We’re currently in a series on how to better see Christ in all of the Scriptures. In the last newsletter, we looked at Jesus as our example. This laid the foundation and framework for the method we use at The Well, which we call E.F.A.P.: Example, Fulfillment, Atonement, Power. Jesus is the example, the fulfillment, the atonement, and the power of everything in Scripture.

Today, we’ll focus on Jesus as our fulfillment. Although I wrote this in the first blog, this is a really helpful reminder to know why we’re doing this:

When we read the Scriptures, we often look for ourselves in the story of Scripture, usually as the protagonist – the main character. However, in reality, we’re either minor characters in the story, or worse–we are represented by the antagonist! Though we can have positive attributes and these stories are examples of godly men and women that we can and should model, the Bible ultimately is a book about God, and we should see it as such! Every story and character in Scripture points beyond themselves to one who is greater – Jesus Christ. Many symbols, analogies, objects, people, places, and events foreshadow Christ. He is the true and better example and the only one who can reconcile us to the Father. When you read the Bible Christologically (seeing Scripture in light of the Gospel and through the lens of Christ) your heart will be drawn to worship God as you see how the entire Bible testifies about him (John 5:39-40).

Jesus is our example in everything, but how does he also fulfill?

Jesus is our fulfillment where we’ve failed and he does what we can’t

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Mt. 5:17)

When reading any story, we should pay attention to the details. Are there roles, relationships, or characteristics in the Bible that are ruined by sin, wickedness, or mistakes? Are there people who were trying really hard, but just messed up somewhere along the way? Is there an offering that falls just short, a temple that is only temporal, a king that dies… do you see the need for something (someone!) greater?

Jesus is the fulfillment of literally everything in Scripture! Jesus fulfills every promise (yes and amen, 2 Co. 1:20!), follows every command to perfection, he does what every human, object, etc., cannot do. He is the “true and better” leader, king, friend, husband, Passover Lamb, Rock in the wilderness, servant, priest, prophet, temple, etc.

Biblical passage: 1 Samuel 17

We’ll go through a common story from 1 Samuel 17, the story of David and Goliath, each week as our model story. Familiarize yourself with the story if this is helpful. Additionally, each week I’ll only highlight some of the examples that I see. I’ll leave some of the “easier” and some of the “harder” ones in case you want to practice this exercise as well.

1 Samuel 17:5 “…he was armed with a coat of mail…”

1 Samuel 17:51 “…took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it.”

1 Samuel 17:25 “…the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and he will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free…”

In verse 5, the “coat of mail” can be translated as scales (along with a bunch of other things Goliath is wearing!). Look for others, and you’ll see the Bible clearly paints him as a type of “snake.” Not to mention his giant (Nephilim…) status.

The fight between a man and a serpent is not a new one. Adam and Eve listened to the serpent and sinned, destroying our right relationship with God (Genesis 3). But God promised in Genesis 3:15 that although there would be enmity between the woman and the snake, there would be someone who would come and crush the head of the serpent and restore the relationship that was broken.

David, in the battle, takes the “scale-armored” weapon—Goliath’s own weapon, mind you—and uses it to kill him by removing his head (v. 51), essentially crushing the “serpent.”

But Jesus is the true and better warrior. He took his enemy’s weapon, sin and death, submitted to it, and then used it against him to gain victory! Christ took on the punishment for sin we deserved, but in rising from the grave, he defeats the snake once and for all.

David did what the people of Israel could not. He won them the victory. Christ likewise did what we could not, and even better. He has given us His victory over sin and death! Verse 25 reminds us of what we have received because of Christ’s fulfillment. We share in the riches God, the king, has lavished upon his son. God has given Christ his daughter/bride the church (that’s us!) and made those in his family free (that’s us too!).

What David partially fulfilled, Jesus fulfilled even better, fully! Jesus is our fulfillment! Praise God! What else can you see in the story?

Additional biblical passage: 1 Corinthians 10:1-33

A few weeks ago at church, we walked through 1 Corinthians 10:1-33. There’s a ton in this passage, but notice verse 4: “and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.”

I mean… come on! Jesus was the rock in the wilderness (Ex. 17, Num. 20), Paul says! Further, those Israelites died. But those who drink from Christ will never die and never thirst again (Jn. 4:14, 8:51). Like that rock in the wilderness, Jesus was struck, that this “living water” might burst out. And now, everyone who simply asks for this “water” (which is what Moses was supposed to do the second time!) can have eternal life.

The rock was great, no doubt. But Jesus is better! He fulfilled the thirst, fulfilled eternal life, and we should receive from Him that we might be forever free. Jesus did what a rock, manna, the “baptism in the Red Sea,” what King David, Goliath’s sword, Israel, etc. could never do.

Jesus is our fulfillment in all of the Scriptures. If and as we see this, our life and Scripture reading will flourish.

Next week, we’ll look at Jesus as our atonement. Not only is Jesus our example to follow, and not only does He fulfill every passage to perfection, to a point we never could, but He also, in radical generosity, becomes the opposite—he becomes sin—for us. If he is the “perfect good” in the entire text, in irony, he also, for our sake, becomes the utter bad!