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Jesus’ View of the Old Testament
Mr. Kenneth Frank spoke with us this past forum on the important lessons we can draw from Christ Jesus and the way he treated the Old Testament
Mr. Frank began by reminding us that there are three sections to the Hebrew Bible: the Law, the Writings, and the Prophets. He pointed out that Jesus demonstrated that all of these, not just the law and the prophets, are the authoritative words of God by quoting them in the New Testament. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Christ also showed that He was the God of the Old Testament when he stated “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms (writings) concerning Me” (Luke 24:44).
Mr. Frank then gave several examples of how Christ confirmed the Old Testament as still relevant and how Christ Jesus views it. Jesus even quoted from fourteen separate books of the Old Testament.
He quoted from:
Genesis in Mark 10:6-8
Exodus in Luke 18:20
Deuteronomy in Luke 10:26-28
1 Samuel in Mark 2:25
1 Kings in Matthew 12:42
Psalms in Mark 12:10
Isaiah in Matthew 13:13-14
Daniel in Matthew 24:15
Hosea in Matthew 9:13
Jonah in Matthew 12:40
Zechariah in Matthew 26:31
Malachi in Matthew 11:10
Jesus confirmed the existence of specific people from the Old Testament:
Abraham is mentioned in John 8:56
Isaac & Jacob are mentioned in Matthew 8:11
David is mentioned in Matthew 12:1-3
Solomon is mentioned in Matthew 6:9
Queen of Sheba is mentioned in Matthew 12:42
Elijah is mentioned in Matthew 17:11
Elisha is mentioned in Luke 4:27
Zechariah is mentioned in Luke 11:49-51
Jesus believed the stories from the Old Testament such as:
Moses commanded circumcision found in John 7:22
Manna was provided for the Israelites found in John 6:31
David ate shewbread found in Matthew 12:3-4
David wrote certain Psalms found in Matthew 22:41-44
Moses authored the law found in Matthew 8:4
The prophets were persecuted, as found in Matthew 5:11-12
Lot’s wife being turned to stone found in Luke 17:32
The destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah found in Matthew 10:14-15
The destruction of Tyre & Sidon found in Matthew 11:21-22
Adam & Eve found in Matthew 19:4-5
Cain & Abel found in Luke 11:50-52
The Flood found in Matthew 24:37-39
Jonah & the fish found in Matthew 12:38-41
Jesus confirms the authorship of disputed books such as:
Daniel found in Matthew 24:15, and Isaiah found in Matthew 8:16-17
From these examples, we can understand that the Bible is God’s inspired word. This will assist us so we won’t fall prey to misunderstandings brought by Satan the devil. This helps to solidify in our minds that Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament, inspired the writing of it, and it is only natural that He would accept as authoritative that which He inspired.
Fast and Furious
This past Sunday, 15 students and five faculty members visited the NASCAR Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte. When it comes to North Carolina culture, NASCAR racing is definitely in the fast lane! During our visit, we viewed the exhibits, including a variety of winning race-cars, learned about the history of the sport and even had some good-hearted competition.
Since most of group had little or no knowledge of auto racing, it was a surprise to learn that the origins of the sport dated back to the days of “running moonshine” in the Appalachian hills. Stock car racing took off in Daytona, Florida, in 1936, and that NASCAR was officially formed at the Streamline Hotel on Daytona Beach in 1948. Our group wandered around the displays, listening to the stories of famous drivers and learning about the development of the engines, car bodies, and the safety technology that has been a big part of the sport.
When we found our way to the “pit stop” area, we were directed to form three-person teams and compete in head to head competition. In a side by side competition on two stock-car mock-ups, two teams were coached in the skill of jacking up the “half-car”, quick-changing the tire, and putting a replica gas nozzle into the car’s tank. With a “ready, set, go”, both teams raced to the mock cars, trying to clock the best time.
But the highlight of the day was the chance to drive a race-car simulator – experiencing what it is like behind the wheel in a race. Seated in replica cars decked with the necessary electronics, students and faculty had a blast competing for that sought-after trophy. Time and time again, we raced with the goal that we might come in first this time.
The drive home somehow felt sluggish after the high-pace racing, but we students were going back revamped and ready to take on the finals that appeared ever so daunting.
Mark Cavendish: Never Enough
At a recent forum, Mr. McNair surprised the Living Education students by announcing that they would be viewing a documentary featuring Mark Cavendish. Cavendish holds the record for most stage wins at the Tour de France (35), achieved across 15 Tours and 17 years (2008-2024). The students were able to draw some meaningful lessons and practice their analytical skills as they learned about Mark Cavendish and his career as a cyclist.
