Читать книгу Understanding the New Testament and the End Times, Second Edition - Rob Dalrymple - Страница 9

Peter’s depth of insight and the dexterity of his memory in Acts 2 reveal what might be the single most significant theological shift among the apostles: Jesus’ resurrection and the profound experience with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost led the apostles into a “hermeneutical revolution.” They suddenly had new eyes to reread and reinterpret the Old Testament from the perspective of the Story of Jesus.18

For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes. (2 Cor 1:20)

Introduction

The fabric upon which the Bible was penned must be viewed as one garment. In the book of Revelation we see Genesis fulfilled. The whole Bible coheres and centers around the fact of God’s redemption and restoration of both humankind and the whole of creation.19 The entire Bible weaves a beautiful story of God’s work in creation and, because of the fall, his subsequent effort to restore his creation. That is, its primary subject matter is God’s redemption of his people and creation. Moreover, the central character in the biblical story is Jesus. Jesus is the means by which God is redeeming and restoring humankind and the creation. It is my contention that to properly interpret Scripture we must have Jesus as the center of our hermeneutic.20 That is, the Scriptures are about Jesus!

The claim that a proper biblical hermeneutic centers on Jesus does not intend to suggest that he is simply the central character of the Bible—as though he were the primary character among many characters and subplots. Instead, I am suggesting that Jesus is the story! Everything is about Jesus! Indeed, there are the stories of Abraham, Moses, and David. But underlying the entire story of Scripture is the fulfillment of God’s plan of redemption, which God has provided in Jesus. That is, even the stories of Abraham, Moses, and David point us to the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.

In Jesus we have two central features of the biblical story coming to a climax. First, the Scriptures primarily relate to us God’s desire to be made known and to be worshipped within his creation.21 Secondly, and closely related, God is vitally concerned with the redemption of both humankind and of creation. What these two central features of the biblical story point to is the fact that Jesus is both God made known22 and he is the means of redemption.23

In light of this we can say that the Bible is Christocentric (Christ centered) and, therefore, a proper hermeneutical starting point for all biblical interpretation is Christ. Jesus is our central hermeneutic. That is, the Bible must be understood in light of Jesus. As Paul asserts, “For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes” (2 Cor 1:20).24

Understanding the Entirety of the Bible in Light of Jesus

In suggesting that the entire story is about Jesus, I am not saying that Jesus merely fulfilled some isolated verses that prophesied his life, death, and resurrection (e.g., Isa 7:14; Isa 53; Micah 5:2). Instead, I am suggesting that we should understand that the whole story points to Jesus. That is, the entire story, and not merely certain isolated references, is fulfilled by Jesus.

Now I am not suggesting that the OT is merely allegorical and has no reference to real events. For example, the story of Joseph is a true historical account of a man named Joseph who became a significant ruler in Egypt. But it also looks forward to Christ, who similarly was betrayed by “those who were his own” (John 1:11)! The story of Joshua leading the Israelites into the promised land is a true historical account. Yet, it also looks forward to Jesus who leads his people into the ultimate promised land. Neither am I suggesting that we read every verse and find some application or fulfillment in the life of Jesus. But, instead, the story as a whole is to be read in light of Jesus.

It is only when the entirety of the Bible is read in light of Jesus that we can truly comprehend the grand narrative of the Bible and both the mission of Jesus and the mission of the people of God today. It is here that the end times and a proper understanding of the Bible become paramount. For if we fail to understand the mission of Jesus in light of the entirety of the biblical story, then we will likely fail to grasp the nature and significance of our mission.

This is the key. For many, a common perception of the Bible is that it contains stories and principles by which the Christian life is to be lived. Amidst the stories are predictions (prophecies if you will) that point to God’s work in Jesus. Jesus’ work, however, is often perceived of only in terms of his atoning for our sins and his leading us to heaven. This overly simplistic understanding of Scripture is problematic on a number of fronts. Primarily, in failing to view the entire story in light of God’s plan for redeeming the entire creation, and Jesus’ fulfillment of that plan, and the role of the people of God in carrying out that fulfillment, we fail to understand the nature and purpose of the people of God and our mission. Instead, the Bible becomes a moral handbook telling us what we should do—honor your father and mother—and not do—do not murder, steal, lie, commit adultery, and covet.

