Jesus Faithful Israel?

In the New Testament, there are some parallels between ancient Israel and Jesus Christ that give warrant to the view that Jesus is faithful Israel whose obedience brings blessings to others. For example, in the Gospel of Matthew, like Israel, Jesus goes to Egypt and then is called out of Egypt. Listen to Matthew 2:13-15.

¹³ Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.” ¹⁴ So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. ¹⁵ He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.” (Matt. 2:13-15)

After Jesus’ baptism (Matt. 3:13-17), He “was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matt. 4:1). Matthew tells us that “after He had fasted forty days and forty nights” (Matt. 4:2), He was tempted. But unlike Adam in the garden and Israel in her wilderness wanderings between Egypt and Canaan, Jesus did not succumb to temptation and sin. Recall that Israel’s wilderness wanderings occurred over a forty year period due to sin (cf. Num. 14, especially verses 31-35) and after she passed through the Red Sea waters (Exod. 14-15). Jesus, however, passed through the waters of baptism, was tempted after forty days of fasting, and did not sin.

Another example of the New Testament relating ancient Israel and Jesus Christ comes from the apostle Paul. It is agreed upon by most Bible scholars that the redemption of the Old Testament was Israel’s exodus from Egyptian bondage, as stated above. God rescued Israel from Egyptian bondage. The Israelites were under a dark and oppressive Egyptian ruler and God Himself delivered them from bondage and took them to the Promised Land through the human leadership of Moses and then Joshua. In Colossians 1:12-15 there are some interesting echoes of the exodus in the words of the apostle Paul. Here’s what he says there:

¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. ¹³ For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. ¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (Col. 1:12-15)    Continue at Richard Barcellos