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Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved: A Handbook for Preaching Christ from the Old Testament
Every good sermon proclaims the gospel—even those from the Old Testament. From the miracles of the Gospels to the teachings of the Epistles, the New Testament is saturated with the saving work of Jesus Christ. But where is He in the poetry, prophets, and history of the Old Testament? Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved is a practical handbook for preaching Christ from the Old Testament. The book provides a comprehensive but simple hermeneutic for discerning how Jesus is present on every page of the Hebrew Scriptures. You’ll learn why and how to preach Christ from the Old Testament while experiencing the beauty of discovering and teaching how the saving work of Christ permeates the first two-thirds of the Bible.
160 pages, Paperback
Published May 4, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
June 25, 2025
This book makes an important point: as Christian pastors, we shouldn’t be content preaching Old Testament sermons that could just as easily be delivered in a synagogue and earn amens from unbelieving Jews. The author does a good job showing that our preaching—even from the Old Testament—should be unmistakably and distinctly Christian. While that may seem like a no-brainer, it’s something that’s often neglected in practice.
I’ve become more and more convinced that Christ is the great theme of all Scripture, including the Old Testament, and this book reinforced that conviction. At the same time, I appreciated that the author doesn’t push for a forced “find Jesus under every rock” approach. Instead, he models good hermeneutics—encouraging preachers to handle the text carefully and still get to Christ in a faithful, thoughtful way. He gives helpful insights on how exactly to do so!
Chapter 7, on common pitfalls, was especially helpful. I’ve definitely found myself slipping into the very patterns he warns against—focusing too narrowly on Christ, jumping there too quickly, or leaning on Him too lazily without really engaging the passage. That chapter gave me a needed reminder to sharpen how I approach Old Testament texts in the pulpit.
This book isn’t perfect, of course. I didn’t agree with every example or emphasis (especially as a premillennial guy who doesn’t affirm aspects of covenant theology and sees through the dispy lens more often than not), but the overall message is one I deeply resonate with. It’s a clear call to preach the Old Testament in a way that’s both faithful to the text and centered on the gospel—and I think every pastor could benefit from that reminder.
I’ve become more and more convinced that Christ is the great theme of all Scripture, including the Old Testament, and this book reinforced that conviction. At the same time, I appreciated that the author doesn’t push for a forced “find Jesus under every rock” approach. Instead, he models good hermeneutics—encouraging preachers to handle the text carefully and still get to Christ in a faithful, thoughtful way. He gives helpful insights on how exactly to do so!
Chapter 7, on common pitfalls, was especially helpful. I’ve definitely found myself slipping into the very patterns he warns against—focusing too narrowly on Christ, jumping there too quickly, or leaning on Him too lazily without really engaging the passage. That chapter gave me a needed reminder to sharpen how I approach Old Testament texts in the pulpit.
This book isn’t perfect, of course. I didn’t agree with every example or emphasis (especially as a premillennial guy who doesn’t affirm aspects of covenant theology and sees through the dispy lens more often than not), but the overall message is one I deeply resonate with. It’s a clear call to preach the Old Testament in a way that’s both faithful to the text and centered on the gospel—and I think every pastor could benefit from that reminder.
August 12, 2021
This book makes me excited to keep preaching from the Old Testament! What a delight to show how it is all about Christ! This book is intensely practical and helpful for the preacher. I especially appreciated:
1) The breakdown of Text... Christ... Us. That'll stick with me.
2) The detailing of six different ways to get to Christ from the Old Testament.
1) The breakdown of Text... Christ... Us. That'll stick with me.
2) The detailing of six different ways to get to Christ from the Old Testament.
January 16, 2025
I am familiar with the need or charge to preach Christ from ALL of the Bible, not just the New Testament. However, the author presents practical, Biblical reasons not only WHY a person should preach Christ from the Old Testament, but HOW to preach Christ from the Old Testament. In the "How" section, he presents six ways one can preach Christ from the Old Testament. I found all the reasons to be solid and doctrinally sound.
In the last few years, as I've switched to mainly an expository preacher, I've realized the importance of this very thing - preaching Christ from the OT books that I am preaching through. This book has helped me in honing my preaching and will definitely help me as I currently preach through the book of Joshua!