It is in understanding the Bible in terms of God’s grand narrative and Jesus as the fulfillment of that narrative that the Bible comes to life. The story is exciting. It is also empowering, as we begin to realize that the work of building God’s kingdom continues in the life of the NT people of God. All of this will climax in the coming of the New Jerusalem.

Though I think most readers are ready to move forward and see what this all means for us, it is perhaps worthwhile to provide some justification for my thesis that Jesus is the focus of the biblical story.

Luke 24 and Jesus as the Fulfillment of All the Scriptures

That Jesus is the key to understanding the entirety of the Bible is evident from the accounts of the resurrected Jesus in Luke 24:13–35. Here Luke records two events that occurred on the day of the resurrection. First, we see the resurrected Jesus coming alongside two disciples of Jesus walking from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. They were followers of Jesus who were apparently bewildered by the events of the last several days. Jesus, whom they had hoped would restore God’s kingdom to Israel, had been crucified by the Romans.25 Earlier that same day, however, some of the women who had followed Jesus, as well as some of Jesus’ disciples upon visiting his tomb, found it empty.26 The two recounted all these events to Jesus—whom they were unable to recognize.27 Suddenly, Jesus interjects, in what may be taken as an admonishment: “‘O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?’ And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:25–27).28

A second appearance of Jesus occurred later that evening in Jerusalem. The two men with whom Jesus spoke on the road returned to the rest of the disciples in Jerusalem. While these two were recounting the events and their meeting with Jesus, he suddenly appeared in the room. Jesus, then explained to them all, “‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day’” (Luke 24:44–46).29 Consequently, on both occasions Jesus appears to assert that the entire OT is fulfilled in himself.30

Now, at this juncture some may suggest that Jesus was merely identifying isolated prophesies that he had fulfilled. However, in Luke 24:25 Jesus states directly, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken.” Jesus’ words strongly suggest that he was referencing “all” the Scriptures and not merely “all that refer to me.” The best reading of this text is that Jesus viewed the entirety of the OT witness as fulfilled in himself.

General Statements That Show That Jesus Is the Fulfillment of All the Scriptures

Secondly, that the NT views Jesus as the fulfillment of the entirety of the OT story is seen in that the person and work of Jesus is presented in terms of the overall story of the Bible and not just in light of the fulfillment of isolated verses. This concept is a bit more difficult to grasp. But, the fact is that there are instances in the NT in which Jesus claims to be fulfilling the Scriptures and yet we have no corresponding prophecy in the OT. That is, we cannot find any passage in the OT that corresponds to Jesus’ claim.

For example, Luke records:

And He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again. Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day.” (Luke 18:31–33)31

The difficulty here is that we do not know of any verse that “prophesies” that the Christ (Hebrew: “Messiah”) would rise again on the third day.

That Jesus, in Luke 18, is not referencing a particular prophecy is evident first from the fact that he references “the prophets.” That is, Jesus refers to the prophets in general, which may well be understood to refer more generically to the Scriptures, and not to a particular prophet or any particular saying of the prophets.32

Secondly, though specific passages can be found in the OT that suggest that the people of God will suffer,33 there are no corresponding references that indicate in the least that the Christ would rise on the third day.34 That is, there are no verses in the OT to which we can turn to and say, “Jesus was referring to this passage.” The best we can come up with is the reference in Hosea 6:2: “He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day that we may live before Him.” This passage, however, contains no direct messianic overtones, but instead references the promised restoration of Israel (note “us”).

