The following is an excerpt from a sermon that Tim Keller taught at the gospel coalition this past April.
To watch, click here.
Sinclair Ferguson said most preachers not do not preach Christ from the old testament, they don't even preach it from the new testament. The preacher has looked into the text (even in the new testament) principally to find himself and his congregation not to find Christ and he says that you can even do that in the new testament, even in the gospels; the sermon therefore is consequently about the people in the gospels, instead of about the Christ who is that gospel. The more fundamental issue is this question, what is the bible really about; is the bible basically about me and what i must do or is it basically about Jesus and what he has done. Is the bible basically about the objective and the indicative...
there needs to be a way in which you are following the trajectory of the text no matter what that text is to Jesus. You have to show how Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of that particular trajectory of that text, you gotta be responsible...
its more like an instinct its not so much right hermeneutic principals, its an instinct; do you believe that the bible is basically about you or basically about him. Is David and Goliath basically about you and how you can be like David and Goliath or basically about him, the one who really took on the only giants who can really kill us and so his victory is imputed to us...
Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden, his garden, a much tougher garden and whose obedience is imputed to us.
Jesus is the true and better Abel, who though innocently slain has blood that cries out, not for our condemnation but for our acquittal.
Jesus is the true and better Abraham, who answered the call of God, to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go into the void, not knowing wither he went.
Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us all; while God said to Abraham now i know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you loved from me, now we at the foot of the cross can say to God now we know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you loved from me.
Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice that we deserved so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace, that wake us up and discipline us.
Jesus is the true and better Joseph, who is at the right hand of the king and forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his power to save them.
Jesus is the true and better Moses, who stands in the gap between the people and the lord and mediates the new covenant.
Jesus is the true and better rock of Moses who struck with the rod of God's justice now gives us water in the desert.
Jesus is the true and better Job, he's the truly innocent sufferer who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends. Is that a type, thats not typology, thats an instinct.
Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes his peoples victory though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.
Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn't just risk losing an earthly palace but lost the ultimate heavenly one; who didn't just risk his live, but gave his life; who didn't just say if i perish, i perish, says when i perish, i'll perish for them, to save my people.
Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so we could be brought in, he's the real passover lamb, he's the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true life, the true bread. The bible is not about you!
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