One Bible, One Story: Old Testament Reveals Christ

Jul 12, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: One God, One Story: From Genesis to Revelation

The Bible isn’t two disjointed books but a single narrative revealing one unchanging God. From Deuteronomy’s declaration of God’s oneness to Jesus’ fulfillment of ancient promises, Scripture tells a unified story of redemption. The Old Testament’s holy, just God is the same merciful Savior in the New Testament. His character remains constant even as His plan unfolds across covenants. To dismiss the Old Testament is to ignore the foundation of Jesus’ identity and mission. Every story, law, and prophecy points to Christ. [31:27]

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one."
(Deuteronomy 6:4, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been tempted to view the Old and New Testaments as separate? How might seeing them as one story deepen your awe of God’s faithfulness?

Day 2: Jesus’ Highlighter: Fulfilling, Not Erasing the Law

Jesus didn’t replace the Old Testament; He illuminated its true purpose. Like a highlighter, He revealed how every law, sacrifice, and prophecy pointed to Him. The Sermon on the Mount didn’t abolish the Law but exposed its heart-level demands. God’s holiness and mercy intertwine from Genesis to Revelation, culminating in the cross. To love Jesus is to cherish the Scriptures He loved and fulfilled. [39:59]

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."
(Matthew 5:17, ESV)

Reflection: What Old Testament passage feels disconnected from Jesus? How might He be the fulfillment of it?

Day 3: Missing the First Two Hours: The Old Testament Framework

The New Testament assumes you’ve read the Old. Without Genesis’ creation, Exodus’ redemption, or David’s kingship, Jesus’ titles like "Lamb of God" or "Son of David" lose their meaning. The Old Testament isn’t background noise—it’s the melody the New Testament harmonizes with. Skip the first two hours of this divine story, and the climax makes little sense. [45:46]

"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."
(Luke 24:44, ESV)

Reflection: Which Old Testament concept (sacrifice, covenant, prophecy) do you need to study to better grasp Jesus’ work?

Day 4: Slow to Anger: Grace in Every Testament

God waited 1,600 years before sending the flood. He endured 300 years of rebellion before judging Israel. The Old Testament isn’t a record of wrath but of patient grace. From sparing Cain to restoring exiles, God’s mercy shines long before the cross. His slowness to anger in Exodus 34:6 becomes the chorus of both testaments. [56:21]

"The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness."
(Exodus 34:6, ESV)

Reflection: When has God’s patience surprised you? How does His long-suffering grace challenge your view of "Old Testament judgment"?

Day 5: Hammers and Anvils: The Unchanging Word Endures

Critics have always attacked Scripture, like hammers striking an anvil. Yet the Word remains, unbroken. The Old Testament’s depth—shallow enough for a child, deep enough to humble scholars—testifies to its divine origin. Every rereading reveals new layers of God’s unchanging character. The anvil outlasts the hammers. [59:41]

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."
(Isaiah 40:8, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you see cultural "hammers" attacking Scripture today? How does the Bible’s endurance strengthen your trust in it?

Sermon Summary

Galatians 3 becomes the jumping point because Paul cannot explain justification by faith without reaching back into Genesis, Deuteronomy, Habakkuk, and Leviticus. The New Testament does not stand alone like a second Bible, and the Old Testament does not sit on the buffet line like spiritual cholesterol to be avoided. The claim is plain: do not tear the Bible in half.

The doctrine of one God holds the whole argument together. Deuteronomy says, “The Lord our God, the Lord is one,” and Malachi says, “I the Lord do not change.” God did not get a new personality in Matthew. God did not mature, evolve, or become nicer. The same God who judges sin in Genesis also reveals mercy and redemption at the cross.

The contrast between Old Testament wrath and New Testament grace breaks down when the whole Bible is read carefully. God was not having a bad day at the flood, at Sodom, or at Jericho. Those judgments reveal the devastating cost of sin and why rescue is so desperately needed. At the same time, the Old Testament is full of grace: God spared Adam and Eve, protected Cain, called Abraham, forgave Israel, sent prophet after prophet, and waited with a patience measured in centuries.

