Christopher J.H. Wright Essay -- Religion, Jesus, Old Testament

Introduction In the book by Christopher J.H. Wright, Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament, the author argues the very existence of Jesus Christ in the New Testament is portrayed within the Old Testament. Wright writes, â€Å"the deeper you go into understanding the Old Testament, the closer you will come to the heart of Jesus† (ix). Wright explains many Christians love Jesus, but do not know much about the Scriptures that He read. This is the author’s intention of the book, bringing the readers to a deep understanding of the Old Testament and gaining a greater understanding of Jesus. The purpose of this review is to summarize and critique Wright’s work along with presenting the strengths and weaknesses of the book. Wright has a profound love for the Old Testament Scriptures and wants to portray that to his readers. Wright studied Old Testament economic ethics for his doctorate at Cambridge, England. His book, God’s People in God’s Land came from his doctoral work. His passion for the Old Testament is demonstrated by two other works that focus on God the Father and the Holy Spirit in light of the Old Testament. Summary Wright asserts the understanding of Jesus starts with Matthew 1:18. It is the previous 17 verses that most do not regard as it is just a list of names. These names, Wright says, are part of a much larger story and without recognizing these names one cannot fully understand Jesus (1). The story is that of the Old Testament and the genealogy links the Old and New Testaments together. Wright says, â€Å"The Old Testament tells the story which Jesus completes† (2). Wright continues to break down the genealogy and reaches back to Abraham to proclaim that through Abraham, all nations of the earth will be blessed (4). Th... ... of Jesus while trying to convey his true identity (142-158). Less space could have been given concerning the names of Jesus while still reflecting the point Wright was trying to convey. While more ground is covered than needed, the author, as Long states, presents the information in an engaging manner. Conclusion Wright brings his readers through the Old Testament so they can have a greater understanding of Jesus. He presents the information in an engaging manner, but at times Wright can overstate his purpose. Pastors and lay people alike can benefit from reading Wright’s book as he brings people closer to Jesus by deepening their understanding of the Old Testament. This review has outlined the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s book to give readers an insight into Wright’s theological perspective of the Old Testament in light of the New Testament.