Jesus, the long-expected Messiah, came to earth, fulfilled hundreds of prophecies, and ushered in the Christian age. Many who lived in previous ages would have given anything to see Jesus and hear Him teach. Jesus acknowledged this: “And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them” (Lk. 10:23, 24).
Imagine having only the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament. No doubt serious readers waited with anxious anticipation to see the fulfillment of all its promises. The New Testament provides the answers to these prospective assurances of the Old Testament. When would the seed of woman come and bruise Satan’s head (Gen. 3:15; Gal. 4:4-5)? When would the prophet like unto Moses come (Deut. 18:15; Jn. 6:14)? When would the king of Israel come, the son of David, (2 Sam. 7:13, 14; Heb. 1:5)—the one born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Lk. 2:4-6) upon whose shoulders the government would be (Isa. 9:6,7)? Who is the Son of God (Psa. 2:7; Mk. 1:11)? What about Immanuel (God with us) born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14; Mt. 1:23-25)? And who is God’s suffering servant who would justify many by bearing their sins (Isa. 53:11; 1 Pet. 2:24)? These and many more promises of the Old Testament were fulfilled when Jesus came to earth. Not long after the resurrection of Jesus, the inspired apostle Peter preached to people in Jerusalem, affirming that God had fulfilled what He had showed through the mouth of all His prophets (Acts 3:18), stating further: “Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days” (Acts 3:24).
What Jesus Christ brought in His mission to earth was so amazing that not only did men of former times desire to see the fulfillment, but also the angels of God desired to peer into the unfolding of God’s plan of salvation:
“Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.” (1 Pet. 1:10-12.)
The Scriptures are the very words of God that outfit us with all we need to be pleasing to Him and make us wise to salvation (2 Tim. 3:15-17). In His word, God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). In the New Testament, He has taken the veil away and shown us the glory of Christ (2 Cor. 3:6-18). We have the privilege to open the completed book, to see the marvelous words of Jesus and the explanation of the fulfillment of prophecies from long ago. O, how we should appreciate what we have in the Bible! Let us not neglect such a wonderful treasure.
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