Where Do We Find Jesus in the Old Testament?

Article by 
Joe Rigney
Teacher, desiringGod.org

For me, one of the most exciting elements of Scripture is its use of typology. Put simply,

[Typology is] the idea that persons (e.g., Moses), events (e.g., the exodus), and institutions
(e.g., the temple) can — in the plan of God — prefigure a later stage in that plan and provide
the conceptuality necessary for understanding the divine intent (e.g., the coming of Christ to
be the new Moses, to effect the new exodus, and to be the new temple) (Graham Cole, He
Who Gives Life, [Wheaton: Crossway, 2007], 289).

I love to read the New Testament and see the ways in which the biblical authors read their
Old Testaments in light of Christ. I love that Matthew depicts Jesus as the true Israel, who
escapes from a wicked king like Moses did (Matthew 2:13-18; cf. Exodus 1:15-2:10), who
passes through water and is declared God’s son like Israel (Matthew 3:13-17; cf. Exodus 14,
4:22-23), and then is led by the Spirit through the wilderness to be tested for forty days
(Matthew 4:1-11; cf. Exodus 40:34-38). But unlike Israel who failed the test (Deuteronomy
8:1-3), Jesus succeeds (Matthew 4:3-4), triumphing over temptation and returning to launch
the invasion of Canaan (Matthew 4:12-25), a new Joshua ready to remove the seed of the
serpent that is polluting his land and his people.

Interpretive Questions Arise

For many evangelicals, such typological interpretation is fraught with danger. A host of
questions immediately arises: Are we justified in seeing Christ in the Old Testament only in
those places explicitly mentioned by the biblical authors? Or can we imitate apostolic
interpretive methods and find Jesus in other places in Scripture?
Jesus says that he’s a greater Solomon (Matthew 12:42), Paul says that the Rock that
followed Israel in the wilderness was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4), and the author of Hebrews
recognizes Jesus in Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:1-3).
But is Jesus also the greater Joseph, persecuted by his brothers and foreigners, thrown into a
pit and a prison, and then emerging to become ruler over all? Is Jesus a greater Elisha, who
comes after Elijah (John the Baptist) with a double portion of his predecessor’s spirit?

Edwards Saw a Typological World

Jonathan Edwards certainly believed so. Edwards believed that the entire Old Testament
gives us a “typical (or typological) world.” Everything in the Old Testament is typological,
from the ceremonies of the law to the history of Israel to the state and circumstances of
God’s people throughout Scripture. Edwards believed that it is unreasonable to restrict types
to the explicitly interpreted instances in Scripture. “For by Scripture it is plain that
innumerable other things are types that are not interpreted in Scripture (all the ordinances of
the Law are all shadows of good things to come)…” (“Types”).
He writes,

The Apostle himself teaches us that only so small a thing as the silence of Scripture in not
giving an account of Melchizedec’s birth nor death was [typological] (Hebrews 7:3). If so
small things in Scripture are [typological], it is rational to suppose that Scripture abounds
with types (“Types”).

How then should we define types? How can we detect them? How can we determine
whether something is truly a God-intended type in Scripture? Where are the breaks on this
thing? Perhaps Edwards will be of some help to us. . .

Joe Rigney (@joe_rigney) is president of Bethlehem College & Seminary and a teacher for

desiringGod.org. He is a husband, father of three, and pastor at Cities Church. His most
recent book is More Than a Battle: How to Experience Victory, Freedom, and Healing from
Lust.

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/where-do-we-find-jesus-in-the-old-testament
Moses : a Type of Christ
July 2, 2014 by GraceandTruth 12 Comments

The Old Testament is all about Christ. It really is.

 
Don’t listen to those who would put the OT down and say it is over with, it is past. Don’t
listen to those who would say OT = “bad” but NT = “good”. It makes up 2/3’s of the Bible
and it is all about Jesus.
“Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O
God.” Hebrews 10:7/Psalm 40:7.
Remember: The New is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed.
 
The NT sheds light on the OT. And the NT is concealed in the shadows of the Old – it is
hidden, but it is there for those who like to search for hidden treasure. Looking for the types
and foreshadows of Christ in the OT is such a joy. I love discovering Him in the OT.
 
