The Theme of the New Testament

Hopefully, we learned enough to settle this once and for all: Jesus is the Messiah. He is the Anointed One that was foretold throughout the Old Testament scriptures. Unlike the kings and priests of ancient times, Jesus was not anointed with oil but with the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 61:1 promised this: "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me..."

And Acts 10:38 tells us that Jesus was the fulfillment of this promise: "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power..."

Knowing this truth is essential to being born-again. We've already covered this in depth in earlier posts, though; so I don't plan to go over it again here. What I want to do today is completely change the way you and I read the New Testament. You see, all to often we fail to realize that the entire theme of the New Testament is this: Jesus is our Messiah, and we are in Him!

The biggest reason we fail to see this messianic message in the New Testament scriptures is that we overlook the word "Christ". We read that term as if it were completely synonymous with "Jesus"...as if it were the same name. But "Christ" is the word Messiah. This has always been a reference to the Anointed One - the One promised from the very beginning. The word "Christ" carries with it all the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah and what He was coming to do! This means we've probably been reading it wrong all along!

Let me change these terms around (trading the word "Christ" for "the Messiah"), and let's see if that doesn't bring a whole new meaning to verses that we thought we already knew:

Matthew 16:15-15
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God."

Other than John the Baptist, Peter appears to be the first person to discover that Jesus was the Messiah. In response, Jesus declared that His church would be built on this revelation.

John 1:17

For the Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus the Messiah.

The Messiah is the only reason we have access to grace!

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of the Messiah, for it is the power of God unto salvation...

This isn't just a "Gospel of forgiveness". It's not just a "Gospel of God's love. The message we preach is primarily the Gospel of the Messiah!

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, the Messiah died for us.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in the Messiah Jesus our Lord.

The Messiah's crucifixion was a demonstration of how much God loves us!

1 Corinthians 2:16

But we have the mind of the Messiah.

When we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we receive the same Spirit that anointed Jesus for His ministry. Because of this, we have access to the same anointed mind that the Messiah had!

1 Corinthians 11:1
Imitate me, just as I also imitate the Messiah.

We are called to imitate the Messiah, and to follow leaders that are following Him!

1 Corinthians 12:27

Now you are the body of the Messiah, and members individually.

As a church, we are now identified with the Messiah. We are members of His body...and the same anointing that is on the Head, flows to the body!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in the Messiah, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

We have been made new creations because we are in the Messiah. 

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with the Messiah; it is no longer I who live, but the Messiah lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

This is why we are new creatures, because we died with the Messiah and were raised from death with Him. Now, He lives in us!

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through the Messiah who strengthens me.

It is the Messiah that strengthens us...through the same anointing that strengthened Him on this earth.

Philippians 4:19

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by the Messiah Jesus.

The Messiah has all the means to supply your need!

(Side note, read the context of this verse. This was written by Paul to a church that gave into the ministry.)

Colossians 1:27

...what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is the Messiah in you, lhe hope of glory.

This backs up what we just read in Galatians 2:20 - the Messiah is in you! His presence in you is your hope for glorification!

Hebrews 13:8

Jesus the Messiah is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

He never changes. What He was in His ministry on earth, He still is inside of us. What He did when He was physically here, He will still do through His body.

And one day, He will return to this earth physically. He appeared once as a Savior; but the next time, He'll be returning as king!

Revelation 11:15

The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He shall reign forever and ever!

Revelation 12:10

Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Messiah have come...

And those of us who live in the Messiah in this life will rule with Him in that life!

Revelation 20:4

And they lived and reigned with the Messiah for a thousand years.

The Entire Theme of the New Testament

Did you see those passages in a new light? This changes everything, doesn't it...the knowledge that Christ means Messiah. When you realize this, you begin to clearly see the New Testament's connection to the Old. We see the connection that we Gentile believers have to the Jewish people. 

The Jewish Messiah is the theme of the Christian New Testament. (In fact, notice the word Christian. It means "someone who is like the Messiah.")

This is the first verse in the New Testament - Matthew 1:1 "The book of the genealogy of Jesus, the Messiah."

This is the last verse - Revelation 22:21 "The grace of our Lord Jesus the Messiah be with you all. Amen."

Between those two verses, the word "Messiah" is used over 500 times! Except for the short book of 3rd John, every book in the New Testament speaks of what the Messiah did, and who the Messiah is. 

The theme of the Old Testament was looking ahead at what the Messiah was going to do.

The theme of the New Testament is looking back on what the Messiah did and what we have because of that.

Knowing this completely changes how most Christians read the New Testament. Ours is a covenant that is sealed in the Messiah's blood. We are now members of the Messiah's body, with the Messiah living in us and giving us a place in His anointing.