If, however, we are to understand that the overarching narrative theme of the Bible is God’s redemptive and restorative work, and that this work reaches its fulfillment in Jesus, then the promise of the restoration of God’s people, announced in Hosea 6:2, indeed finds its fulfillment in Jesus. That is, if we understand that Jesus is the fulfillment of the entirety of the OT, then we have no real difficulty with Jesus saying that the Christ must “rise again from the dead the third day” (Luke 18:31–33).

Jesus’ claim in Luke 18:31–33 is problematic, however, if we assume that Jesus fulfills only isolated verses. For there are no verses in the OT that could be cited as referencing the Christ dying and rising again on the third day. There is no problem, however, if we assume that Jesus has in view the entirety of the story of the OT. One could simply reference Hosea 6:2 and see Jesus as the embodiment of the people of God and, thus, the fulfillment of this passage.

Jesus’ claim that he will rise on the third day may also be understood in light of the story of Jonah. This finds support in that Luke has already associated Jesus’ death and resurrection with account of Jonah: “For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so shall the Son of Man be to this generation” (Luke 11:30). A direct link between Jesus’ death and resurrection and the account of Jonah is also supported by the parallel in Matthew: “for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (12:40).

But again it must be noted that there are no explicit prophesies in Jonah regarding the Messiah rising on the third day. There is no problem, however, if we view Jesus as the fulfillment of the story of Jonah. This is how Matthew can draw the parallel between Jonah’s being three days and nights in the belly of the fish and Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Therefore, when the NT refers to Jesus as the fulfillment of the OT, it is not merely referring to him as the fulfillment of specific OT passages, but to the overall story of Scripture. Jesus is the hermeneutical key to understanding the Bible. The entire narrative of the Bible is about Jesus!

The Gospel of John and Jesus as the Fulfillment of All the Scriptures

Another example that all of the Scriptures are about Jesus, and not just certain isolated prophecies, is evident from even a cursory look at the Gospel of John. For example, in John 5:39, 45–47 Jesus asserts, “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me. . . . The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” When these verses are read in light of the whole of the Gospel of John it becomes clear that Jesus is not simply referring to isolated prophecies within the Torah/Pentateuch,35 but to the entirety of it.

First, that Jesus was referring to the whole of the Torah/Pentateuch and not just select messianic verses, it is important to note that Jesus claims that they do not believe “My words” (John 5:47). That is, it is the teachings of Jesus that the Jewish leaders at the time missed. They failed to see that what Jesus was saying was fully in accord with the words of Moses. But, that Jesus was referring to the whole tenor of the Torah of Moses, and not to any particular teaching, is evident in that Jesus does not appeal to a particular chapter and verse to support his argument. That is, if Jesus had in mind a particular verse, or set of verses, in the writings of Moses that he was fulfilling, then why did he not reference them? It would certainly have been compelling for Jesus to point out a specific reference in the writing of Moses and show them that he was indeed fulfilling it. We can imagine that John’s readers would certainly like to have known to which verses Jesus might have been referring. That Jesus does not appeal to any passage suggests that it is the whole of his teachings that fulfills the whole of the Torah.

Secondly, one of the major thrusts of John’s portrait of Jesus is in regards to Jesus as the fulfillment of the OT—not just as the Messiah but also in terms of the institutions, symbols, and festivals of Judaism.36 Jesus in the Gospel of John conforms to Paul’s affirmation that “the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17). Thus, in the Gospel of John, the waters of purification are fulfilled with the new wine,37 the temple finds its fulfillment in Jesus,38 the old birth looks to the new birth of the Spirit,39 the water from Jacob’s well looks forward to the Spirit who is the living water,40 and worship in Jerusalem and Gerizim looks forward to the true worship, which is “in spirit and truth.”41

Also, in John 5–10, the events of Jesus’ ministry are consistently dated in relation to a feast. John then uses both the narratives of the events related to the feast and the speeches of Jesus associated with these feasts to demonstrate that the feasts of Israel find their fulfillment in Jesus. In doing so, John affirms that Jesus has fulfilled the Jewish festivals. For example, in chapter 5, the true meaning of Sabbath and work points to Christ.42