The Lessons
Perseverance: Mark Cavendish is described as an outstanding cyclist who won many Tour de France stages. The Tour de France is a grueling cycling race over a long distance broken up into stages, with some steep hills. In the beginning of the film, Cavendish is shown winning many trophies, but as he becomes more famous for his talent the pressure builds on him to keep winning. This pressure eventually got to him and he began to struggle physically and mentally. He was diagnosed with Epstein Barres syndrome, which took a toll on his energy and strength. However, he didn’t give up on pursuing cycling. Instead, he persevered through the dark and hard times he experienced as he struggled to regain his cycling glory.
Devotion with focus: From the time Cavendish started cycling he displayed tremendous focus on his goal of winning the Tour de France overall and winning several other races. He worked extremely hard and pushed himself hard physically to achieve his goals. He was devoted to cycling. Whereas Cavendish was devoted with a focus to pursuing cycling glory and an earthly goal, the LE students and those in the church can show this devotion and focus in seeking “first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).
Final Thoughts
The film Mark Cavendish: Never Enough gave the students who watched it a view into the cycling world that many of them did not know much about. Not only did they learn more about cycling and Cavendish but they also were able to draw valuable lessons and perspectives from it.
Living Your Best Life!
At a Forum this past Thursday, Mr. Argus Wiley, president and CEO of Red Door Brands, spoke on what it means to live ‘your best life’ and how to achieve it. “You are the future of this world! is a phrase often directed at the younger generation,” Mr. Wiley began. This may seem stressful, and keep people from succeeding. It really is a lot being asked of us, yet there are still people who take on the burden of this knowledge and still strive to live the best life they can. There has been and always will be this challenge for young people, but there is a necessity to go out and make the absolute best of it!
When is your best life?
He asked us if we believe that our best life is behind us, if we’re living it now, or if it is still yet to come. One could argue that being able to live with minimal worries means having a personal chef or being surrounded by people who love us – which we might think is our “best life.” Doesn’t this sound like our childhood? For others, their best life means moving out of their parent’s house.
The odds of living the best life
Mr. Wiley presented statistics from a quick Google search he conducted on how most people in the United States live. This helped to solidify within our minds the reality of the work needed to achieve our best lives as opposed to simply believing we can let it happen.
7.29% of people become a millionaire
11.5% will end up living in poverty
83% of people will get married
50% of those who get married will stay married
44.4% will become obese
16.5% will be an addict of some sort
22.8% will suffer a mental ailment
53% of people report being unhappy in their life.
Looking at this, it is more likely for us to live in poverty than to become a millionaire. He wanted to drill into our minds the severity of these reports. “You shouldn’t brush this off just because we are in the church, don’t think that can’t happen to me.” We have to put in the work daily to ensure that we do not become one of these depressing statistics.
Keys to assist in achieving the best life
- Get a mission statement
A personal mission statement can give us guidance on where we are going. “People have the drive for success, but lack the sense of direction to achieve the destination.” Mr. Ames has a sermon titled What is Your Mission Statement, that Mr. Wiley recommended. Businesses, successful people, and the wealthy all have mission statements, and we need to as well.
- Show up
Woody Allen once said that showing up is 80% of success. Showing up is the act of making up your mind to follow through and do something. Even the little things matter; the simple act of making your bed in the morning is showing up.
- Do Hard Things
Human nature has the desire to quit when things become difficult, thus we need to work to push through the difficult times that will appear in each and every one of our lives. Mr. Rod McNair gave a sermon titled Do Hard Things that goes into deeper detail.
- Never stop learning
Author Bryan Tracy said, “Reading a book a week on one specific topic for 7 years will make someone an expert in that specific area.” If we stop growing and learning, then we ultimately will fall within the earlier-mentioned statistics.
- It is all your fault
We all will end up with the results we deserve because of what we earn through our actions. We cannot blame others for what happens to us.
- Pray along the way
Prayer is a vital must, yet at times we may also have to pray on the journey. Mr. Wiley described a story about two kids who missed the school bus and saw it riding off into the distance. One instantly drops to his knees and asks God for the bus to stop, while the other immediately takes off running while praying that he can catch up to it. The only one able to catch the bus was the one praying while he ran. Prayer is necessary, but we also need to put in the work to achieve our goals.
“It will take all of these strategies to become successful in living the best life.”
We have all of these opportunities to live the best life, now what are we going to do with them?
Leaders and Fringers
You’re a leader – but how do you deal with “fringers”? How do you deal with people who are not as engaged, proactive and energetic as you? How should you? Listen for some points to ponder.
