3 March

The relationship between the Old and the New Testament in Scripture is one of fulfillment, as the narrative of Israel becomes fully drawn out through the person of Jesus Christ in the Gospels. A reading of the New Testament is incomplete without knowledge of the Old, or else the full meaning is lost. Similarly, a large part of what can be understood from the Old Testament depends on the fact that what happens is preparation for the future. While reading the first half of Scripture, it is important to consider “past moments of God’s providence and (see) in them the pattern of divine love to come” (“Scribes of the Kingdom” 2). Fulfillment in Scripture shows the pattern of God’s love “typified” in different, yet shared events. For example, when the Holy Family with the baby Jesus flees to Egypt, Matthew 2:15 cites Hosea 11: “out of Egypt I have called my son”. In this chapter of Hosea, God liberates his people while being among them, or in other words, as Emmanuel. Clearly, this passage is especially appropriate to know when reading into the significance of Jesus’ role as the Son of God and fulfiller. When examining the Gospels more closely, it becomes simple to find the references to the same elements that are present in the Old Testament. For example, the detailed genealogy of Christ shows his relationship to David and the patriarchs. Taking an ancestral view, Jesus has the “royal” lineage necessary to be king, which the Israelites had long awaited. Kingship and God’s kingdom are heavily emphasized (Lk 1:32-3) in giving legitimacy to Christ’s birth, which makes sense when considering how insistent the Israelites had been for a king previously in an effort to be like the “other nations”. In addition, Mary uses covenant language in her acceptance of her role as “favored” in the eyes of God: “May your word to me be fulfilled”, she says (Lk 1:38). God chooses Mary in a similar way to his choosing of Abraham or Moses.