New Testament Overview -Introduction to the Bible as the Grand Story– Session 1

April 8, 2025

Led by Central Pastor Sean Haggerty Vox Church

My Personal Class Notes-

🔹 Blog Index

The Bible as a Unified Story
- Themes of covenant, redemption, and restoration
- How the New Testament fulfills the Old
Context for the New Testament
- Intertestamental silence and anticipation
- The cultural world Jesus was born into
Jesus as the Climax
- How Jesus completes Israel’s story
- His role as Messiah and Kingdom-bringer
Scripture as Invitation
- How we enter the story today
- Responding with faith, surrender, and participation

Class Introduction

For a more detailed study of the Intertestamental period please see the notes from the Old Testament Overview – Intertestamental Period – A Kingdom Story Waiting for an Ending– Part 8

Historical Context

The Temple had been destroyed, and Israel’s identity was in flux during the Intertestamental period.
Synagogues emerged to fill the void left by the Temple’s destruction.

Synagogue Structure and Practice

The Bema (platform) was placed in the middle of the synagogue.
- Elders would ascend the platform to read from the Scriptures.
- Jesus announces His messianic identity on such a platform.
  - Luke 4:16–21 – Jesus reads from Isaiah and declares the prophecy fulfilled in their hearing.
The central placement of the Bema symbolized that the Torah—the Word of God—was life.
- People gathered around the Word, emphasizing community and reverence.
As the Hellenistic worldview gained influence, the platform moved forward and became a stage.
- The Word was no longer communal but became performance-based.
This class will replicate the original model:
- Reading a text
- Gathering in community
- Listening to God together

Foundational Text

Hebrews 12:1–2 – Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

The Great Confrontation – Universal Questions

Who is God?
Who am I?

Identity and Calling

John 1:21–33 – “Who are you?”
- John the Baptist deflects identity questions to point to Jesus.
- His identity was rooted in who Jesus is, not in what he did.
- John 3:30 – “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The Bible is not primarily interested in what you do, but in who you are in relation to who God is.

Christian Faith – A Worldview

Everyone Has a Worldview

Formed by these questions:

Who am I?
Why am I here? (Purpose and belonging)
What’s wrong with the world?
What’s the solution?

The Christian Worldview

Confrontational in a pluralistic, self-focused culture.
Daniel and the Furnace (Daniel 3) – What do we do while we wait for God’s promises?

Biblical Worldview

Not about self-discovery, but looking to Scripture.
God reveals the answers as the source and foundation of all knowledge.

Truth in the Bible

Propositional Truth: Scripture as the Word
- To propose is to offer a truth—not a question, but a truth that can be accepted or rejected.
John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
John 1:1, 14 – The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
Acts 4:12 – Salvation is found in no one else but Jesus.
Truth is embodied in the person of Jesus Christ.
- The Bible proposes revealed absolute truths for interpreting the world.

John Stott: “The Word became flesh.”

John Stott emphasized that the incarnation and the cross show us that God does not stand apart from human suffering—He entered into it. The cross is the ultimate picture of divine suffering and love.

We still wrestle with human suffering, but the cross is the picture of divine suffering.

The Redemption Plot

Creation – Fall – Promise – Redemption – Kingdom – Restoration

Act 4: The Coming of the King – Redemption Accomplished

The New Testament is the climax of the redemption story.
The primary message of Jesus: the Kingdom of God.

Covenants and Promises

Covenants establish the relationship between God and man.
Always based on who God is, not who we are.
Marriage helps illustrate this but falls short due to human failure.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness

Hosea 2:19–20 – God promises betrothal forever in righteousness, love, and faithfulness.
Jeremiah 31:31–32 – A new covenant not like the old, broken one.

Who is God in the Covenants?

God makes, keeps, and fulfills His covenants.
Genesis 17:7 – Everlasting covenant with Abraham’s descendants.
Jeremiah 7:32 – The consequences of forsaking the covenant.

📜 Covenant List

Covenant	Scripture	Covenant Partner(s)	Promise	Sign
Adamic	Genesis 1–3	Adam (Humanity)	Dominion over creation, be fruitful and multiply, redemption promised after the Fall	The Sabbath, the Seed (Genesis 3:15)
Noahic	Genesis 6:18; 8:20–9:17	Noah and all living creatures	Never again to destroy the earth by flood	Rainbow
Abrahamic	Genesis 12:1–3; 15:1–21; 17:1–14	Abraham and his descendants	Land, offspring, blessing to all nations	Circumcision
Mosaic (Sinai)	Exodus 19–24; Deuteronomy 5	Israel (as a nation)	Blessing for obedience, curse for disobedience; priestly kingdom	The Law / Tablets of Stone
Priestly	Numbers 25:10–13	Phinehas (and priesthood)	Perpetual priesthood through faithful zeal	Peace and priestly line
Davidic	2 Samuel 7:8–16	David and his lineage	Eternal kingdom through David’s heir	The Throne
New Covenant	Jeremiah 31:31–34; Ezekiel 36:26–27; Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8	All believers through Christ	Forgiveness of sin, transformed hearts, indwelling Spirit	The Blood of Jesus (Communion)

Seed and Promise

Covenants in Scripture are passed down by SEED and presented through PROMISE.
Romans 5:19–21 – Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.