One example is Moses. Moses is such a wonderful type and picture of Christ. His life and
ministry foreshadows Jesus in many ways. However One even greater than Moses is here
now, in the Person of Jesus Christ. Let’s see how:
 
 Moses was hidden away in Egypt as a baby for his own protection when Pharaoh
decreed that all Hebrew baby boys were to be killed.
 Jesus was hidden away in Egypt as a baby for his own protection when Herod sought
to kill Him.
 
 Moses, willingly left his royal home and high position in Pharaoh’s palace for the
sake of his people.
 Jesus, the royal Son of God, willingly left the glory of heaven to come to earth for the
sake of His people.
 
 In due course Moses came up out of Egypt and spent 40 years in the wilderness.
 In due course Jesus also came up out of Egypt. He spent 40 days in the wilderness.
 
 
 
 Moses was the deliverer of Israel out of the bondage and slavery of Egypt. He
redeemed the Israelites from their hard-taskmasters with the blood of the Passover
lamb.
  Jesus is the deliverer of not only Israel but also of the Gentiles. He has delivered us
from our bondage and slavery to sin. He has redeemed us from our hard-taskmaster
(Satan) with His very own blood.
“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29
 
 Moses interceded for the Israelites when they corrupted themselves and worshipped a
golden calf. In Exodus 32:32 Moses offered his own life on behalf of the people.
Such was his love for them that he was prepared to take their guilt upon himself and
to die for them.
 Jesus interceded for the whole of humankind, utterly corrupted and gone astray as we
were.  Jesus actually did lay down His life on behalf of humankind. Such is His love
for us that He did take our sin and guilt upon Himself and was offered to God in our
place.
 
 Moses was mediator of the Old Covenant of Law.
 Jesus Christ is mediator of the New Covenant of Grace.
“For the law was given through Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
John 1:17
 
This barely skims the surface of the treasures of Christ that can be found in the life of
Moses. Have a look for yourself and see what else you can find.
 
God bless!
 
https://graceandtruth.me/2014/07/02/moses-a-type-of-christ/

TYPOLOGY

Romans 5:15: "For the gift is not like the trespass.  For if the many died by the
trespass of the one man [Adam], how much more did God's grace and the gift
that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to many!"
Matthew 5:17: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the
Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."
The Greek word from which we derive our English word "type" means "a form
or pattern."  Typology is one of the basic ways in which New Testament
Christians understood their relationship to the Old Testament.  Typology
asserts that in God's oversight of history, certain events or persons (types) 
prefigure later events or persons (anti-types): the former being the implicit
shadow, the later being the explicit actual.  Thus, Moses is understood to be a
type of Christ because Christ is the New Lawgiver.  Christ is also the Second
Adam who brings salvation to a new redeemed race of people.  Salvation for
all humanity is prefigured by the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt.
 Typology is more than allegory, for in allegory one object stands for or
signifies another.   For example, in C.S. Leiws' Pilgrim's Regress, Lady Kirk
represents the Church.  In typology, the two are more closely tied together in
God's overall plan.   They mutually explain each other.  To understand Moses
as a type of Christ is to do more than see Christ as analogous to Moses in
different situations where both impart God's instructions; rather, it is to
understand that Moses prepares for Christ, that Christ's law subsumes and
fulfills the one given by Moses.

A typological understanding is helpful for Christians thinking about literature in

two ways, a strong version and a weak one:

1. Typological thinking helps create profound, poetic insights, such as those

of John Donne or George Herbert.  The poet is able to enhance the meaning
of a poem because she plays off the rich relationship between type and anti-
type.  Thus, George Herbert can write in the poem "The Priesthood" of the
Old Testament priests, of the "priesthood" of every New Testament believer,
of the royal priesthood of Christ, and of the "priestly" role his poems serve in
his worship of God as well.

2. In a more limited way, typological thinking helps us to realize that all truth
helps prepare us for the worldview of the gospel.  Thus, the Peace Child of
the Nanaimo peoples helped prepare them for Christ the complete peace
child.  Of course, to some this can sound fairly dismissive, as if all human
culture is waiting for a "Christian" completion.  But if we remember that true
Christianity will not be complete until it is made up of every tribe and ethnicity,
then perhaps we can understand that this impulse is finally inclusive.   "Old
things are put away; All things become new." All things are fulfilled in Christ
because they are renewed.  The Peace Child of the Nanaimo helps us better
understand Jesus.

