“Now the promise was made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ.” (Gal. 3:16)

In this sentence, Paul is connecting the promise made to Abraham with the Messiah. The Messiah was also a part of the Jewish covenant but was not viewed as preceding that covenant. In truth, the coming of the promised one went beyond the history of the world. We first learn of God’s promise of a savior who would crush evil in the promise given to Satan himself (Gen. 3:15). Jesus was promised before the world began. 1 Peter 1:20 states this about Jesus Christ, “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you.” Paul tells the Ephesians that we are blessed with spiritual blessings because God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4).

Jesus is the pivotal part of God’s eternal plan and the Old Testament pretty much carries the Jesus theme. He was involved in the world pre-Abraham and He was in the world post Abraham. Sometimes so much attention is given to Moses and the kings and prophets in the rest of that book that we fail to see Jesus in the text but He is always there, carrying out God’s plan. When we read the New Testament and Jesus begins to talk about Himself we should notice that He is constantly using Old Testament figures and concepts to explain His eternal presence. The “I am” before Moses was Jesus. He was the bread in the wilderness and the rock that gave them water. Jesus was their fire that led the way and the healing power of the serpent pole. Jesus was the Passover lamb and the unleavened bread. Jesus was the ultimate blood sacrifice hinted at in the animals offered in the temple and Jesus was and is the temple of the living God.

Without Jesus, there is no promise and without Jesus, there is no salvation. Jesus is the broken wall, the new Adam and the means of grace. Ultimate truth is Jesus and thus He is the way, the truth, and the life.

Jesus is the giver of the Holy Spirit promised by the prophets in the same way that He is the ultimate end of all the blessings given to Abraham. The Jews wanted the land and a kingdom on earth but Jesus promises heaven and a kingdom without end where God is the temple.

Task for Today: Read the Old Testament for what it is, a further testimony to the Saving Messiah. Live your life under the New Covenant which was given as a result of His promise to Abraham and contains all spiritual blessings. Those blessings and all of God’s great promises are yours when you lose your life in Jesus and become a part of His kingdom.