OT Tuesday: Jesus Loved The Old Testament

Many times I've heard it said that we don't need to study the Old Testament because it's Old, everything we need to know is in the New Testament. That's sort of like saying "I'm trying to emulate Sir Isaac Newton, I don't need to know anything about math or physics."

Jesus loved the Old Testament and quoted it quite often, and why not? It is the law, it is the story of God's chosen people, it is His autobiography. Throughout His ministry on Earth, Jesus quoted the Old Testament and taught from the scriptures always confirming its accuracy and authenticity. Jesus Himself stated bluntly not to ignore the Old Testament nor because the messiah is here do not think that it was replaced:

17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17-18)

Jesus constantly quoted scripture to His disciples, His students, and the pharisees, and always referring to the Old Testament as the word of God, the Holy Truth. He stated this over and over in Matthew 19:4, Matthew 24:38-39, Mark 12:26, Luke 11:51, Luke 17:29, John 3:14, and John 8:56 just to mention a few times Jesus was recorded referring to the Old Testament. The Apostles quoted scripture quite often in their epistles also. Don't forget that Paul was a well educated rabbi well on his way to the upper echelons of Jewish religion and politics until Jesus intervened on the road to Damascus  So like Jesus, Paul began preaching the Good News using Old Testament scripture as a teaching aid, as an example, and as the absolute truth.

Jesus emphasized that Scripture was necessary to and sufficient for salvation. In His parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) a rich man had died and was in hell, and was speaking to Abraham, he begged to be allowed to return to warn his brothers about the horrors of hell, Abraham replied that they have Moses and the Prophets (the Old Testament scriptures) and his brothers should study those scriptures. Lazarus said that if a dead man came to warn them, they'd be convinced, but Abraham replied that if they didn't believe scripture "even if someone rose from the dead they'd not be convinced"

Jesus even used scripture's authority to establish his own authority. At a Sabbath service in a Nazareth synagogue He read from Isaiah:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are  oppressed, 19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” 20 And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Isaiah 61:1) (Luke 4:18-21)

Jesus quoted the Old Testament scriptures often and  used them as the absolute authority that they are. The Old Testament is more that stories of Noah's ark, splitting the Red Sea, and blowing trumpets in Jericho. It's the authoritative, inspired word of God and everything that happened in the Gospels was recorded in the Old Testament. It's the basis of our faith, because it's the basis of Jesus' teaching, and well worth our effort to study.