (And that’s not counting Genesis 1: “Let us make man in our image…”).

Here’s a sermon I would like to have heard:

And [Jesus] said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24.25 – 27, ESV)

Beginning with Moses (Genesis – Deuteronomy) and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. For example:

The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen… (Deuteronomy 18.15, ESV)

¹  My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?
⁶  But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
⁷  All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
⁸  “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” (Psalm 22.1, 6 – 8, ESV)

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor… (Isaiah 61.1, 2, ESV – compare Luke 4.18 – 21)

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53.5, 6, NKJV)

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12.10, ESV)

So let’s keep reading, even the Old Testament! (And don’t forget to supplement when necessary with Mark’s Gospel or the Psalms.)