The law was brought in so that trespasses might increase. Why?
So that grace would abound, leading us to eternal life through Jesus Christ.

It’s like turning on a spotlight in a dark room—the filth is exposed, not to shame, but so it can finally be cleansed. Grace doesn’t ignore sin—it triumphs over it. So, the law increases the awareness of sin so that grace can be fully understood, fully received, and fully glorified in Christ.

The Redemption Plot – The Great Why

2 Corinthians 1:1–8 – God’s comfort in affliction. Purpose in suffering.
Galatians 3:22–24 – The law as a guardian leading us to Christ.

End of the Old Testament

Ends with Israel in exile, having forfeited the land and relationship with God.
400 years of silence, 600 years of oppression.

Summary: The Oppression Timeline

Empire	Years	Key Rulers/Events	Impact on Israel
Babylon	605–539 BC	Nebuchadnezzar	Temple destroyed, exile begins
Persia	539–331 BC	Cyrus the Great, Darius	Return and rebuild Temple
Greece	331–167 BC	Alexander the Great, Antiochus IV	Hellenization, severe persecution
Maccabees	167–63 BC	Judas Maccabeus, Hasmoneans	Independence with internal decline
Rome	63–4 BC+	Pompey, Caesar Augustus, Herod the Great	Harsh control, religious unrest

Hope for Israel

Psalm 136 – His steadfast love endures forever.
Micah 7:20 – God shows faithfulness and steadfast love.
Jeremiah 33:22 – God’s promise of innumerable descendants.
Jeremiah 31:20 – Ephraim is a dear son; God’s compassion is stirred.

Matthew Patton: “Israel stirs in the heart of God deep wells of compassion.”

The New Testament

Gospel Breakdown

Gospel	Author	Date Written	Audience	Emphasis / Theme	Key Image of Jesus
Matthew	Matthew (Levi), a Jewish tax collector & disciple	~AD 60–70	Primarily Jews	Jesus as the Messiah, Fulfillment of OT Prophecy	King of the Jews (Messianic King)
Mark	John Mark, companion of Peter	~AD 50–60 (earliest)	Roman/Gentile Christians	Jesus as the Suffering Servant, Man of action	Servant-King (Power through sacrifice)
Luke	Luke, a physician and companion of Paul	~AD 60–70	Greek/Gentile believers	Orderly account, historical detail, Jesus’ humanity and compassion	Son of Man (Universal Savior)
John	John, “the beloved disciple”	~AD 80–90	Universal/Church at large	Jesus as divine Son of God, eternal Word made flesh	Son of God (Divine Revealer)

Overarching Message

Central message: The Kingdom of God
Jesus preaches, demonstrates, and embodies the Kingdom.

👑 The Kingdom of God

Jesus’ Identity and Power

The Kingdom of God is not a place—it’s God’s reign breaking into human history through Jesus Christ.
It’s wherever God’s rule and will are done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).
Jesus doesn’t just preach the Kingdom—He embodies it.
- His identity is the foundation of the Kingdom.
- His authority is what advances it.
Jesus is not just the messenger of the Kingdom—He is the King.
- Luke 4:16–21 – Jesus reads Isaiah in the synagogue:
  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…”
  - He declares the Kingdom is now here with Himself as its fulfillment.

⚡ Power Shift – How the Kingdom Advances

🔥 1. Prayer

Jesus models intimacy with the Father through constant prayer.
His prayers reflect dependence, not just religious duty.
- Mark 1:35 – Jesus withdraws early to pray.
- Luke 11:1 – Disciples ask, “Lord, teach us to pray…”
Prayer is how heaven’s authority breaks into earthly situations.

🕊️ 2. The Holy Spirit

The Spirit empowers Jesus’ ministry and is poured out to empower believers.
Luke 4:1–2 – Jesus, “full of the Holy Spirit,” is led into the wilderness to confront the enemy.
Luke 4:14 – He returns in the power of the Spirit to begin preaching and healing.
Acts 1:8 – Believers are told they will receive power when the Spirit comes to be witnesses of the Kingdom.

👑 3. Sonship in Christ

Jesus’ identity as the Son of God is central to Kingdom authority.
- Matthew 3:17 – “This is my beloved Son…”
- Identity came before action—He was affirmed before He performed.
Kingdom authority flows from knowing who you are in relation to the Father.
Through Jesus, we become sons and daughters, sharing in His authority:
- Romans 8:14–17 – We are heirs with Christ.
- Galatians 4:6–7 – No longer slaves, but sons.

🌍 The Kingdom Today

The Kingdom is already here in part but not yet fully realized.
It advances not through force but through Spirit-empowered lives.
We don’t just proclaim the Kingdom—we live it, reflect it, and call others into it.