One Of The Best Reasons To Study The Old Testament

If there is no other reason to study the Old Testament other than the historical and theological value, it is the chief principle of seeing Jesus. It might be strange to study a collection of 39 books in which His name is never mentioned, but His purpose and motive is entirely revealed to the initial recipients of God.

The immediate moments of Jesus’ resurrection are strangely peculiar. No one found Him in the tomb, and when He first appeared to His disciples, He was incognito. The text says their eyes were “kept from recognizing Him” (Luke 24:16). Perhaps in some sort of text of faith Jesus blinded them from perceiving Him. It could have also been a learning moment.

He entertained their account of all that had happened by asking why they appeared to be sad (24:19). Jesus then capitalized on the moment and began preaching the things concerning the Messiah “beginning from Moses, and all the Prophets” (24:27). This all eventually led to their eyes being opened (24:31).

By opening the scriptures of the Old Testament, Jesus was able to open the eyes and minds of His disciples (24:31, 32, 45). Spanning nearly 4,000 of human history, the Hebrew texts all point toward Jesus — the redeemer of mankind. It is through Jesus that God’s presence was made personal. It’s through Him that God’s glory was manifested. It’s through the Son, that man can likewise be called children of the One True God (Luke 3:23-38).