Jesus’ own view of the Old Testament settles the matter. Matthew 5:17 says that Christ did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them. Jesus did not come with a spiritual shredder; he came with a highlighter. The Old Testament is not the problem; misreading the Old Testament is the problem.

The Old Testament gives the framework that makes the New Testament intelligible. The Lamb of God requires Exodus. The Son of David requires Samuel. The death of Christ requires Leviticus. The second Adam requires Genesis. The New Testament begins with assumptions already laid down in creation, fall, covenant, sacrifice, priesthood, promise, and prophecy.

The whole Old Testament points toward Christ, not by hiding him, but by introducing him. Luke 24 presents Jesus saying that everything written in Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled in him. Every road leads to him, like a thousand streams flowing into one mighty river named Jesus Christ. The apostles understood this, which is why they quoted, echoed, preached, defended, and explained Jesus through the Old Testament.

The Bible remains an anvil. Critics may hammer at it, misunderstand it, or despise it, but the hammers come and go. The anvil stays there. God’s Word is shallow enough for a baby to play in and deep enough to drown any PhD.

Key Takeaways

1. One Jesus is enough God has never introduced a second deity, a second Savior, or a second Bible with a competing personality. The unity of Scripture rests on the unity of God himself, who does not change between Malachi and Matthew. A divided Bible usually reveals a divided reading, not a divided God. [31:27]
2. Jesus loved the Old Testament Christ did not treat the Old Testament as primitive, embarrassing, or morally inferior. The Scriptures he quoted, fulfilled, and defended were the Scriptures many modern readers are tempted to set aside. Love for Jesus cannot honestly despise the Bible Jesus loved. [28:31]
3. Fulfillment is not abolition Jesus did not arrive with a shredder for the Law and the Prophets, but with a highlighter over every promise, pattern, and longing. Fulfillment means the Old Testament reaches its intended goal in Christ, not that it becomes useless. The gospel is not God apologizing for the first half of the Bible. [39:26]
4. Grace fills the Old Testament The Old Testament contains judgment, but that judgment is surrounded by astonishing patience. God waited through generations of rebellion, sent prophets again and again, and kept covenant despite constant failure. “Slow to anger” is not a New Testament invention; Exodus already sings that song. [56:02]
5. The Word outlasts every hammer The Bible has been struck by critics, skeptics, and careless readers, yet it remains like the anvil in the blacksmith’s shop. Hammers come and go, but the anvil stays. God’s Word does not need to be protected by shallowness; it calls for deep, repeated, humble reading.

## [59:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[24:09] - Supporting the Hispanic Church Outreach
[25:14] - Returning to Galatians and the Old Testament
[26:40] - Do Not Treat the Bible Like a Buffet
[29:50] - There Is Only One God
[33:55] - Judgment Reveals the Cost of Sin
[35:22] - Helping Children Ask Hard Questions
[37:38] - Jesus Did Not Abolish the Law
[44:15] - The Old Testament Frames the New
[45:46] - The Old Testament Points to Christ
[49:27] - The Apostles Kept Quoting Scripture
[53:54] - Grace in the Old Testament
[57:38] - The Bible Is an Anvil
[63:52] - Closing Prayer and Benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Galatians 3:6-14 (ESV)
Matthew 5:17 (ESV)
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
Luke 24:44 (ESV)
“Then [Jesus] said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’”

Observation Questions

In Matthew 5:17, how does Jesus describe His relationship to the Old Testament? What specific words does He use to clarify His purpose?
According to Luke 24:44, what three sections of the Old Testament does Jesus say point to Him? How does this connect to His resurrection?
The sermon mentions that God’s character in Exodus 34:6 includes being “slow to anger” and “abounding in steadfast love” [56:02]. How does this description challenge common assumptions about the Old Testament?

