I have been encouraging individuals to take on the challenge of reading through the whole Bible in a year. To be honest, I find it somewhat disheartening that people, and especially Christians, need to be encouraged to habitually and systematically read the Word of God, as that should be a desire of every Christian throughout their life. But unfortunately, most people, including Christians, have not read the Bible in its entirety. And if it is not your desire to read the whole Bible continually, I would encourage you to deeply explore why that is not the case. That being said, for those who may be reading through the Bible for the first time, I encourage starting with the New Testament. My suggestion to start with the New Testament is not to imply that the Old Testament should be discounted, but only that it is a good place to start in understanding the saving grace of Christ the Lord. However, ultimately the Old Testament is also about the Jesus, and it provides additional wisdom and guidance, and it is why I am writing today of the importance of reading the whole Bible, including the Old Testament. Nick Batzig states that “Jesus read the Old Testament as the Covenant revelation of God written to Him and about Him” and that “it is only as we see that the Bible is written to and about Jesus that we will experience Gospel transformation in our lives” (2014, https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/how-did-jesus-read-the-old-testament). Although, the purpose here is not to argue that the Old Testament was written for Jesus, it is clear that the Old Testament is about Jesus and that the Word of God is transformational (Hebrews 4:12), and therefore it should be continually read within that context.
First, it is important to note that the Old Testament is frequently referenced in the New Testament. Stephen Motyer states that “The New Testament does not simply express its dependence on the Old Testament by quoting it. The fourth edition of the United Bible Societies’ Greek Testament (1993) lists 343 Old Testament quotations in the New Testament, as well as no fewer than 2, 309 allusions and verbal parallels. The books most used are Psalms (79 quotations, 333 allusions), and Isaiah (66 quotations, 348 allusions). In the Book of Revelation, there are no formal quotations at all, but no fewer than 620 allusions” (https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/the-old-testament-in-the-new-testament.html). Although the specific numbers mentioned by Motyer can be debated, the point is that the writers of the New Testament relied heavily on the Old Testament to point to Christ the Lord.
Additionally, when Jesus referenced the scriptures, He was specifically citing the Old Testament and noting that the Old Testament was about Him (Christ was not specifically referencing the New Testament because it was written after Jesus’s Death, burial, and resurrection). An excellent example of how Jesus saw the Old Testament can be found in John 5:39-47 (NASB), that quotes Jesus stating “You examine the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is those very Scriptures that testify about Me; and yet you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. I do not receive glory from people; but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you accept glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
In discussing the group Jesus was addressing in John 5:39-47, John Macarthur notes that “Ironically, with all their fastidious effort they utterly failed to grasp that it is those very Scriptures that testify about Jesus (2006, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, John 1-11, p.213) and that His “opponents ignored the clear evidence from the Old Testament that He was the Messiah” (p.215). Matthew Henry, in discussing John 5, expands on this sediment by articulating that “The Scriptures, even those of the Old Testament, testify of Christ, and by them God bears witness to Him. The Spirit of Christ in the prophets testified beforehand of Him, the purposes and promises of God concerning Him, and the previous notices of Him” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary, Volume 5, Matthew to John, 1991, p.754). Clearly, the Old Testament testified to the identity of Christ Jesus, and “therefore we must search the Scriptures, and may hope to find eternal life in that search, because they testify of Christ; for this is life eternal, to know Him” (Henry, p.754).
But what does it mean to search the Scriptures, including the Old Testament, to find the Messiah, and to receive eternal life through Christ Jesus the Lord? In searching the Scriptures, Matthew Henry notes that “when appeals are made to the Scriptures, they must be searched. Search the whole book of Scripture throughout, compare one passage with another, and explain one by another. We must likewise search particular passages to the bottom, and see not what they seem to say at the first appearance, but what they say indeed” (p.753). Henry continues by saying that “All those who would find Christ must search the Scriptures; not only read them, and hear them, but search them, which denotes, 1) diligence in seeking, labour, and study, and close application of mind”. And 2), “We must aim at some spiritual benefit and advantage in reading and studying the Scripture, and often ask, What am I searching for? We must search for hidden treasures, as those that sink for gold or silver or that dive for pearl”. For as MacArthur points out, “Merely knowing the facts of Scripture, without fully embracing them in the heart, and acting on them, will not bring the blessings of Salvation” (p.213).
In conclusion, the article by Stephen Motyer titled “The Old Testament in the New Testament” and Nick Batzig’s article “How did Jesus Read the Old Testament” provides additional insight into the importance of reading the Old Testament, and therefore I would encourage reading those articles as a beginning framework for reading the Old Testament. For knowing Christ, and believing in him within your heart, is of utmost importance, for Jesus says “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).