In October, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had given for Israel to obey. [Nehemiah 7.73a-8.1]
Sometimes it seems Christianity has made too much distinction between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Yes, I said it.
Here is why I make this statement:
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. [John 1.1-5]
It's not surprising that John would open his writing about Jesus this way because it was John who recollected Jesus' profound statement about Himself:
You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! [John 5.39]
The Book of the Law Ezra read to the people was indeed God's Word. The Book of the Law Ezra read to the people was indeed Jesus in pre-Advent form.
The Old Covenant (The Word) and the New Covenant (the Word) are in fact, the same including all the same players except that the Main Character (Jesus) manifested in the form of a human as part of the New Covenant. In so doing, Jesus replaced forever the representative imperfect and therefore incomplete animal blood with His own perfect and therefore complete blood offered upon the Cross once for all time. The blood shed one time by Jesus, because His blood was that of both God and man, secured complete forgiveness for all who lived before Him and all who would live after Him - but only for those who by the obedience of faith would repent and believe.
Jesus spoke of His own story (the Good News) like this:
It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ [Luke 24.47]
Oh, and Jesus said it like this too:
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. [John 3.16-18]
The repentance called for in the Old Covenant is one and the same as the repentance Jesus defined in Luke 24.47. The heavy burden of necessary faith in repeated offerings of insufficient animal blood of the Old Covenant however was replaced with the light burden of necessary faith in Jesus' all-sufficient blood.
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” [Matthew 11.28-30]
Jesus made no inference that there would be no yoke or no burden! Because sin remains and humans are incapable of perfection, the inescapable yoke and burden of repentance remains. However, just as repentance without faith in the coming Messiah was incomplete in the Old Covenant, so faith in Jesus without repentance is incomplete in the New Covenant age.
Look in Nehemiah again further as Ezra read from the Book of the Law...
The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—then instructed the people in the Law while everyone remained in their places. They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the LORD your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!” [Nehemiah 8.7-10]
I believe, based on Jesus' words in Luke 24.47, that when they "clearly explained the meaning," they explained the coming Messiah. In repentance the people appropriately wept. However, just as repentance without faith is incomplete, so weeping without rejoicing is incomplete: the people were instructed then to celebrate. The pattern is this: 1) understand the Word, 2) repent, 3) believe, and then 4) rejoice.
The problem seen therefore with the current misplaced distinction between Old and New Covenants (Testaments) is that faith and repentance are largely separated when nothing in God's Word implies such. Yes, there is absolutely a place for rejoicing in Christ! However, there is no rejoicing "in Christ" without one's bearing of his own cross to be "in Christ," understanding the Word, repenting, and believing.
If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. [Matthew 10:38]
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16:24]
Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Mark 8:34]
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. [Luke 9:23]
The entire Bible is about (and is) Jesus. Without this understanding, misunderstanding is the norm and there will only be confusion propagated among the people. Knowledge of the WHOLE Bible is the key to understanding Jesus. Otherwise, well, we are living in "otherwise..."
Father, forgive us for passing over key statements made in the Bible and particularly by Jesus Himself simply because they don't fit our preconceived notions about the Bible and Jesus Christ the Messiah. Raise up voices among Your people who will declare the Truth of Jesus Christ's preeminence in both Old and New Testaments. May the call to rejoicing never precede the call to repentance! May neither of these ever be presented without the other. Help Your people understand!
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