Furthermore, in chapter 6, Jesus is the true “bread of God” that “comes down out of heaven” (6:33) in fulfillment of the Feast of Passover.43 Jesus’ declarations that he is the “light of the world” (8:12; 9:5) and the source of “living water” (7:39) take place during the Feast of Tabernacles.44 The significance of these proclamations is that during the seven (or eight?) days of the Feast of Tabernacles elaborate water ceremonies and the lighting of four huge lamps in the temple’s Court of Women took place.45 Jesus’ declaration of himself as the source of “living water” and as the “light of the world” during this feast strongly suggests that he was declaring himself to be the fulfillment of light and water for which this feast looked towards. This is all the more likely in light of the fact that John consistently portrays Jesus as performing acts and making speeches that link Jesus with the fulfillment of the feast.

Finally, Jesus declares himself to be the “good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14) during the Feast of Dedication.46 The significance of this is that Jesus was alluding to Ezekiel 34, which affirms that the leaders of Israel were called to shepherd the people of God. The failure of the leadership at the time of Ezekiel led to his rebuke and the declaration that God himself will

search for My sheep and seek them out. . . . I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick. . . . I will deliver My flock. . . . Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. (Ezek 34:11, 16, 22, 23)

It is evident that John understands Jesus’ declaration to be the “good shepherd” in light of Ezekiel 34. Jesus is the shepherd of Israel and the fulfillment of God’s promise that he himself will be the shepherd of Israel. That Jesus makes this declaration during the Feast of Dedication is highlighted by the fact that Ezekiel 34 formed part of the liturgy for the Feast of Dedication!47 Thus, Jesus is again declaring that he is the fulfillment of all that this feast points towards and not simply isolated verses within the texts.

Conclusion: What Does It Mean to Say That the OT Finds Its Fulfillment in Jesus?

It is reasonably clear then, even from this fairly quick glance into the NT, that “as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes” (2 Cor 1:20). That the promises of the OT find their fulfillment in Jesus is one of the most significant factors to understanding the end times in the NT. Scot McKnight concludes, “Each of the four witnesses [Matthew–John] tells us the same thing about the gospel. It is the Story of Israel that comes to completion in the saving Story of Jesus, who is the Messiah of Israel, Lord over all, and the Davidic Savior. There is one and only one gospel, and it was preached by Jesus, by Paul, and by Peter. To gospel is to tell that story about Jesus.”48

Now it is important to understand that this does not mean that everything in the OT has already reached its consummation. For, we see that the kingdom of God has come in Christ in fulfillment of the OT promises, and yet the kingdom of this world remains.49 The point is that when one is looking at the issues related to the end times and pondering the prophesies of the last days, one must first ask, “How, and in what manner, might the fulfillment of these prophesies have been inaugurated by Christ?”

At this point I am fully aware that some readers may still find it difficult to accept that all of the Scriptures are about Jesus. This may stem from an understanding of Scripture that asserts that a given verse must be interpreted in light of its immediate context. This understanding is of course quite true. Yet, here it seems that I am arguing that Jesus took a passage out of its immediate context and applied it to himself. This creates a crisis of belief. Either we suggest that Jesus was wrong in doing so, which very few of us would concede, or we must consider the possibility that our assertion is incomplete.

Ultimately, I am suggesting that there is nothing wrong here. Our high view of Scripture can still be maintained, though we are in need of a slight addition to our paradigm. If we conclude, as I am suggesting, that the entirety of the Scriptures—that is, the overarching narrative of God’s plan to make himself known and to redeem and restore his creation—is about Jesus, then we may also conclude that Jesus is certainly correct to claim that a passage, which on the surface appears to be about the restoration of Israel, is about him. That is, the restoration of Israel finds its fulfillment in Jesus. Consequently, we must both determine the meaning of a passage in light of its original context and determine how this points us to Jesus!