Interpretation Questions

Why might Jesus emphasize fulfilling the Law and Prophets (Matthew 5:17) instead of simply repeating or discarding them? What does this reveal about God’s plan across Scripture?
Jesus says everything written about Him in the Old Testament “must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44). How does this statement redefine how we read stories like the flood, the Exodus, or the sacrifices in Leviticus?
The sermon argues that God’s judgment in the Old Testament (e.g., Sodom, Jericho) actually highlights His grace [33:55]. How can judgment and grace coexist in the same God?

Application Questions

If the Old Testament is meant to point to Jesus, how might you approach reading difficult passages (like the conquest of Canaan or the sacrificial system) differently this week?
The sermon says, “Love for Jesus cannot honestly despise the Bible Jesus loved” [28:31]. What practical steps could you take to grow in appreciation for the Old Testament?
Reflect on a time when you struggled to see God’s grace in an Old Testament story. How might Exodus 34:6 reshape your understanding of that story?
The Bible is described as “shallow enough for a baby to play in and deep enough to drown any PhD” [57:54]. How does this encourage you to engage with Scripture even when it feels confusing?
How can you help someone who views the Old Testament as “outdated” or “harsh” recognize its connection to Jesus and the gospel?
The sermon compares critics of the Bible to “hammers” that strike an anvil but eventually wear out [59:27]. What doubts or criticisms of Scripture do you need to surrender to God’s unchanging Word this week?

Sermon Clips

57s

#OneUnchangingGod

“God did not get a new personality in the book of Matthew. He didn't all of a sudden become kind. He revealed the same character in the Old Testament as he did in the New Testament. God does not evolve. God does not mature. God God doesn't become nicer. He is eternally the same. But wait a minute. Isn't it in the Old Testament where God wipes out entire cities? And in the New Testament where Jesus says, you you bless the poor and turn the other cheek. That sure sounds like two deities to me. Yet the bible does not present us with two different deities. There is only one God. It reveals one unchanging, progressively unveil unveiling unveiling expression of who the character of God is.”

62s

#JesusFulfillsTheLaw

“Christianity is not a rejection of the Old Testament. The gospel is not God's apology for the Old Testament. The New Testament is not God saying, I didn't get it quite clear at the first run round, so let me try again. That's not the New Testament. The New Testament is not God saying that. Jesus actually fulfills the moral law. He says, I came to fulfill it. The law and the prophet, Jesus perfectly obeys the righteous will of God of the father. Where Adam failed, Jesus obeyed. Where Israel fail fail, Jesus obeyed. Where we fail, Jesus obeyed. He loved God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. He loved his neighbor as himself. He never sinned in thought, in word, in desire, in motive, or deed.”

69s

#OTPointsToChrist

“Why does Jesus get called the lamb of God? Well, Exodus explains that. Why is Jesus called the son of David? Well, Samuel explains that. Why does Jesus have to die? Well, Leviticus explains that situation. Why does Hebrews spend 13 chapters discussing priests? Because Leviticus already laid the foundation. Why is Jesus called the second Adam? Because Genesis introduces the first one. The Old Testament supplies the categories that make Christ intelligible. Observation number four, the entire Old Testament points toward Christ. The Old Testament wasn't hiding Jesus and it isn't. It's not hiding Jesus, it's introducing him. There's a difference. The disciples just don't realize that they've been reading his biography before they knew his name.”

63s

#EverythingPointsToJesus

“See the word everything? It's in there. Luke twenty four forty four, Jesus would say everything. Not some things, not isolated prophecies, but everything. Jesus makes an astonishing claim in that. The Old Testament is fundamentally, get this, fundamentally Christological. Wait a minute. Jesus didn't show up to four hundred years after the last book. It's fundamentally Christological because Jesus himself would say, everything about that is a prophecy of me. It ultimately speaks of him. This does not mean every verse is a direct prophecy, rather every portion contributes to God's unfolding redemptive story. It focuses on him. The Old Testament is like a thousand streams flowing in the one mighty river, and the name of that river is Jesus Christ.”