Brother to Brother is a podcast focusing on leadership skills and issues that leaders face in serving within the church, hosted by Rod McNair and Jonathan McNair.
Finding a Partner in Life
Mr. Rodzaj began his forum to the students by stating:
“It’s been said that there’s perhaps nothing better than a happy, healthy marriage relationship. In making human beings in his image, God created male and female to exist in a … healthy, mutually beneficial relationship.”
To achieve this, Mr. Rodzaj provided: seven questions and four essential principles to consider in finding a partner for life. We must be aware, however, that no person is perfect and no one will be able to fulfill all of these questions and principles that are critical for marriage. His goal was for us to have better discernment when looking for a spouse and to reflect on how we ourselves can grow.
He defined a partner as, “Somebody you walk hand in hand with, arm and arm with, through all the ups and downs of life and all the challenges that you face.”
Questions to Consider
- Is the person totally committed to God?
To be totally committed to God, a person must have been baptized, had hands laid on to receive the Holy Spirit, and be deeply converted. He gave the example of how “Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it,” (Ephesians 5:25) to illustrate the level of commitment the potential partner must have. Furthermore, we should seek someone who has the same spiritual identity as us, to be of like mind. This will affect how you raise your future kids and the church you attend. Mr. Rodzaj offered some criteria for evaluating if a person is totally committed:
- How does the person answer questions on their calling?
- Do they have a “criteria” for evaluating which church God is working with?
- Do they have a solid personal relationship with God?
- Are they seeking God daily?
- Do you feel unconditionally accepted by the other person?
Does the other person recognize that people have differences but are still able to accept them? Romans 15:7 states, “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God”. They do not try to change you or make you act a certain way according to their ideals. Everyone has faults, but this does not mean we ignore sin. In addition to your acceptance by the other person, you also need to be self-aware as to how God sees you.
- Does the person have emotional maturity?
Consider how your potential mate handles offenses; how do they respond when they’re hurt? How do they deal with family struggles? How do they handle situations that don’t go to plan? If a person isn’t able to handle these situations with emotional maturity, it can cause problems within the marriage.
- What are their family priorities?
You should be aware of their family backgrounds and how their family functions in comparison to yours. Know how their parents’ relationship works. Discuss each other’s views on the roles within marriage, namely as a wife and mother and vice versa. If the desires for the future family are not in harmony, then the marriage will be contentious.
- Are they financially responsible?
1 Timothy 5:8 states, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Husbands should have a strong work ethic and be able to provide for a family. Wives too have a role to play; they should show self-control and spend the money the husband makes wisely. A partner should be able to live according to a budget.
- Do they have a biblical perspective on sex and its place in marriage?
A future mate should respect that sex is only for marriage and is sacred as Hebrews 13:4 describes. Sex is meant to unite a couple and provide pleasure; it is not for self-gratification. A person’s view on sex and its place in marriage can be observed through their habits as well as their dress.
- How do they respond to authority?
Romans 13:1 states, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Consider these questions:
- How does the person relate to those in authority over them?
- Do they show respect for authority?
- Do they know their limits and boundaries as assigned by man and God? Are they willing to submit to authority?
Principles to Keep in Mind.
Mr. Rodzaj next provided four principles to consider when preparing for a future partner.
- Let God be the Matchmaker
He gave the example of how God provided Adam with his wife Eve to show how He will provide a partner for us. We shouldn’t try to force a relationship or take it into our own hands. God needs to be involved, and when it is a relationship that God is guiding, it will always be blessed. Proverbs 19:14 states that “a prudent wife is from the Lord.”
- Remain as objective as you can
Mr. Rodzaj described what often happens the more time two people spend with each other. In his example, they start off on parallel lines but slowly lose objectivity the more time they spend together. This causes the lines to converge. Lack of objectivity can lead to rejection of family and friends’ advice on the relationship and can cause head and heartache down the line.
- Never be Afraid to Counsel about a Relationship at any Time
Seek wise and experienced counsel on your relationship, this could be older married couples in the Church or others such as ministers. Do not be tempted to solely rely on the opinion of peers.
- If in Doubt about a Potential Marriage Partner, Wait
“You don’t want to rush in. You have the rest of your life ahead…Remember, you’ve got a lot more years ahead of you, and it’s better to spend them happily. You know, this decision will impact the rest of your life”
Final Thoughts
Mr. Rodzaj concluded by pointing out we must be willing to do what is right when it comes to choosing a future partner to be married to. “Wait for the right conditions.” Proverbs 18:22 states “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD.” Your future happiness depends on asking the right questions and following the right principles now.