:Jesus as the Thread:

Jesus is the thread that leads us through Scripture. His story doesn't begin in the New Testament, but in THE beginning...

I was reading back through some journals the other day,
found this excerpt from a Tim Keller sermon.
Every time I go back over it, it seems to hit me even harder..

"Jesus is the true and better Adam,
who passed the test in the garden
and whose obedience is imputed to us.
Jesus is the true and better Abel,
who, though innocently slain,
has blood now that cries out
not for our condemnation, but for our acquittal.
Jesus is the true and better Abraham
who answered the call of God
to leave all the comfortable and familiar,
and go out into the void, not knowing
whither he went, to create a new people of God.
Jesus is the true and better Isaac,
who was not just offered up by his Father on the mount,
but was truly sacrificed for us.
And when God said to Abraham,
"now I know you love me, because you did not withhold your son,
your only son whom you love from me,
now we can look at God, taking his son up the mountain
and sacrificing Him, and say, "now we know that you love us,
because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love, from us."
Jesus is the true and better Jacob
who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserve,
so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.
Jesus is the true and better Joseph,
who at the right hand of the king,
forgives those who betrayed and sold Him,
and uses His new power to save them.
Jesus is the true and better Moses,
who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord
and who mediates a new covenant.
Jesus is the true and better rock of Moses
who was struck with the rod of God's justice,
and now gives us water in the desert.
Jesus is the true and better Job,
the truly innocent sufferer,
who then interecedes for and saves his stupid friends.
Jesus is the true and better David,
whose victory becomes his people's victory
though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.
Jesus is the true and better Esther,
who didn't just risk losing an earthly palace,
but lost the ultimate and heavenly one,
who didn't just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people.
Jesus is the true and better Jonah,
who was cast out into the storm so we could be brought in.
Jesus is the real rock of Moses
He is the real passover Lamb,
innocent.
perfect.
helpless.
slain so that the angel of death would pass over us.
He is the true temple.
the true prophet.
the true priest.
the true king.
the true sacrifice.
the true lamb.
the true light.
the true bread.....

The Bible's really not about you.

It's about Him. "


amen.