The Bible In The Post-Christian World (Part 6): The Answer Is Always Jesus
In the last post we examined three errant ways of explaining the point of Scripture. Two (Dispensationalism and Marcionism) seek to divide the Bible into two or more disconnected stories, while the last (The Guidebook view), seeks to make all of Scripture about personal improvement and obedience. If the Bible is more than just a collection of disconnected stories, what is the point? What is this overarching story that defines the whole of the text, from beginning to end. Well, since Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith, the one who establishes the trustworthiness of the whole of Scripture, let us look to him for the answer.
One Story with Considerable Character Development
Against the three errant views I want to set out a view of the message of Scripture known as Covenantalism. The Bible is not just a set of rules and laws. The Bible is not divided into the good God and the bad god. The Bible is not a set of disconnected stories. The Bible ultimately has a single message that centers around the person and work of Jesus Christ. And, that story essentially breaks down into two covenants, a Covenant of Works and a Covenant of Grace.
The Redemptive-Historical Approach
The Dispensational view says that the stories of the Bible have no real connection to each other besides the fact that God was using each dispensation to show that man could not be obedient. The Marcionite view says that the stories of the Bible reveal that there are really two different gods with two distinct attitudes towards humanity. The Guidebook view says that the stories and laws of the Bible are good moral lessons for us, but really have no further use than that. But, Jesus says something entirely different about the message of the Bible.
In Luke 24:13–27, the resurrected Jesus comes alongside two disciples who were walking on the road to Emmaus. They do not recognize Jesus, and Jesus asks them why they are so downcast. They explained to Jesus all that had taken place over the past 3 years, and they express their bewilderment at how this could have happened. Then Jesus says in verse 25: “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then, Luke adds this note in verse 27: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
So, what does this passage reveal about the message of the Bible? It reveals that all of it is ultimately about Jesus. Jesus is the fulfillment of all of the stories, all of the prophecies, all of the poetry, the wisdom, all of it. Jesus is the better Adam (Rom. 5:12–17). He is the ram that was substituted for Isaac (John 1:29). He is the Passover lamb that satisfies the wrath of God (1 Cor. 5:7). He is the true and faithful High Priest (Heb. 2:17). He is the Messianic King that sits on the Davidic Throne (1 Tim. 6:15). He is the prophet, of whom Moses foretold, who would lead us into all truth (John 1:1–18).
The view that all of Scripture is ultimately a revelation of Christ is known as the Redemptive-Historical approach. The idea is that within every major story and theme of Scripture is a shadow, a type, or an anti-type of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. This doesn’t mean that the stories of the Old Testament didn’t really happen. It also doesn’t mean that every story has a direct foreshadowing of Christ in it. But, it does mean that every event, every law, every sacrifice, every prophecy is ultimately fulfilled in Christ.
The tendency with other ways of understanding the point of Scripture is to read ourselves as the hero of every story. One example of this is the story of David and Goliath. Often times, this story is taught as though we are David, Goliath is our problem, and we must follow David’s example in slaying the giants in our lives. But, this way of viewing the story leaves out another important character in the story: the army of Israel. Where do we find them in this story? We find them shaking in their boots, too afraid to come out and face the enemy of God. So, in this story, what if we aren’t David? What if we are Israel? What if David is a type, a foreshadowing, of a great and faithful king who would come and slay the ultimate enemies of God — Sin and Satan? Surely this story has more to it than a simple life lesson. Jesus said that all of the Law and the Prophets testified to him, and so every hero points us to the final King that would come. Every sacrifice points us to the ultimate sacrifice that would be given.
The Tale of Two Covenants
Within this framework of a Christ-centered understanding of all of Scripture, we also find that there are two covenants that run throughout the Bible. These are commonly known as the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace.
