At exactly the right time, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law: the seed of Abraham in whom nations are blessed, the Passover Lamb, the Son of David on the throne, and the end of exile. Jesus is not a new story interrupting the old one; He is the old story arriving.
Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
1
He is the Seed promised to Abraham
Paul notices the singular: the promises spoke to Abraham's 'seed,' and Paul argues they point not to many but to One, 'to your seed,' who is Christ. Everyone united to Jesus inherits what was sworn to Abraham, and the blessing of Abraham comes to the nations in Him. The Abrahamic story reaches its destination at the manger and the cross.
Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He doesn’t say, “To seeds”, as of many, but as of one, “To your seed”, which is Christ.Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you.”And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
John the Baptist's greeting compresses the whole sacrificial system into one title: 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!' Paul draws the line explicitly: Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us, and His blood delivers from judgment just as surely as the lamb's blood did in Egypt.
The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place.Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a faultless and pure lamb, the blood of Christ;Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
The angel's annunciation quotes the Davidic covenant almost verbatim: the throne of His father David, reigning over the house of Jacob, of whose kingdom there will be no end. What Psalm 89 mourned as a fallen crown, Matthew presents as restored in Jesus, son of David, son of Abraham.
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.”He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Zechariah blesses God because He 'has visited and worked redemption for his people'; Simeon waits for the consolation of Israel; Anna speaks of the child 'to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.' In Christ, God gathered His people, forgave their sins, and wrote His law on hearts: the return from exile completed at a deeper level.
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and worked redemption for his people;Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
Coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days,” says the Lord; “I will put my laws into their mind, I will also write them on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people.For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
The fullness of time came once; the fullness of all things is coming next. The same Jesus will appear a second time, and the story closes with the serpent crushed, the curse undone, the nations healed, and God dwelling with His people forever. Reading the Bible as one story means reading your own life as a chapter inside it.
so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away from them every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.”And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children.But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.”He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.