*****

Central Insight: Typology, besides being an important poetic technique, also

reminds us that "all truth helps prepare us for the worldview of the gospel."

Suggestions for Application: Examine an explicitly typological image or

character in the text, e.g. a Christ-figure.   Alternately, argue for an implicit
connection/ inticipation between a text's truth and the Christian worldview.
 
"All manner of thing shall be well/ When the tongues of flame are in-folded/ Into the
crowned knot of fire/ And the fire and the rose are one." -- T.S. Eliot, Little Gidding
https://www3.dbu.edu/mitchell/typology.htm
Like Unto Me: Moses as a Type of Christ

  There can be no doubt that Moses is a picture of Jesus

Christ.  Deuteronomy 18:15
 says, “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the
midst of thee, of thy brethren, LIKE UNTO ME; unto him ye shall
hearken;” (emphasis added).  The following is a list of some of the ways
in which Moses is a type or picture of Jesus Christ.  Although this is not
an exhaustive list, it does include 40 different ways in which Moses
typifies Christ.  This list, then, is designed for the benefit of Bible
students to think about the ways in which Moses and Christ are alike.

1. Both were born at a time when Israel was under foreign domination
(Moses – Egyptian bondage & Jesus – Roman bondage)
2. Both had rulers that tried to kill them shortly after their births
(Exodus 1:15-22
; Matthew 2:16-18
)
3. Both spent time in the wilderness before taking on their callings
(Exodus 3; Matthew 4:1-11
)
4. Both dealt with wicked kings (Pharaoh – Exodus 5-12; Herod
– Luke 13:31-32
)
5. Both dealt with folks who hardened their hearts (Exodus 8:15
; Mark 6:45-52
)
6. Both dealt with lepers (Numbers 12:10-15
; Matthew 8:1-4
)
7. Both had the world offered to them (Hebrews 11:24-27
; Matthew 4:8-9
)
8. Both were shepherds (Exodus 3:1
; John 10:11
)
9. Both fasted for 40 days (Exodus 34:28
; Luke 4:2
)
10. Both climbed mountains (Exodus 34; Matthew 5:1
)
11. Both were meek (Numbers 12:3
; Matthew 11:29
; Matthew 21:5
)
12. Both were envied (Psalm 106:16
; Matthew 27:18
)
13. Both did some writing (Exodus 34:27
; John 8:6-8
)
14. Both have a connection to the law - Moses, humanly
speaking, wrote the law, but Jesus Christ fulfilled the law
(Deuteronomy 31:9
; Matthew 5:17
)
15. Both kept the Passover (Exodus 12; Hebrews 11:28
; Luke 22:11
; Matthew 26:17-19
)
16. Both had a connection to innocent blood (Deuteronomy 19:9-
10
; Deuteronomy 21:7-9
; Matthew 27:3-4
)
17. Both sang (Exodus 15:1
; Matthew 26:30
)
18. Both had ministries to the nation of Israel (Exodus 3:1-10
; Matthew 15:21-28
)
19. Both did miraculous things (no references needed)
20. Both did miraculous things to/on large bodies of water
(Exodus 7:20
; Exodus 14:16
, 27; Matthew 8:23-27
; Mark 6:45-51
)
21. Both fed hungry people in a wilderness (Exodus 16; Mark 8:1-
9
)
22. Both provided water for thirsty people (Exodus 15:22-25
; John 4:10
,14)
23. Both spoke of future tribulation (Deuteronomy 4:30-31
; Matthew 24:21-22
)
24. Both spoke of eternal fire (Leviticus 6:12-13
; Matthew 25:40-41
)
25. Both paid tribute (Numbers 31:41
; Matthew 17:24-27
)
26. Both sent out 12 men (Numbers 13; Luke 9:1-6
)
27. Both were called God’s servants – “my servant” (Numbers
12:7
; Matthew 12:14-21
)
28. Both were prophets (Deuteronomy 34:10
; John 6:14
)
29. Both were priests (Exodus 40; Hebrews 4:14
)
30. Both were kings (Deuteronomy 33:4-5
; John 18:33-40
)
31. Both were judges (Exodus 18:13
; John 5:24-30
)
32. Both were teachers (Deuteronomy 4:5
; John 18:20
)
33. Both told wicked men to depart (Numbers 16:26
; Matthew 25:41
)
 34. Both met together on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew
17:1-9
)
35. Both are connected through the brasen serpent (Numbers
21:4-9
; John 3:14
)
36. Both had outstretched arms with 2 men beside them, and in
both cases there was a war going on (Exodus 17:8-16
; Matthew 27:38
).  In Moses’ case, it was a physical war with Amalek.  In Christ’s
case, it was a spiritual war with the devil (Isaiah 50:8
 in the context of the crucifixion).
37. Both had people weep when they died (Deuteronomy 34:8
; John 20:11
)
38. Both died but did not stay in their burial places (Deuteronomy
34:5-6
; Jude 9; Matthew 17:1-9
; Matthew 28)
39. Both were the subject of controversies concerning their dead
bodies (Jude 9; Matthew 28:11-15
)
40. Both had important “dignitaries” interested in their dead
bodies (Michael & the devil – Jude 9; the Pharisees, the Roman
soldiers, and Pilate – Matthew 27:62-65
; Mark 15:43-45
)

