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Jesus in the Old Testament

After today’s sermon, several of you asked for this. So here goes. Also please know that I didn’t write this. And regretfully I tried to find where I found it (and could not). If you’re able to search it better than I, please reach out to me.

In Genesis, Jesus is the seed of the woman that would crush the head of the serpent.

In Exodus, Jesus is the Passover lamb who takes away the sins of God’s people.

In Leviticus, Jesus is the great high priest who intercedes for us.

In Numbers, Jesus is the water in the desert. Our living water.

In Deuteronomy, Jesus is the coming prophet who is greater than Moses.

In Joshua, Jesus is the commander of the Lord’s army, defeating our ultimate enemies.

In Judges, Jesus is the true judge, delivering us from evil and injustice.

In Ruth, Jesus is our kinsman-redeemer.

In 1 & 2 Samuel, Jesus is the greater prophet and priest.

In 1 & 2 Kings, Jesus is the greater king.

In 1 & 2 Chronicles, Jesus is the son of David who comes to reign eternally.

In Ezra and Nehemiah, Jesus is the one who restores worship and protects His people.

In Esther, Jesus is our advocate. Putting His life on the line to restore us to royalty.

In Job, Jesus is the mediator between God and man.

In the Psalms, Jesus is the holy one who would never see corruption.

In Proverbs, Jesus is the personified wisdom of God.

In Ecclesiastes, Jesus is our true meaning.

In Song of Solomon, Jesus is our faithful and devoted love.

In Isaiah, Jesus is the suffering servant.

In Jeremiah, Jesus is the weeping Messiah.

In Lamentations, Jesus is the one who assumes the wrath of God on our behalf.

In Ezekiel, Jesus is the Son of Man.

In Daniel, Jesus is the one in the fire with us.

In Hosea, Jesus is the husband who stays faithful to us when we betray Him.

In Joel, Jesus is sending His Spirit to His people.

In Amos, Jesus delivers justice to the oppressed.

In Obadiah, Jesus is the Judge of those who do evil.

In Jonah, Jesus is the greater missionary who pursues the undeserving with mercy.

In Micah, Jesus is the one who casts our sin into the sea of forgetfulness.

In Nahum, Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

In Habakkuk, Jesus is the one who crushes injustice.

In Zephaniah, Jesus is the warrior who is mighty to save.

In Haggai, Jesus restores our worship.

In Zechariah, Jesus is the pierced Messiah, pierced for our transgressions.

In Malachi, Jesus is the son of righteousness who brings healing to His people.

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Teach Us to Number our Days

On Sunday we learned from Jesus’ sermon of how futile anxiety is. Jesus’ primary reason was the brevity of life and the length of eternity. Jesus loved the Psalms. As a matter of fact, our next series is called the Songs of Jesus, Psalms Jesus quoted or leaned on in difficult times in his life. I’m so excited to study the songs Jesus sung, the Psalms he prayed.

I wonder if Jesus was leaning on Psalm 90 when he talked about anxiety.

So teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

If you read what precedes this famous quote from Psalm 90, you’ll see that numbering our days requires that we see the brevity of life and the eternality of God.

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass this is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.

Psalm 90:1-6

God has always been. And will always be. He is eternally past and eternally present. (Think on that for more than two minutes and you’ll need another cup of coffee.) Compared to eternity, our earthly life is a leaf carried along in the flooding waters, a dream that comes and goes with a night’s sleep, a blade of grass that fades by evening.

Second, if we are to number our days we must remember our sinfulness and God’s holiness.

For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.

psalm 90:7-8

God is holy. Without him we are not. As we discovered Sunday, God solved our greatest problem (the one with eternal implications). Every other problem pales in comparison to our sin problem. Our nagging aches and pains have never hurt us like our guilty conscience has.

God sees us as no one else does and loves us like no one else will.

Third, we must remember our frailty and God’s faithfulness, our weakness and his strength.

For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?

Psalm 90:9-11

We toil and trouble. The sin of Adam is your sin and mine. Work is hard. Parenting is hard. Our bodies and minds feel the pain and the weight of sinners living life in a sin-soaked world. Yet, because of the power of God’s answer was poured out on his Son on the cross, the rest of Psalm 90 is our every day reality. Let this sink in.

