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A HELICOPTER’S EYE VIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
When you fly high over the New Testament you are immediately aware that what is new is not the territory, nor the people, not even God’s promises! What is new is found in the word fulfilment.
The Dream had become reality. The promise had become a person. The dream of the Old Testament becomes fulfilled in the New Testament.
From this high altitude, see the distance vistas of the Old Testament story of real people transformed by mysterious personal encounters with God. In the Old Testament they knew that this Mysterium Tremendum - this supernatural being - who had made them, was personal (being the God of Abram, of Isaac and Moses and so on).
This mysterious Relationship, which became the source of their entire life’s purpose, was known as COVENANT.
This personal relationship persisted and developed throughout this new race’s turbulent story - brought out of slavery - beginning to learn what their mysterious unseen master expected of them. (No wonder they called Him Holy and His ten commands.)
Given a land to occupy and becoming a nation, they sought a Ruler to lead them. 1 Samuel chapter 8 describes the dilemma. They wanted a king like all the other potentates, but Samuel (the King Maker) was given another job description for the new King.
This King would have a triple role
- He would be a PRIEST (going into God on behalf of the people)
- He would be a PROPHET (going before the people with God’s Will spelt out)
- He would be unlike other monarchs in that His one aim was to introduce the Kingdom of God on earth!
To help him in this, there would be numerous priests and always visionary prophets, who went first and foremost to tell the King the Will of God.
Thus the title of the King was a new word to fit this unique calling (job description).The King was to be called...- the ANOINTED, King of Jehovah (in English)
- the MESSIAH (in Hebrew)
- the CHRIST (in Greek)
…all the one same word.
The Old Testament nation grew powerful, then later it split into two; it went into captivity and part ‘went back’ to start again. All through many centuries the dream never completely died, yet the Kingdom did not come. Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome all came and went, and then...
“Then Jesus came…...” (Matthew chapter 3 v13)
The first recorded words of Jesus in the earliest gospel (Mark) were, “the time has come, the Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and [dare to] believe the good news.”
The Purpose of the King
That is what is new in the New Testament; the arrival of a King intent on establishing God’s kind of kingdom on earth.
The entire New Testament is the declaration of this King.
This new King could not be sidetracked into saving the world by the only three ways it ever knows:
- by Bread,
- by Mystery, or
- by Authority
…as all other rulers try to do to this very day.
His manifesto of the Kingdom is set out in Matthew chapters 5-7.
The impact of the Kingdom is outlined by Jesus Himself in Luke chapter 4, v14-21.
The picture snapshots of the kingdom are what we call the Parables of Jesus.
The consummation of the Kingdom is to be seen in the Pantograph of Mark chapeter 13 (also to be seen in the book of Revelation).
The turning point in Jesus’ ministry came when “he began to teach them…” the impossible, namely, that He would be killed!
A murdered Messiah was UNTHINKABLE. (See Matthew chapter 16, v13-24; Mark chapter 8,v27-33; Luke chapter 9, v18-23)
The New Testament is not about a good example or even a great teacher. It focuses upon the person of Jesus who said and did what only God has the right to say and do. No wonder the religious were scandalized - “Who does he think he is? God?”
The great confrontation began when Jesus, with only five more full days left to live, entered the city as only its king had a right to do. He then proceeded to challenge the whole Human Race to face the truth about itself, in worship, in purpose and in its ‘lostness’.
The Easter Story
The story of his arrest, his torture and his execution on the city’s rubbish heap, is what we call The Passion of Christ.
This is the focus of what he came to do; what only God could do.
Then came the unexpected news, the supernatural news: Jesus is alive. He is risen from the dead!
Suddenly the newly covenanted people were called back to life: Jesus is alive, even more alive than ever.
Helicopter Fly Past
Later John explained his reason for writing his gospel. John chapter 20, v30-31
These followers were utterly transformed when Jesus himself and his power source amongst them, send them out to change the world. Acts chapter 2
See also how Paul, in particular, displays how he was transformed into a new man in Christ!
The book of Hebrews (which some of us call Four Sermons and a Consequence) is a superb sweep of the difference between the Old and the New Covenant. (just read the first three verses to whet your appetite)
Read Ephesians and see that Jesus did not come to restore a lost ‘Eden’ but to lift us to a higher realm than innocence! (think about it)
See 1 Peter for job description of the church as a revolutionary army.
Read the Corinthian books to see that salvation is not a private experience, but a transplant into another corporate system of living.
Read the book of James for the difference between real ‘faith’ and mere ‘belief’.
Read Philippians for a lesson in joy, and the 3 letters of John for a lesson in love and much, much more!
In fact, let the New Testament bring you LIFE!
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