Note: The content of this post was adapted by Tim Keller. You can watch Keller further elaborate on this point here.
The key to reading the Bible is to see Jesus in every verse, chapter, and book. The events and characters in the Old Testament are seen as prefiguring Jesus in the New Testament. The theologians call this typology. Below are a list of characters in the Old Testament and how Jesus is greater and better than all of them.
Adam: Failed the test in the Garden of Eden.
Jesus: Passed the test in the Garden of Gethsemane and whose obedience is imputed to us.
Abel: Innocently slain but his blood cannot save us.
Jesus: Innocently slain and his blood covers all our sins.
Abraham: Left his home to do the work of God and is considered to be the father of many Nations.
Jesus: Left heaven to do the work of God and is the Creator of all the Nations.
Isaac: Carried his own wood to the place of his would be execution but was spared.
Jesus: Carried the wooden cross to the place of his execution and was slaughtered.
Jacob: Wrested with God.
Jesus: Wrestled with God in the Garden of Gethsemane and took the blow that we deserve.
Moses: Mediator between God and the Israelites.
Jesus: The ultimate Mediator and intercessor for all of God’s elect.
Job: Innocently suffered while his dumb friends were of no help.
Jesus: Innocently suffered and his friends — Peter, James, and John — fell asleep while Jesus suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane likewise proving to be useless.
David: A great King.
Jesus: The King of all Kings.
Jonah: Spent three days in a whale and whom God would later use to save a large number in Nineveh.
Jesus: Spent three days in the grave to save a multitude greater than Nineveh.
Nehemiah: Rebuilt Jerusalem.
Jesus: Building a New Jerusalem for our eternal home.
Hosea: Married an unfaithful whoring wife, Gomer, (I like to call her Gomer The Domer) whom he continued to pursue and love.
Jesus: Continually pursues and loves his unfaithful Bride, the Church.
Clearly, the Bible is about Someone other than you.
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