Karl Lohman
http://www.learnthebible.org/like-unto-me-moses-as-a-type-of-christ.html

Jesus as a New Moses

“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came
to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying…” (Matthew 5:1–2).
In Exodus, Moses went up on Mount Sinai and received the Law then taught the Law to
God’s people. Like Moses, Jesus is presented as a second Moses who teaches the Law on
the Mountain. Matthew intentionally draws a parallel between Moses as the original leader
of God’s people and Jesus, the ultimate “lawgiver” and interpreter of God’s Law.

In fact, there are a number things in the Gospel of Matthew which indicate the author
wanted to intentionally present Jesus as a “new Moses.” Dale Allison pointed this out in his
1993 monograph, The New Moses: A Matthean Typology and it is now quite commonplace
to find this commentaries on Matthew. In fact, drawing parallels between Jesus as Moses
goes back at least to the fourth century writer Eusebius in this in his Demonstration of the
Gospel. McKnight has a lengthy quote from Eusebius (p. 23), but as he observes, Eusebius’s
point is “the noxious fumes of supersecessionism,” the belief the Church has replaced Israel
as God’s people.

Just a few examples should be sufficient here. First, when King Herod ordered the execution
of children in Bethlehem Jesus and his family escape to Egypt (Matt 2:13-18), just as Moses
escaped Pharaoh’s order and was adopted by the Egyptian princess. Second, Jesus passes
through the water in his baptism (3:13-17) and goes into the wilderness for forty days to be
tempted by the devil (4:1-11). Israel passed through the waters at the Red Sea and went into
the wilderness and were eventually tested for forty years. It is also significant Jesus
answered the devil’s temptations with quotations Moses’s words drawn from the book of
Deuteronomy. Third, in Matthew 5 Jesus “went up a mountainside” (ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος) to
teach his disciples. The content of this teaching is in many ways an interpretation of the Law
of Moses. In Exodus 19:3, Moses “went up to the mountain of God” (ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος τοῦ
θεοῦ). Moses “goes up to the mountain” in Exodus 24:18 (when he entered into the glory of
God) and 34:4 (when he received the two stone tablets from God). Finally, Scot McKnight
points out Jesus’s posture is important: he is sitting down to teach the Law, just as those who
teach with legal authority “sit in the seat of Moses” (Matt 23:2).

Why would Matthew use Moses as a model for Jesus in his Gospel? Most commentators
want to avoid any hint of supersecessionism and anti-Semitic overtones and (correctly)
observe Jesus does not replace Moses (nor does the church replace Israel), but rather Jesus
fulfills the Law of Moses (McKnight 24). As we will see as we work our way through the
Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers a new way of reading the old commands, “do not kill” or
“do not commit adultery.” This “new way” is really the original way, to seek the heart of
God in his commands and find ways to live out God’s heart in the real world.

