Jesus in the Old Testament: Anticipating Christmas (Chris and Randy)

The Old Testament reveals God’s plan for our salvation through Jesus Christ.  From the beginning of time, God intended to redeem us from sin, forgive our transgressions, and restore us as his children.  He made a promise to Abraham which he first demonstrated through the exodus and ultimately fulfilled on the cross.  Now, we may live in the full knowledge that we are God’s children, guaranteed the inheritance of eternal life.  With this knowledge, let this be a Christmas where we truly let Christ be born in us anew.

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Lesson Plan

Jesus in the Old Testament: Isaiah and the Coming Promise (Randy)

God revealed his entire plan for redemption and salvation in the Old Testament.  Now, with the stage set, he shares details for his plan through the prophet Isaiah.  More than just a pillar of fire of pillar of cloud, God planned to enter the world as a child – a child who would bring light into the world and salvation for all people.

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Lesson Plan

Jesus in the Old Testament: Psalms 22 and 23 (Chris)

We can consider the Psalms to be “Jesus’ own prayers.”  While written many years before his birth, the authors of the Psalms were inspired by the truth that is Christ to cover the whole breadth of human experience and to offer us guidance on how to connect with God at any point in our lives.  Psalm 22 and 23 in particular offer us powerful personal access to Jesus in two of his most important roles: Savior and Pastor.

Listen to Jesus in the OT: Psalms 22 and 23

Lesson Plan

Handout

Jesus in the Old Testament: Right Living (Chris)

Jesus is our Model in living, as in all things.  When we think of Jesus as “perfect,” we may think of him being without sin.  That is true, but it also means complete.  Jesus personally exhibited every virtue of humanity with none of the vices.  Meanwhile, we each are incomplete but still Godly at our best.  Right Living happens when we live with Integrity: knowing “Who we are” and “Whose we are.”  This week, we explore personality types represented by four Old Testament heroes:  David, Solomon, Daniel, and Ruth.  Each is a historical predecessor of Jesus.  Each has much to teach us about how to live lives aligned with God and God’s purposes.

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Lesson Plan

Handout 1

Handout 2

Jesus in the Old Testament: The Law (Randy)

We often think of the law as a distinctly Old Testament artifact, and frankly one that we don’t particularly feel great about.  We recognize its virtue but learn through the course of life that it is impossible to uphold.  A closer look at the exodus story reveals that the law came after salvation, not the other way around.  Grace came first, then the law.  Once we view the law through the lens of Jesus Christ, we can see that God gave it to us not solely to condemn us, but rather to reveal his character and help us recognize the saving act of Christ on the cross.  We can respond by living in obedience to the law without feeling condemned by it.

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Lesson Plan 

Jesus in the Old Testament: Salvation (Bryant Cornett)

From the beginning, God’s plan was Jesus. Like children need time and a safe place to grow up as their parents reveal more and more of the world to them, humanity needed thousands of years before its Father could fully reveal the extent of his plans. But he was dying to share it and couldn’t help but leave clues all through the Old Testament. In this discussion of the Exodus, we explore how God hinted at his plan for salvation, why that matters to us today, and what our response should be now. 

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Interesting article from Tim Keller on the topic

Jesus in the Old Testament: Forgiveness (Chris)

This lesson connects the timeless wisdom of Proverbs and the teachings of Jesus related to the nature of relationships.  We examine the ever-present need for repair in our relationships, the components of relationship repair, and the heart behind forgiveness demonstrated perfectly by Christ.  We end up considering the nature of justice, mercy, and grace.

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Lesson Plan
Handout

Jesus in the Old Testament: Redemption (Chris)

“Redemption” relates to second chances.  It is about restoration and putting things back the way they are supposed to be.  In the Old Testament, redemption applied particularly to debt and to broken patterns of inheritance.  In the New Testament, Christ redeems all sinners (including us) from our fate by paying our debts on the cross and substituting our rightful inheritance of death for the gracious inheritance of eternal life.  This lesson explores redemption in the Book of Ruth.  It is both a beautiful story of human kindness and love and also a prophesy of the mission and meaning of Jesus.

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Lesson Plan
Handout 1
Handout 2

Jesus in the Old Testament: The Promise (Randy)

Edmund Clowney, in his book The Unfolding Mystery, wrote, “The story of Jesus, then, does not begin with the fulfillment of the promise, but with the promise itself.”  God originally made the promise to Abram and ratified it with an oath.  He kept his end of the bargain, but we did not, and so God was torn to pieces – through Jesus on the Christ.  By understanding the promise and its cost, we can begin to respond in faith.

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Lesson Plan

Jesus in the Old Testament: Creation (Randy)

The Old Testament is a story about Jesus.  The creation story is like a prologue to a great play, setting the stage and giving us insight into the nature and action of the main characters. In this case, the main character is Jesus. He was there from the beginning, speaking the world into being, showing us divine love, and planning to redeem us from our sins.

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Lesson Plan

Jesus in the Old Testament: Introduction

The Old Testament and the New Testament can seem very different to us.  The Old Testament is focused on law, history, and justice.  The New Testament is focused on redemption, salvation, and love.  Yet they are two parts of the same Bible – the same revelation of God.  This series aims to connect the two parts of the Bible together by showing how Jesus Christ is present throughout Scripture.  In the introduction to the series, we explore the context of the Bible in three ways:  the continuity from the Old Testament to the New, understanding who Jesus is, and exploring the resurrection and the “Road to Emmaus.”

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Lesson Plan
Handout