Thus, the entirety of the story is about Jesus. This is what Jesus was telling the two on the road to Emmaus and the disciples later that same evening! “It was about me! The whole story was leading to me!” Jesus, then, does not simply affirm that he came to fulfill parts of the Law and the Prophets, namely, those parts that applied to him. Instead, the entirety of the Law and the Prophets is fulfilled in Jesus.

18. McKnight, King Jesus Gospel, 117.

19. Cf. Rom 8:18–25.

20. Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation. The use of “hermeneutic” here is in the context of a set of assumptions that influence how one interprets the Bible. Thus, I am saying that to properly interpret the Scriptures we must understand that the central aspect of the biblical story is that it is about Jesus. When we understand that the Bible is about Jesus we can then begin to explore the importance of this in regards to others matters, including eschatology.

21. See Wright, Mission of God.

22. Cf. John 1:18: Jesus is the “One and only” who “makes Him [the Father] known”

23. Cf. Eph 1:7: ‘In Him we have redemption.”

24. Richard Hays refers to the apostles’ shift in understanding the entire story of the OT as fulfilled in Jesus as the “conversion of their imagination” (Conversion of the Imagination).

25. Cf. Luke 24:19–21.

26. Cf. Luke 24:22–23.

27. Cf. Luke 24:16.

28. Note: “Moses and all the prophets” (Luke 24:27) is a common first-century Jewish manner of referencing the entirety of the OT.

29. Note the threefold designation for the entirety of the OT: “Law of Moses, Prophets, and the Psalms” (Luke 24:45). This is merely another common designation for referencing the entire OT.

30. In both instances Jesus has the entire OT in view: First, He utilized the twofold designation of “Moses and the Prophets” (Luke 24:27); then he refers to it according to the threefold designation of “Law, Prophets, and the Psalms” (Luke 24:44). Both, however, customarily refer to the entirety of the OT from Genesis through Malachi as we know it.

31. Cf. Mark 9:12; Luke 24:46.

32. “The prophets” can be a general reference to Scripture, which was commonly referred to as “the Law and the Prophets” (Matt 7:12; 11:13; 22:40; Luke 16:16; 24:44; John 1:45; Acts 13:15; 24:14; 28:23; Rom 3:21) or “the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets” (Luke 24:44).

33. For example, Isaiah 52:13—53:12. This passage, which is widely recognized by Christians to refer to the Messiah, is perhaps in its original context of Isaiah about the people of Israel (cf. Isa 44:1, where the servant is explicitly called Israel and Jacob). There is no doubt that the NT understands it as fulfilled in Jesus! The point is that Jesus is fulfilling a prophecy that relates to the suffering of the people. That is, Jesus is the people of God and the fulfillment of the seed of Abraham (Gal 3:16).

34. Joel Green acknowledges, “One would be hard-pressed to locate specific texts that make these prognostications explicit. Even to attempt to do so would be wrongheaded, however. The point of Jesus’ words is not that such-and-such a verse has now come true, but that the truth to which all of the Scriptures point has now been realized!” (Green, Luke, 857).

35. “Torah” generally refers to the first five books of the OT, which are traditionally attributed to Moses. In these instances it is equivalent to the Christian designation the “Pentateuch” (five rolls or books). “Torah” may also have a broader meaning that includes the entirety of the OT, and occasionally it can include the entirety of Jewish teaching and practices.

36. The following relies heavily on my entry on “John” in Longman, Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

37. John 2:1–11.

38. John 2:12–25.

39. John 3:1–21.

40. John 4:7–15; 7:37–39.

41. John 4:20–24.

42. John 5:1–47.

43. John 6:1–71.

44. John 7:1—9:41.

45. The Mishnah states, “He who has not seen the joy of the place of water-drawing has never in his life seen joy” (Mishnah Sukkah 5:1–4).

46. See John 10:1–39.

47. Burge, John, 288.

48. McKnight, King Jesus Gospel, 131.

49. This thought will be developed more fully in ch. 8.