‘LIVINGFAITH’SCRIPTURECOURSE

FROMGENESISTOJESUS:UNLOCKINGTHEBIBLE

Part6:“TheSonKing:

FulfilmentoftheCovenant”

Michelangelo,TheLastJudgment–detail(1536-1541),SistineChapel,Rome

StColumba’s,CullodenWednesday26July2017

Jesus:TheFulfilmentofGod’sCovenantPlan• WiththecomingofJesus,thestoryofGod’scovenantplanreachesitsconclusion.• ThreecovenantsarereferredtointhefirstlineoftheNT:“Thebookofthe

genealogyofJesusChrist,thesonofDavid,thesonofAbraham”(seeMt1:1).TheBirthoftheMessiah:AnnunciationandVisitation• GabrieltellsMarythatGodwillgivetoJesus“thethroneofDavidHisfather,and

HewillruleoverthehouseofJacobforeverandofHiskingdomtherewillbenoend”(seeLk1:32-33).

• MarycriesoutinsongthatJesus’comingisGod’sanswertoallIsrael’sprayers,afulfilmentof“ThemercypromisedtoourFathers,toAbrahamandhissonsforever”(seeLk1:55).

TheNativityandtheTemple• JosephandMarywentto“thecityofDavidthatiscalledBethlehem,becausehe

[Joseph]wasofthehouseandfamilyofDavid”(seeLk2:4).InBethlehemDavidwasbornandanointedwithoilbySamuel(see1Sam16:1-13).

• Matthew,inhisGospelaccountofJesus’birth,alsowantsustoknowthatHeisthelong-awaited“Messiah”and“KingoftheJews”(seeMt2:2,4).

• GodpromisednotonlythatthesonofDavidwouldbeHisson,butthatthissonwouldbuilda“house,”aTempletotheheavenlyFather’sname.ThatpromisewaspartiallyfulfilledwhenDavid’sson,Solomon,builttheTempleinJerusalem.AsthenewandtrueSonofDavid,Jesustoowillbuilda“temple”toGod’sname.ThattemplewillbeHisbodyandtheChurch(seeJn2:21;Mt21:18).

BaptisingtheBelovedSon• “YouaremybelovedSon,withyouIamwellpleased”(seeMk1:11).Thewords

echothepromisethatGodmaketoDavid’sson-thathewillbeGod’ssonandthathewillrulethenations(seePs2:7-9).

TemptingtheNewMoses• Inthedesert,Jesusfacesthreetemptations,justlikeIsrael.Heisfirstconfronted

withhunger.HeistemptedtogrumbleagainstGod(seeEx16:1-13).• SatandaresJesustoputGodtothetest,todemandthatGod‘prove’Hispromise

tocareforHim.IsraelunderwentthesametemptationwhenthepeoplestartedfightingwithMosesatMassah(seeEx17:1-6;Num20:2-13;Ps95:79).

• Jesusistemptedtoworshipafalsegod,whichIsraelactuallydidincreatingtheidolofthegoldencalf(seeEx32).

BlessingsoftheKingdom• LikeMoses,Jesusfastsfor40daysandnightsaloneinthewilderness(seeMt4:2;

Ex34:28).• LikeMoses,JesusendsHisfastbyclimbinga“mount”togivethepeoplethelaw

ofGod,deliveringwhatwecallthe“SermonontheMount”(seeMt5-7;Deut5:1-21;Ex24:12-18).ThedominantthemeistheKingdom.

JesustheGoodShepherd• Davidwasashepherd;JesustheMessiahcameasagoodshepherdtosavethe

lostsheepofIsrael(Jn10:11;Heb13:20;Mt10:6;15:24;seeEz34:23;37:24).• WhenJesusfeedsthemultitudes:Hetakesthebread;Heblessesit;Hebreaksit;

andHegivesit.ConsidertheaccountsoftheLastSupper:Hetakesthebread:Heblessesit;Hebreaksit;andHegivesit(CompareMk6:41and14:22;Mt14:19and26:26;Lk9:16and22:19.Seealso1Cor11:23,26).

TheKeystotheKingdom• AsSolomonappointed12officerstoadministerhiskingdom(see1Kgs4:7),

JesusappointsHis12ApostlestopositionsofleadershipinHiskingdom(seeMt19:28).Heappoints,one,Simon,toaspecialpost,changinghisnametoPeter.PeterisfromtheGreekpetros,whichmeans‘rock.’Jesustellshim,“OnthisrockIwillbuildmyChurch”(seeMt16:18).