I would suggest Jesus is a new Moses in that he demonstrates how the disciple in the new
age should understand how to apply God’s word in the new age of the Kingdom. Under the
Law, it was entirely possible to do many functions of the Law perfectly, yet still miss the
heart of the Law. This is what the prophets constantly condemned Israel for doing. Amos,
one of the earliest writing prophets, declared that God hated Israel’s worship, the sacrifices
and music was offensive to him because Israel did not practice the justice at the heart of the
Law. Amos 5:11 decries abuse of the poor through taxation and 5:15 demands justice prevail
in the courts.

Jesus therefore says it does no good to “not murder” if you are going to hate people in your
hearts. It does no good to follow the commands on oath making if you are going to find all
sorts of ways to bend the rules. As the New Moses, Jesus demands his disciples look deep
beneath the surface of religious practice for the heart of God.

If this first sermon in Matthew’s Gospel is intended to recall the original covenant God
made with his people, how does that change the way we read the Sermon on the Mount? Is
this a “strict moral code” for following Jesus? Or is Jesus offering a pattern for thinking
through how the heart of God can be applied to new and different cultural situations as his
disciples move out into the world with the message of the Gospel?

Like this:

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14 thoughts on “Jesus as a New Moses”

1.
o sarahmaascom

o  August 30, 2018

I found this post thought provoking… I do understand the parallels between Moses
and Jesus in these passages, however Jesus is not simply the “New Moses”. Moses is
highly revered by Messianic Jews, as Moses was a great pillar of the faith. However,
Jesus is so much more than simply a pillar of the faith. Moses presented the law to
the Israelite. However, Jesus was the original author of the law (Jesus is God, God is
Jesus). This is why Jesus was not only able to state the law during his teaching but
clearly define and describe the heart and root of the law. Jesus goes far beyond the
teaching of Moses, showing the heart of God and how all sin is equal.

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o

 Derrion D. Tankard

  September 2, 2018

Hello Sarah,

After reading the post and your response I will to say that you both did a
great job getting your points across. I would like to take the time out to
defend Mr. Long claim when it comes to the Moses and Jesus comparison.
As read in the McKnight book page 24, “Jesus is not replacing Moses, but
by fulfilling the Moses.” McKnight explains that things may look as Jesus
is teaching the new law as the new Moses for the new people of God
 (McKnight, 24) When Jesus is simply completing the story of Israel in the
way God has plan for it to go via the ethics of Jesus. Hate to use sports to
give an example of what is being said in this section, but we all know
Michael Jordan is a fantastic basketball player, and he is even consider the
greatest to ever play the sport. At the same time, in this current era LeBron
James has surpassed Jordan on the scale of stats per game, but not impact
on the game and people claim that LeBron is the new Jordan. When indeed
that shouldn’t be the case, they are two totally different type of players and
play different position. On the other hand they are pushing the agenda of
making basketball a more profitable due to their skill set and impact.
LeBron is only finishing what Jordan started. I hope the example I gave is
very clear although I used a sport example. Feel free to respond on what
you believe is not true about my statement. I would truly appreciate it.

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2.
o Mike Ford

o  August 31, 2018

Have you considered that Moses might have “foreshadowed” (was a type of) Jesus as
Mediator between God and Man and Law Giver ? I think this is the correct
interpretation.

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o

 Mike Ford

  August 31, 2018

1 Corinthians 15:46 supports this!

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o

 Phillip J. Long

  September 4, 2018

Yes, I think this is another way to say more or less the same thing. It is
possible to draw analogies between Jesus and a number of key OT
characters. The problem (for me?) is which direction the typology runs. Did
Exodus intentionally describe Moses in a way which (prophetically)
foreshadowed Jesus, or did Matthew model his presentation of Jesus after
the well-known story of Moses? Maybe this is a “chicken and the egg” kind
 of problem, but my preference is Matthew’s use of Moses as model (a
literary typology) rather than a prophetic typology.

