The story of Jesus doesn't begin with Jesus. God had been at work for a long time......
Matthew makes sure that as we read the account of Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we see the connections with everything that has gone before. "Fulfilled" is one of Matthew's characteristics verbs.....
Matthew tells the story in such a way that not only is everything previous complete in Jesus, WE are completed in Jesus. Every day we wake up in the middle of something that is already going on, that has been going on for a long time....... We are neither accidental nor incidental to the story...
all parts of our lives - work family friends memories dreams - also completed in Jesus.
Lacking such a context, we are in danger of seeing Jesus as a mere diversion from the concerns announced in the newspapers. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I liked this intro a lot. In our Ransomed Heart devotional we've been reading about how life is a story. What we've been reading goes right along (as usual) with what I'm reading in the Bible. I will write more on the Ransomed Heart later.
I wanted to share this intro because a lot of people in this world believe in the Old Testament but don't know the connection of the Old & New Testament and therefore don't recognize Jesus as the Messiah the Old Testament prophesied about. The New Testament's account of Jesus written by so many different people that perfectly orchestrates Jesus' life and ministry (and points out all prophesies He fulfilled) is a continuation of the story God is the author of. The story is not over. I love and am amazed that *I* am part of that story.
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