We are sharing insights into an Epic Journey that every Christian is taking. This journey began in God’s Mind before He created time and space. This journey truly has been a long time in the making.

As we’ve seen in this series Jesus Christ and His apostles referred to Old Testament Scriptures hundreds of times in their teachings, sermons, and letters. It’s important that we remember that those Old Testament Scriptures were the Hebrew Bible during the 1st century AD.

We’ve seen in previous parts of this study that many of the Scripture references by Jesus and His apostles were about God’s Anointed One, Mashiach (māšîaḥ – Messiah). The Apostle Paul, who wrote a large portion of the New Testament, referenced the Hebrew Scriptures hundreds of times in his sermons and letters. Peter, John, and James also referred often to the Old Testament.

We’ve looked at Paul’s use of Hebrew Scriptures in previous parts of our series. We saw Peter’s usage of the Scriptures in the last part of our series. We turn now to the Apostle John, who was also a part of Christ’s “inner circle” of disciples.

The Apostle John

The Apostle John wrote five Books of the New Testament: Gospel of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation. Let’s begin with John’s Gospel.

The Gospel of John

He said: I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said. John 1:23 (Isaiah 40:3)

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, ‘Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!’ Then His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up. John 2:13-17 (Isaiah 69:9)

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even somust the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:14-15 (Numbers 21:8-9)

Therefore they said to Him, ‘What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Then they said to Him, ‘Lord, give us this bread always.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst … Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. John 6:30-35, 49 (Psalm 78:24; Exodus 16:15)

Jesus therefore answered and said to them, ‘Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Medraws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. John 6:43-45 (Isaiah 54:13)

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given,because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39 (Isaiah 12:3; 44:3; 55:1; 58:11; Zechariah 13:1; 14:8)

Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, ‘Truly this is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’ But some said, ‘Will the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?’ So there was a division among the people because of Him. John 7:40-43 (Psalm 89:4; 132:11; Micah 5:2)

The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: ‘Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!’ Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt. His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. John 12:12-16 (Psalm 118:26; Zechariah 9:9)

The people answered Him, ‘We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?’Then Jesus said to them, ‘A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.’ These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them. But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’ Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. John 12:34-41 (2 Samuel 7:13; Psalm 89:30-37; 110:4; Isaiah 6:9; 9:7; 53:1)

He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak. John 12:48-50 (Deuteronomy 18:18)

I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’ Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He. John 13:18-19 (Psalm 41:9)

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’ John 15:18-25 (Psalm 69:4; 109:3; 35:19)

While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. John 17:12 (Psalm 41:10; 109:8, 17)

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,’ that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: ‘They divided My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.’ Therefore the soldiers did these things. John 19:23-24 (Psalm 22:18-19)

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:28-30 (Psalm 69:21)

Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, ‘Not one of His bones shall be broken.’ And again another Scripture says, ‘They shall look on Him whom they pierced. John 19:31-37 (Exodus 12:46; Psalm 34:20; Numbers 9:12; Zechariah 12:10)

Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ John 20:17 (Psalm 22:22)

Next up, John’s first letter.

1 John

 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8 (Proverbs 20:9)

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 1 John 3:4-5 (Isaiah 53:4)

Next Time

While John did not seemingly reference the Old Testament Scriptures in his second and third letters, he did in Revelation. We will look at the large number of Old Testament Scriptures in Revelation in the next part of our series.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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