Some modern believers in Jesus have distanced themselves from what Christians call the Old Testament.
As a pastor I have heard more than one person say that while the New Testament is all about God’s love, the Old Testament is a book of wrath. Well, this isn’t true—God’s love and wrath are present in both books. Some theologians have even argued that the Old Testament is entirely irrelevant for Christians. This isn’t true either.
The Old Testament is actually as important as the New Testament; for the two are intimately connected.
You will understand very little of the second book if you are unacquainted with the first. A quick and easy way to understand the Old Testament for Christians is as the lead up story to Jesus’ entrance into the world—and an exciting story it is!
Perhaps one way of thinking about it—to borrow a phrase from the entertainment industry— is as the “origin” story explaining why Jesus came into the world. He was the Messiah, the ultimate king and deliverer promised to the Jewish people, who would bring ultimate peace and justice into the world. In the Old Testament we read about the promise God made to the Israelites that would be fulfilled in Christ. While, there are certainly aspects that do not directly apply to our lives today, in the pages of the Old Testament we see how God worked through the people of Israel to bring redemption to the world.
Another important reason that Christians should not disregard the Old Testament is because of the high value Jesus placed upon it. If our Lord upheld the ancient scriptures, who are we to disregard them? Jesus makes very clear that he did not come to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfill (Mathew 5: 17). Therefore we who claim Christ as Lord should strive to learn as much as we can about the Hebrew Scriptures.
The benefit is a better understanding of the New Testament. As we increase our knowledge base, our lives as followers of Jesus will be enriched.
