Jesus & the Old Testament

image from here

Throughout Christianity's history, numerous people (within and without the Church) have argued that the God in the Old Testament (OT) is markedly different from the God in the New Testament (NT).  The claim, simplified, is that "God in the OT judged and punished; Jesus in the NT loved and forgave."  This has led some people- who believe in Jesus- to reject the OT altogether.  We see it first in history with Marcion, who felt Jesus' teaching was incompatible with the OT.  Marcion wanted to throw out the OT altogether, and there are Christians today who agree with him.  But what does the Bible itself say?

Jesus is the fulfillment of the OT (Luke 24:44-48).  It's therefore not surprising that we see Him appeal to it regularly during His ministry.  In the NT, we see the direct words of Jesus in the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).  Some versions of the bible put His words in red.  You can skim all four Gospels in an afternoon, and it is remarkable how many times Jesus refers to the OT.  He quotes specific passages, mentions personalities and events, and refers the collection as a whole (calling it "the scriptures" or "the law and the prophets," two of the OT's traditional divisions).  My list below summarizes these references.

Matthew

• Jesus quotes passages found in Genesis (1 time), Exodus (6 times), Leviticus (3), Deuteronomy (8), Psalms (5), Hosea (2), Malachi (1), Zechariah (1), Isaiah (3)
• Mentions “law and prophets” at least 3 times
• Mentions Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Elijah, Sodom, David, Jonah, Nineveh, Solomon, Isaiah, Moses, and Abel
• Says things like 
• “have you not read?”, “you know neither the Scriptures nor …”, “scriptures be fulfilled”

Mark

• Quotes passages found in Genesis (2), Exodus (2), Leviticus (1), Deuteronomy (2), Psalms (3), Isaiah(2), Zechariah (1)
• Mentions Moses, David (priest-food situation), Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
• Says things like
• “have you not read this Scripture”, “it is written”, “But let the Scriptures be fulfilled” (14:49b)

Luke

• Quotes passages found in Exodus (1), Deuteronomy (4), Isaiah (4), Malachi (1), Psalms (3)
• Mentions Elijah, Elisha, Moses, David, Jonah, Solomon, Lot, Noah, Abel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
• Says things like
• “it is written” or “said” (6 times)
• 16:16- the law and the prophets were until John; since then the good news …
• Written in law- says Deut., Lev. Is correct
• “scripture must be fulfilled”
• Slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

John

• Quotes passages found in Isaiah (1), Psalms (2), indirectly Zechariah
• Mentions Moses and Abraham
• Says things like
• 5:39- you search the scriptures . . . it is they that bear witness about me
• As it is written, As the scripture has said, In your law it is written
• 10:34- is it not written in your law (and then quotes Psalms)
• The scripture will be fulfilled, The word that is written in their law must be fulfilled

It is clear that the OT is vital to Jesus.  And it should be- it points to Him.

As you'd expect, the apostles (Jesus' close followers and witnesses) echo this importance.  Time precludes me from an exhaustive survey, but throughout the NT, the apostles refer to multiple passages in the OT, including:

• Stephen's speech in Acts 7, which summarizes much of Jewish history
• Philip discussing a book in the OT and how Jesus is the fulfillment of it (Acts 8:26-40)
• Paul's reasoning in Acts 13:13-44, similar to Stephen's speech as it walks through OT history
• The Berean citizens, in Acts 17:10-11, examine the scriptures [the OT] to investigate apostolic claims about Jesus
• Paul's comment about scripture (the OT) in general in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
• All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
• James' exhortation to be doers of the word, and not hearers only (James 1:22-25)
• Note: James may be speaking to the oral teaching about Jesus in addition to the written OT; but he's clear on the importance of the OT (see James 2:18-26)
• Peter quotes scripture multiple times in his letter (1 Peter 1:24, 2:6-8, 3:10-12)
• Aside: in 2 Peter 3:15-18, Peter mentions Paul's words as well as other scriptures.  Since there was now NT as a collection at this time, 'scriptures' meant OT.  But, it's clear from this passage that the NT apostles' words had authority and were to be treated as authoritative.

Conclusion
The Old Testament matters to Christians.  The Bible is a story, and ignoring the OT means we must ignore much of the NT also, as it completes and fulfills what began in the OT.  It's all or nothing.