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

 Mike Ford

  September 5, 2018

I think the “original” Exodus “foreshadows” (is a type!) of the

exodus we make for This Age to the Next Age (New Creation).
We leave Egypt (this world and its man-made religions), travel
through the wilderness (life in this world/Age) and eventually
enter Canaan (a type of New Creation and Eden restored ++). At
the Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah asked Jesus about the
“exodus” He was to accomplish.

Jesus, as the Obedient Son, is True Israel and King of Israel. The
OT Nation of Israel foreshadowed the chosen people of God, and
believers are True Israel through union with Jesus (which in OT
was belief in God and His Coming Messiah!).

I think Moses foreshadowed Jesus. For example, Exodus 32:31 32

“foreshadows” Jesus’ atoning death on the cross. Many of the key
historical figures in OT Israel (including Moses), such as King
David, were obviously real people with real lives that
foreshadowed aspects of Jesus (son of David, King of Israel). “He
is the Head and we are the body” is another way of saying He is
King of Israel.

This is the understanding that God works throughout history

(“redemptive history”), to progressively unfold the revelation of
salvation through belief in His Chosen Son’s sacrifice for us.

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3.
o 17bmoore20

o  September 1, 2018

I think the similarities between the Moses’s bringing of the ten commandments and
Jesus’s sermon on the mount are too obvious to ignore. Matthew seems to be
indicating that Jesus has much in common with Moses or that Moses was
foreshadowing (because there is none of that throughout the Bible) the coming of
Christ. I think it is just important to point out that when Jesus is addressing the Law
of the Old Testament that he is not necessary changing it or making it harder, rather
He is revealing the true nature behind each law. Jesus is essentially saying that when
God (himself) gave Moses the law, it was like giving them a brand-new car to make
their lives easier. But instead of using it how it was intended, the Israelites missed the
true thinking and nature behind the laws. So, to continue with the car metaphor the
Israelites have basically been using this car to carry all their stuff and then pushing it,
maybe jumping on top of it riding down a steep hill. Jesus is coming telling them,
that although they got use out of the gift he gave them, they misunderstood how to
use it. Jesus is telling them that this car was to be driven, not merely used as a wagon.
Then He is saying not only did you used the car (law) wrong but now it doesn’t
matter, because I have something to offer you that is even better (himself as a eternal
sacrifice). So the connection between Moses and Jesus is valid, but Christ is not
simply abolishing everything Moses ever provided the Israelites with.

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o

 Derrion D. Tankard

  September 2, 2018

That is the exact idea I had when I first read the chapter and seen the title of
the blog. As we all know that Jesus is the descendant of many great men
within the bible. As professor Long mentioned from McKnight, “observe,
Jesus does not replace Moses (nor does the church replace Israel), but rather
Jesus fulfills the Law of Moses (McKnight 24). Just like when you think of
family heritage and legacies. Matthew was making the comparison between
Jesus and Moses an example of the idea of a family heir. If you look into
Matthew 1:1, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David,
the son of Abraham.” ( ESV,2018) Genealogy: -A line of descent traced
continuously from an ancestor.
Does this means the second coming of Jesus may in fact be a person soon to
be born, that so happens to be in the same family tree as Jesus, David,
Moses, and Abraham? This indeed can make the possibility that this very
person can be Hebrew, Hispanic, or even a black man. It may be the case of
the second coming being a woman. Well these are just thoughts but indeed
Moses was not being compared to our Lord and Savior; but Jesus is indeed
our anchor to the very gospel that God our Father is presenting to the world
through those who he has appointed to carry the wave of His children
coming back to His grace and glory through salvation of the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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4.
o Hailey Petty