TheTransfigurationandtheNew‘Exodus’• AsthefirstexodusledtoacovenantbetweenGodandIsraelatSinai,thenew

exodus,Jeremiahprophesied,wouldresultina‘newcovenant’(seeJer23:3-8;31:31-34).

• Jesus’Passion,deathandResurrectionwillbethenewexodustheprophetsforesaw.AsthefirstexodusliberatedIsrael,thenewexoduswillliberateeveryraceandpeople.AsthefirstexodusfreedIsraelfrombondagetoPharaoh,thenewexoduswillfreeallmankindfromslaverytosinanddeath.

TheEntranceoftheKing• Tobegintheaccomplishmentofthisnewexodus,JesusentersJerusalemina

scenereminiscentofSolomon’scrowningasKing(see1Kgs1).• Jesusisproclaimed“sonofDavid”(seeMt21:9,15),likeSolomon(seeProverbs

1:1).Heridesacoltintotown(seeMt21:7),justasSolomonrodeKingDavid’smule(see1Kgs1:38,44).

ThePassover• InexplainingtheEucharist,JesuscompareditimplicitlywiththePassover

celebration-sayingthatpeoplemust“eatMyflesh,”astheIsraeliteshadtoeattheroastedfleshoftheLamb(seeJn6:53-58).

• IntellingHisApostlesto“dothisinmemoryofMe”(seeLk22:19),JesuswasinstitutingtheEucharistasa“memorial”ofanew“passingover”andanewcovenant.

JesusOurPaschalLamb• Theactual‘passover’ofJesustakesplaceinHisPassion,deathandResurrection.

Therewere4cupsduringthePassovermeal,butonlythreearetaken;thefourthcupisthesourwine,whichJesusdrinksonthecross.“Itisfinished”(Jn19:30)–whatwasfinishedwasJesus’fulfilmentofthePassoveroftheOldCovenant.

• Formoredetails,seeBrantPitre,JesusandtheJewishRootsoftheEucharist:UnlockingtheSecretsoftheLastSupper(Doubleday,2011).

DeathoftheBelovedSon• OntheCross,Jesusis“re-enacting”thestoryofAbraham’ssacrificeofHisbeloved

sonIsaac(seeGen22).• Cf.BrantPitre,JesustheBridegroom:TheGreatestLoveStoryEverTold(Image,

2014),Chapter4.ExplainingtheScripturesandBreakingtheBread:TheEmmausStory• “BeginningwithMosesandalltheprophets,Heinterpretedtothemwhat

referredtoHiminalltheScriptures”(seeLk24:27).• “Hetookbread,saidtheblessing,brokeitandgaveittothem”(seeLk24:30).

TheChurch:KingdomoftheSpirit• AtthecentreoftheJesus’post-ResurrectionteachingabouttheOldTestament

wasDavidand“thekingdomofGod”(seeActs1:3).TheSacraments• Thesacraments,astheApostlesexplainedthem,continuedthemightyworksof

Godinsalvationhistory-localisingthem,makingthempersonal,ensuringthatallpeoplewouldbejoinedtothesavingworkofJesusuntiltheendoftime.

TheNewJerusalemandtheBrideofChrist:TheChurchintheBookofRevelation• Formoredetails,seeScottHahn,TheLamb’sSupper(BantamDoubleday,1999).• TheBiblebeganwiththestoryofthecreationoftheworld.Itendswiththe

passingawayofheavenandearthandthecomingdownof“anewheavenandanewearth”(seeRev21:1).

• Wearethespiritualchildren,bornofthemarriageoftheLambandHisBride,theChurch,havingreceivedthedivinegiftof“life-givingwater”inBaptism,havingheardGodsaytoeachofus:“IshallbehisGodandhewillbeMyson”(Rev21:7).

ConcludingPrayer

OGod,inthecovenantofyourChristYouneverceasetogathertoYourselffromallnationsapeoplegrowingtogetherinunitythroughtheSpirit;grant,wepray,thatyourChurch,faithfultothemissionentrustedtoher,maycontinuallygoforwardwiththehumanfamilyandalwaysbetheleavenandthesoulofhumansociety,torenewitinChristandtransformitintothefamilyofGod.ThroughourLordJesusChrist,YourSon,wholivesandreignswithyouintheunityoftheHolySpirit,OneGod,foreverandever.

RCDioceseofAberdeenCharitableTrust.AregisteredScottishCharityNumberSC005122.