Doing a course on the Gospel of Matthew, fascinating stuffs from well-prepared lectures by Peter Rowan, a missionary from OMF.
He represents what the Reformed (and Reforming) Christian should be... humble, scholarly, white-hot for mission, passionate abt the Word etc.
The following is a brief presentation we'd do in class next week:
Matthew quotes extensively from the Old Testament and sees different aspects of Israel’s history and religion as finding their ‘fulfillment’ in Jesus, not only Messianic predictions.
The person and ministry of Jesus are portrayed as the antitype and embodiment of the nation.
For example, the tribute of the Magi to infant Jesus is paralleled to Isaiah 60:1-6 where Gentiles will bring their gold and frankincense to the people in Zion. Jesus’ return from Egypt is tied to Hosea 11:1 “Out of Egypt I have called my son”, which in its original context, refers to Israel’s escape from Egypt. This historic national event is taken as a type of God’s future act of deliverance in an individual, the Son of God.
The massacre in Bethlehem preceded Jesus’ restoration from exile in Egypt which is an allusion to Jeremiah’s passage about “loss as the prelude to a joyful return and restoration of the people of God from exile”.
As Jesus was tested in the wilderness before his Galilean ministry (4:1-11), so was Israel disciplined before entering the Promised Land. Even his third-day resurrection motif may be derived from Hosea 6:2 which predicted the national resurrection of Israel.
Different titles used for Israel in the Old Testament have been applied to the Messiah. For example, Servant of Yahweh (Isaiah) and Son of Man (Daniel 7) were originally a representation of the nation. Now Jesus is not only the founder of the new Israel he is also what Dodd called its “inclusive representative”. Jesus shows corporate solidarity in obeying where Israel has failed in her calling. The Rejected Stone (Psalm 118:22), another figure of the vindication of Israel is understood as having reached its culmination in Jesus himself.
Lastly, Matthew (chapter 12) also sees discontinuity as Jesus is understood as greater than critical features of Israel’s life and institutions i.e. temple, kings and prophets. In this individual Jesus, Israel as a corporate entity of the people of God has found its fulfillment. He is the goal, the convergence-point, of God’s covenant-promise for Israel.
He represents what the Reformed (and Reforming) Christian should be... humble, scholarly, white-hot for mission, passionate abt the Word etc.
The following is a brief presentation we'd do in class next week:
Matthew quotes extensively from the Old Testament and sees different aspects of Israel’s history and religion as finding their ‘fulfillment’ in Jesus, not only Messianic predictions.
The person and ministry of Jesus are portrayed as the antitype and embodiment of the nation.
For example, the tribute of the Magi to infant Jesus is paralleled to Isaiah 60:1-6 where Gentiles will bring their gold and frankincense to the people in Zion. Jesus’ return from Egypt is tied to Hosea 11:1 “Out of Egypt I have called my son”, which in its original context, refers to Israel’s escape from Egypt. This historic national event is taken as a type of God’s future act of deliverance in an individual, the Son of God.
The massacre in Bethlehem preceded Jesus’ restoration from exile in Egypt which is an allusion to Jeremiah’s passage about “loss as the prelude to a joyful return and restoration of the people of God from exile”.
As Jesus was tested in the wilderness before his Galilean ministry (4:1-11), so was Israel disciplined before entering the Promised Land. Even his third-day resurrection motif may be derived from Hosea 6:2 which predicted the national resurrection of Israel.
Different titles used for Israel in the Old Testament have been applied to the Messiah. For example, Servant of Yahweh (Isaiah) and Son of Man (Daniel 7) were originally a representation of the nation. Now Jesus is not only the founder of the new Israel he is also what Dodd called its “inclusive representative”. Jesus shows corporate solidarity in obeying where Israel has failed in her calling. The Rejected Stone (Psalm 118:22), another figure of the vindication of Israel is understood as having reached its culmination in Jesus himself.
Lastly, Matthew (chapter 12) also sees discontinuity as Jesus is understood as greater than critical features of Israel’s life and institutions i.e. temple, kings and prophets. In this individual Jesus, Israel as a corporate entity of the people of God has found its fulfillment. He is the goal, the convergence-point, of God’s covenant-promise for Israel.
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