The Covenant of Works began in the Garden with Adam and Eve. In Gen. 2:15–17, we find that God takes Adam and he places him in the Garden and gives him charge over it. God then gives Adam a command: do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. What are the consequences of this sin? On the day that he eats of it, he will surely die. In this passage we have the makings of the Covenant of Works. Adam was given rulership over the land, which is the promise of the covenant. The condition of the covenant is that Adam not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The consequence of the covenant is death.
We also find this covenant of works and this same pattern of promise, condition, and consequence with the nation of Israel. In Exodus 24, Moses has finished setting forth the Law of God. He takes the blood of a bull and he sprinkles it on the people and says in verse 8: “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” The promise of the covenant of Sinai was that the people of Israel would inherit the land of Canaan. The condition of the covenant was that they must keep the commands that God had given them. In particular, they must not take in the people of that land or worship their gods (sound like a forbidden fruit to you?). The consequence of the covenant was death and destruction.
Thankfully, there is another covenant that runs alongside of this one, and we find it even as God is laying out the curses of breaking the Covenant of Works. This covenant is the Covenant of Grace. We find the first hints of it in Genesis 3:15, where God pronounces this curse on the serpent: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Surely, this verse does more than just speak to the fear that every woman has for snakes. The key here is with the “seed”. Notice, the seed is male. We should also note that the seed is singular. This passage is not dealing with Eve and the snake, but with the Sons of God and the sons of the devil, and the ultimate Son of God who would crush the head of the serpent (Rom. 16:20).
We have the obvious fulfillment of this in the virgin birth of Jesus. Satan did his best to poison the work of Jesus from the start. Herod tried to eradicate the seed at birth. The mobs tried to preempt his work at various times. And, the ultimate blow came when the religious leaders and Roman governor convicted him of blasphemy and treason and killed him on a cross. Satan had done his worst, but by the power of God, Jesus rose again. Satan had, in the end, only bruised his heel. But, because of the work of Christ, Satan has been forever bound and judged.
We find this Covenant of Grace echoed throughout God’s story in the Old Testament. In Genesis 12:1–3, God promises Abram an inheritance, but he also promises that through him all nations of the earth will be blessed. God acted mightily for the Israelites against Pharaoh and brought them out of Egypt, not based on anything they had done, but based on his promise to Abraham. And, in that final plague of the death of the first born, God showed mercy to the Israelites by providing a sacrifice. Notice in this that the Israelites would have died along with the Egyptians unless God had provided a sacrifice. In every other plague, God was careful to make a distinction between the Egyptian and the Israelite, but with the plague of death there was no distinction. As the nation is marching into the Promised Land, God spares the family of Rahab the prostitute because of her faith. And, in David’s writings, he equates righteousness with those who take refuge in the Lord.
This Covenant of Grace is woven throughout the Old and New Testaments, and it means that God has been about the business of saving a people for himself through faith in his promise from the beginning. To see this, look at Hebrews 11:13. The writer to the Hebrews says here that all of the patriarchs that he previously extolled died “in faith”. He says that they were looking forward to a promise that was far off. Abel offered a better sacrifice by faith. Enoch avoided death by faith. Noah believed God’s warning of judgment by faith. Abraham received his inheritance by faith. Sarah conceived by faith.
Understand that there are not seven different ways set forth for salvation in Scripture. There are not even two different ways, obedience or faith. There is but one way to salvation, and that is through faith in the promises of God fulfilled in Jesus Christ. God has provided that Covenant of Grace to everyone who by faith believed in the promise of God, from the first man outside of the garden till now.
Conclusion
So, what is the point of the Bible? The point of the Bible is Jesus. He is the true Word of God, and all of the stories, great men and women, laws, sacrifices, and prophecies; all of it points to him. So, what do we find God doing within the pages of Scripture? We find him working out his Covenant of Grace for his people by bringing about his promise to bless all the nations through the seed of Abraham. We find him fulfilling his Covenant of Grace through the Seed of the Woman who crushed the head of the serpent and brought us eternal life.