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

Psalm 90:12-17

Because Jesus came and fully became one of us, minus the sin, we can be fully satisfied in this life because God is fully satisfied with us. That should calm our nerves, lessen our fears. The favor our Lord can also be interpreted the beauty of our Lord. I pray that today you will see the beauty of the Lord more than the anxiety of the world. And in so doing, this day will be numbered as one where God again made you glad.

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The Unexpected Elevator Ride

I was on my phone, answering a text, completely unaware that I didn’t even push “Floor 1.” Suddenly the elevator started going up (when I needed to go down) and then I realized what I’d done. We got to the 4th floor in the Pediatric wing at Mission Hospital when Jose got on. I still didn’t notice him (I was still focused on answering that text). Another stop on the 2nd floor and it was just him and me…going to the first floor. I looked at him and his eyes told the story.

“How are you?” I asked.

“Not good,” dropping his head.

“I’m so sorry. What’s going on?”

The elevator stopped, we got off on our floor and stood there. “We’re expecting twins. We lost one heartbeat (and his voice started to break…he looked to be in his late twenties)…”

“What about the other one?” I asked.

“We don’t know. And too…(he paused), the mother, her life is in danger.” He could hardly put words together.

I hope my furrowed brow showed how his words had stopped everything in my world. “I’m so sorry,” I said. “Why? What is going on?”

“Two weeks ago everything was fine. She was good. Our babies (these are their first) were good. Then something happened and we ended up here. I don’t know about our other baby. And my wife is hemorrhaging right now…as we speak.” His head dropped again. By this time we had walked to the front of the hospital. He was meeting Sarah’s (his wife) dad in the cafeteria.

We stopped again, people passing us by. “I’m a pastor,” I said. By now, my heart was breaking for him. It still hadn’t dawned on me that we never would have met if I had pushed the right button on the elevator. “And our church would love to pray for you. Is it okay with you if I ask them? There will be a thousand people on their knees praying for you and Sarah.”

“Yes, yes” he said. And reached out his hand. I grabbed his hand. I assured him we would pray. “Do you mind if I get your name and number? I want to check in on you.” I typed his number in. Again he reached out his hand…and I assured him we would cover him in prayer.

As I drove home in the pouring rain, reflecting on how the day began with Terry and Tony Miller, as Terry bravely waits by his bedside, and the Woodys, whose 11-year-old is battling a hard case of pneumonia, and now Jose and Heather, this song came roaring into my mind. (Same God)

So here’s your call to pray. For Tony and Terry, the Woodys (especially Gunner), Jose and Sarah and those twins. To the Same God.

The God who controlled storms then controls elevators today.

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Today’s Vow, Tomorrow’s Joy

Psalm 61 couldn’t be more fitting for the new year.

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David.

Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah

For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day. (Psalm 61, ESV)

David begins with a prayer. Hear my cry, when (not if) my heart is faint. At times in 2024 your heart will be faint. So will mind. If you reflect on 2023, you’ll remember times that took your breath, that stopped you in your tracks and caused you to wonder what would be next. (And if you know me well, you know I have enough real-life fainting stories to fill a small book–I’m convinced I’m a fainting goat!).

We have a choice. Focus on the faint or focus on the faithfulness of God. Lead me to the rock. Why? Because you have been. How would you complete that sentence for 2023. God, you have been my ___________________________. For David, the words refuge and strong tower come to mind. As a result, King David wants to worship. He lives in a palace. He wants to dwell in God’s tent. Forever!

In the first stanza, we see the greatness of God. In the second, we see the mundane of Mondays. Yes, New Year’s Day 2024 is on a Monday. David writes, “you have heard my vows.” And later “as I perform my vows day after day.”

It is in the mundane of today that the joy of tomorrow resides.

Days determine years. If David’s years are going to endure to all generations, it will be because he fulfills his “day after day” vows. Eugene Peterson described discipleship as a “long obedience in the same direction.” It is in the mundane of every day that the joy of tomorrow resides.

What does your daily need to look like in 2024. Determine that today. And make a promise (vow) to yourself, to someone else, and yes to the Lord, what you’ll do every day.

Don’t forget to look behind you. You’ll see goodness and mercy (Psalm 23), or as David writes here, steadfast love and faithfulness, watching over.

Happy New Year!