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Posted on Jan 04, 2023 by Mike LeDuke Next article:The Gospel and Abraham

The Gospel in the Old Testament

When the Lord Jesus sent out his disciples to preach, he gave them a singular mission: they were to preach the kingdom of God and to heal (Luke 9:2). Later in the chapter, the record informs us that they did exactly that — they went through the villages preaching the gospel and healing everywhere (v. 6). In other words, the good news that the Lord wanted the world to know was the news of the kingdom of God.

And yet, how often do we discuss these things? When was the last time you went to church and heard someone reference that kingdom? This was a central message for the Lord Jesus and his disciples but it is a topic that is rarely discussed. Churches consider forgiveness of sins, Jesus’s ability to save, and his transformative effect on your life — all of which are massively important things — to be the primary focus of the gospel message. But the emphasis on these things is often to the detriment of the message that Jesus himself preached. He preached about the kingdom of God.

So what is the kingdom? And, what does it entail? Is there a king, and a territory? Does it exist now? Has it existed before?

Perhaps the best place to turn to begin to answer these question is the first chapter of the New Testament. The Gospel of Matthew begins with a genealogy, and as such, many perhaps like to skip the first few verses in the New Testament. However, these verses have the answer to the mystery of the kingdom. Here are the New Testament’s first words: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1).

What kind of introduction to a book is that? If you were going to write a story, how would you start? Maybe with an exciting flashback? Maybe with a question? And yet, the divinely-inspired record begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Why?

The record clearly situates the story of Jesus in the line of Abraham and David’s history. In other words, the New Testament begins with words that can’t possibly be understood without first turning to the Old Testament. We aren’t supposed to start with the stories of Jesus. The gospel message taught by Jesus is based on what happened in Old Testament times — events that took place in the days of Abraham and David. And, believe it or not, these two men are men who received promises about a kingdom that would come.

The New Testament begins with Jesus as the descendent of Abraham and David because it shows him as the fulfillment of what was promised to them — the promises of the kingdom. Therefore, if we want to understand what this kingdom is, we have to pause our consideration of New Testament scriptures and go back to the Old Testament to meet with Abraham and David and to learn what was promised to them.

Jason Hensley, PhD