46s

#ReadTheOldTestament

“So to better understand the New Testament, if you wanna love Jesus and love the Bible that he loved, go into the Old Testament, read it and read it and read it, and work and work and work, and it'll work on you. And then when you read the New Testament, things will pop out and it'll highlight and you'll see things you've never seen before. It's part of what it means. The Bible is shallow enough for a baby to play in and deep enough to drown any PhD. And there are books that have been written about it and they're powerful. What you have before you is God's declaration of his mercy and grace. It's the bible.”

64s

#RespectTheOldTestament

“Jesus is not correcting the Old Testament. Jesus is correcting wrong interpretations of the Old Testament. Jesus is saying, I have not come to abolish the scriptures. This matters because Jesus does not treat the Old Testament as primitive. Now we do that sometimes, don't we? Or you might know people that do that. They look at the New Testament, it's new. I like the title. New. It has a flavor of kinda squeaky. Squeaky new. But the Old Testament, they call it old because that's primitive. I'm embarrassed by the Old Testament. It's outdated or listen. It might be even morally inferior. He treats it, however, Jesus treats it as the word of God. The Old Testament, it's not the problem. The Old Testament is not the problem. Our misreading of the Old Testament is the problem. Jesus says, I did not come to abolish the Old Testament, and that's crucial.”

74s

#JudgmentPointsToRedemption

“In Genesis six through nine, we have the flood. In Genesis 19, we have the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In in Joshua chapter six, the fall of Jericho the fall of Jericho. Excuse me. Yes. It's Joshua chapter six. But the point is this, that God is not having a bad day when he has these acts of judgment. He's not having a bad day. He has never looked at the angel Gabriel and said, don't talk to me until I've had my morning manna. If God were moody like each and every one of us, we never would have gotten out of the book of Genesis. These events are expression of the character of God, his unwavering justice. Far from blemishing blemishes on the biblical narrative, they build attention in a story that heads toward redemption. They reveal the devastating cost of sin. It's devastating. Yours is. Mine is. And why rescue is so desperately needed. The Old Testament sets the groundwork for that.”

74s

#WholeBibleNotABuffet

“Some people treat the Bible like buffet. You've probably heard this before. I'll take a little bit of John three sixteen. I'll take some Romans chapter eight. Give me a little bit of Philippians chapter four verse 13. And wow, what's that over there as you're going down the buffet line? Well, that's Leviticus. And no, thank you. I'm watching my spiritual cholesterol is what most of us think. You've heard people say something like this, I love Jesus, but I'm not sure about the God of the Old Testament. They say the same thing, but using different words where someone would say, well, you know, the New Testament is about grace and the Old Testament is about wrath. Now on the surface, think with me just for a moment, on the surface that sounds thoughtful. It may be reflective of how you feel about the concept of Old Testament, New Testament, but it's a misunderstanding. And not only is it a misunderstanding of the Old Testament, it is a misunderstanding of the New Testament. And we just got through looking that in Galatians chapter three. You cannot really understand the New Testament without the Old Testament.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Menchville Baptist Church This sermon · AI assistant

How does the Old Testament point to Christ?

Why must Christians read the Old Testament deeply?

How to reconcile God's wrath and mercy?

One Bible, One Story: Old Testament Reveals Christ

Devotional

Day 1: One God, One Story: From Genesis to Revelation

Day 2: Jesus’ Highlighter: Fulfilling, Not Erasing the Law

Day 3: Missing the First Two Hours: The Old Testament Framework

Day 4: Slow to Anger: Grace in Every Testament

Day 5: Hammers and Anvils: The Unchanging Word Endures

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

One Bible, One Story: Old Testament Reveals Christ

Share