o  September 2, 2018
 I think that for me personally I tend to miss a lot of parallels when it comes to how I
retain information and connect things like this. I have been more intentional with how
I read the scriptures over the past couple of years so these parallels over time has
become more apparent. When I read this and look back in Matthew, I see it kind of as
Moses presented the law but Jesus showed everyone how to live it out, just as stated
in this post, through his disciples. When Moses gave the law, it was almost like the
Israelites saw those laws as a strong suggestion or they did not get the point. From
my perspective when I read this, it’s almost like Jesus is showing people how to live
this out. It’s easy to follow something that is written but to not have any meaning or
heart behind it. Just like you stated above, that is addressed. I Think that in a way,
Jesus came and sealed this all or kind of put people into check. Jesus had a bit to add
on to really instill into everyone’s mind just what Moses meant. It’s like he is
emphasizing the point. I find this in Matthew 5:21-22 — (21) “You have heard that it
was said to those of old, You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to
judgment. (22) But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be
liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and
whoever says, You fool! will be liable to the hell of fire”. I think that Jesus comes
and (for a lack of better terms) puts the icing on the cake that is the law. Another
example is when Jesus said often to the pharisees who were twisting the law and
added their own traditions to it, and Jesus clarifies the law beginning with the phrase
“you have heard it said before, but I say to you”. He is clarifying, not abolishing. At
no point am I saying that Jesus is adding to the law. I believe he is clarifying.

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5.
o Andrea Gouvea

o  September 21, 2020

This is really interesting in a way that I never thought about the idea of a new Moses.
I can both point of views, but understand that this post, like Derrion said, is that
“Jesus does not replace Moses, but rather Jesus fulfills the law of Moses” (McKnight
24). Similar to like a student that might surpass a teacher, as well as it would most
likely be everyone’s goal to be the best. Proving the fact Jesus is fulfilling the law of
Moses is in Deuteronomy 18:15-19 foreshadowing, where Moses even wrote, that
God is going to send a prophet, like himself, among the Israelites.

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6. Pingback: The Sermon on the Mount | Reading Acts

7.
o NathanJames

o  September 26, 2020

Reading this article I immediately thought of Matthew 5: 17-20, that Jesus did not
come to abolish the law but to fulfill it for us, those who never could. Both Moses
and Jesus taught the same law of course, but the significance of our heart posture
towards the law is so much more prevalent in Jesus’ teachings than the teachings and
attitudes of Moses and the people of Israel. I like how there is a chart in Strauss’
“Four Portraits One Jesus” (P. 221), taken from the studies of B .W. Bacon, that
illustrates the way Matthew outlines his book very similar to the Pentateuch. I had
never realized that the literal structure of the book followed themes and principles
from the Pentatuech. Matthew wanted us to know that no longer will we need to fear
where our standing is with God, when we will need to sacrifice and when we are
clean enough to worship or be in His presence. Jesus’ perfect sacrifice covered the
multitude of sins in our lives and made us righteous before God, so the law no longer
makes us righteous, He does.

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8.
o alisontaylor253

o  September 28, 2020

To say that “Jesus is offering a pattern for thinking through how the heart of God can
be applied to new and different cultural situations as his disciples move out into the
world with the message of the Gospel” is spot on in my opinion (Phillip Long). Jesus
didn’t come into the world to “abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them”
according to Matthew 4:21 (ESV). Although, as clarified by McKnight, Jesus doesn’t
replace Moses, but he does fulfill him [Moses] by presenting the new law of grace to
the new people of God (24). As said by John, though “the law was given by Moses,
grace and truth came by Jesus” (John 1:15, ESV). Throughout this chapter, Jesus
presents ideas about the law that had never been thought of before such as someone
committing adultery just by looking at someone of the opposite sex lustfully. The
Pharisees didn’t understand this because until Jesus, their idea was that in order to get
to heaven, they needed to keep the whole law. They felt as if they were being
attacked by Jesus because He was saying that the whole law could never be fully kept
even though the Pharisees thought it was possible to do so. However, to conclude
with the words of Paul, “through the law comes knowledge of sin” not salvation
(Romans 3:20b, ESV). We are not saved by the law, but we are saved by faith in
Jesus which is what the Pharisees failed to understand.

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9.
o Jerome Cobb

o  September 28, 2020

 I think Jesus is offering a pattern for thinking through how the heart of God. I
liked the comparisons between Moses story and Jesus story because it
highlighted similarity. I like the caption “Jesus as the new Moses” because
that’s basically what it probably seemed like especially with the similarities
between the two lives and moments they gave. Jesus was better because he
could tell the true deep meanings or the “heart” of God’s law. Jesus is God so
he only would be the best to give the meaning and know them like the back of
his hand to explain them in depth to a level no other prophet can do.

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