Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament: a Critique

Liberty University

Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament: A Critique

A paper submitted to Dr. Holdridge

In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for

the course OBST 591

Liberty Theological seminary

By

Leigh E. Van Horn

Lynchburg, Virginia

Sunday, December 4, 2011

In his book, Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament, Christopher Wright seeks to demonstrate the necessity of understanding the Old Testament as a critical background for understanding the person and work of Jesus Christ. Wright, a former Anglican-ordained minister, mission-worker and teacher, holds a Ph.D. in Old Testament economic ethics from Cambridge and currently serves as director of international ministries for the Langham Partnership International. Wright contends that analysis of the “Hebrew scriptures” was foundational to Jesus’ development and ministry and therefore “shaped His own identity and the goal of His own mission.” In Knowing, Wright successfully establishes one’s need to use Old Testament scholarship to sufficiently comprehend Jesus’ ministry, however, Wright’s analysis of the merit of Pharisaical piety and Jesus’ understanding of His own identity lack biblical foundation and cannot withstand in-depth biblical scrutiny.

A summary of Wright’s overall thesis occurs within the first pages of the book: “we will only understand Jesus properly if we see Him in the light of [the Old Testament] story which He completes and brings to its climax.” To support his position, Wright summarizes the Old Testament story and uses the history of God’s exclusive calling and faithfulness to the nation of Israel to lay the foundation and establish that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises and history of the Old Testament. Wright carefully differentiates between “promise” and “prediction,” stating, “promise is a much deeper and significant thing than prediction.” Wright continues, “A prediction needs no response. It can be made and fulfilled...