Someone has said that the New Testament is the Old Testament plus Jesus. Jesus “fulfilled” the Prophets’ inspired predictions, but he also filled full the highest prophetic dreams, ideals, aspirations and hopes. For example, the virgin Mary conceives a son (Isa. 7:14 in Greek), who is born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2-5). Jesus is born to be the consolation of Israel and a light to the nations (Isa. 42:6). The infant Jesus escapes from Herod, then returns from Egypt (Hosea 11:1). Bethlehem’s infants are slaughtered amidst great weeping (Jer. 31:15). Thirty years later, John announces in the wilderness the coming of the Christ (Isa. 40:3-6). At Jesus’ baptism, the heavens are torn open as God prepares to save his people (Isa. 54:1). The Spirit descends on Jesus, anoints him as the Messiah/Christ and commissions him for his mission (Isa. 61:1-2).
Jesus takes God’s light to Galilee by the Sea (Isa. 9:1-2). He heals the sick — bearing our sicknesses and diseases (Isa. 53:4). Jesus’ teaching divides families (Micah 7:6), although his ministry is quiet and restorative in intent (Isa. 42:1-4). He teaches in parables to hide the truth from the insincere (Isa. 6:9-10). Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a lowly donkey (Zech. 9:9). There he cleanses God’s Temple in holy indignation (Isa. 56:7; Jer. 7:11), chastens the religious establishment with his parable of the vineyard (Isa. 5:1ff) and predicts Jerusalem’s destruction involving an Abomination of Desolation (Dan. 11:31).
The mob captures Jesus and his disciples scatter (Zech. 13:7). Judas returns the 30 silver pieces, which buy a potter’s field to bury indigents (Zech. 11:12). Jesus is beaten and bruised, his head pierced with a crown of thorns, then crucified, and after his death, his side pierced with a spear (Zech. 12:10). But his piercing and wounds are for the salvation of his people (Isa. 53). He is buried for three days and nights (Jonah 1:17) then wondrously raised back to life. He ascends to heaven and receives kingship at the right hand of God (Dan. 7).
Weeks later, at the Feast of Pentecost, God pours out the Holy Spirit from heaven for all Jesus’ followers and announces salvation and the commencement of the Last Days (Joel 2:28-32). One day Jesus will return in person and in power to bring about the Restoration of all things. This will include the conversion of Israel (Ezek. 37:24-28), the death of Death (Isa.25:7-9), the peaceable kingdom in new heavens and new earth (Isa.11:5-9), the universal knowledge of God (Mal. 1:11), and many more blessings foretold by the prophets.