In his introduction, King grabbed hold of my attention with the following illustration regarding much preaching that is fit for the "synagogue" and nothing more:
"Getting this right is no trifling matter. If a preacher fails to interpret and apply the Old Testament in light of Christ, his Old Testament preaching will inevitably be sub-Christian. Practically speaking, he may exalt God, commend faith, and encourage holy living, but do so without any explicit connection to Jesus and the gospel. Such a sermon is fit for the synagogue. It's a message for the mosque. More significantly, the preacher will have withheld from his hearers their only means of access to God. God's pardon of sin, His power for obedience, and His presence through the Holy Spirit come only through Jesus." p.10
There was a section in which King brought about a truth that although very simple, was something I never considered. He spoke about reading the Bible "over Jesus' shoulders." Read on:
"I wish to draw your attention to an obvious but overlooked fact that can spark your imagination and improve your interpretive ability. It may even enliven your sense of wonder in Jesus as a person. Here it is: Jesus read the Old Testament. He heard the Scriptures taught every Sabbath. He stood over the wooden desk at the synagogue and read them for Himself. He meditated on them, memorized them, and made them central to His life and teaching.
And here's what makes this obvious but overlooked fact both relevant and remarkable: Jesus read the Old Testament to see Himself! He read it knowing how He would fulfill every bit of it. You and I apply a flawed hermeneutic when we seek to move directly from the Old Testament to our own lives, as if the Old Testament is not only for us but about us. But Jesus can apply our faulty hermeneutic accurately. The Old Testament is about Him, so He interpreted it rightly when He saw Himself in it." p.60
That truth was an "aha" moment for me. It makes sense that Jesus read the Old Testament all his life from a youth, but I never considered it within this context.
The following are a few nuggets that resonated with me:
"We preach the Old Testament story as the backstory to the big Story...in your sermons through the book of Joshua, call people to courageous faith in God's promises, encouraging them through the conquest of Canaan that God has always been faithful to keep His promises. Preach these Old Testament stories as the backstory to the big Story." p.82
"The Old Testament, preached in light of Christ, points to gospel-shaped living. If you're clear with the gospel, you should never be afraid to call people to grace-fueled obedience. Any charges of legalism simply won't stick. Show people through your passage how to find rest in Christ, and make sure it's the kind of rest that propels them forward in obedience." p. 121
"Learning to preach the Old Testament in light of the gospel guards the church from impure messages. When you preach Jesus, you're providing people pure spiritual milk (1 Peter 2:2). The Old Testament isn't an inspirational blog comprised of moral lessons and life principles; nor is it a magic book with incantations for health and wealth; nor is it a policy manual for civic religion. The Old Testament is the Word of God, inspired by the Spirit to reveal Christ and His kingdom. Every word will be misunderstood until the interpreter sees how the text is fulfilled in Christ." p.127
In the last few years, as I've switched to mainly an expository preacher, I've realized the importance of this very thing - preaching Christ from the OT books that I am preaching through. This book has helped me in honing my preaching and will definitely help me as I currently preach through the book of Joshua!
In his introduction, King grabbed hold of my attention with the following illustration regarding much preaching that is fit for the "synagogue" and nothing more:
"Getting this right is no trifling matter. If a preacher fails to interpret and apply the Old Testament in light of Christ, his Old Testament preaching will inevitably be sub-Christian. Practically speaking, he may exalt God, commend faith, and encourage holy living, but do so without any explicit connection to Jesus and the gospel. Such a sermon is fit for the synagogue. It's a message for the mosque. More significantly, the preacher will have withheld from his hearers their only means of access to God. God's pardon of sin, His power for obedience, and His presence through the Holy Spirit come only through Jesus." p.10
There was a section in which King brought about a truth that although very simple, was something I never considered. He spoke about reading the Bible "over Jesus' shoulders." Read on:
"I wish to draw your attention to an obvious but overlooked fact that can spark your imagination and improve your interpretive ability. It may even enliven your sense of wonder in Jesus as a person. Here it is: Jesus read the Old Testament. He heard the Scriptures taught every Sabbath. He stood over the wooden desk at the synagogue and read them for Himself. He meditated on them, memorized them, and made them central to His life and teaching.
And here's what makes this obvious but overlooked fact both relevant and remarkable: Jesus read the Old Testament to see Himself! He read it knowing how He would fulfill every bit of it. You and I apply a flawed hermeneutic when we seek to move directly from the Old Testament to our own lives, as if the Old Testament is not only for us but about us. But Jesus can apply our faulty hermeneutic accurately. The Old Testament is about Him, so He interpreted it rightly when He saw Himself in it." p.60
That truth was an "aha" moment for me. It makes sense that Jesus read the Old Testament all his life from a youth, but I never considered it within this context.
The following are a few nuggets that resonated with me:
"We preach the Old Testament story as the backstory to the big Story...in your sermons through the book of Joshua, call people to courageous faith in God's promises, encouraging them through the conquest of Canaan that God has always been faithful to keep His promises. Preach these Old Testament stories as the backstory to the big Story." p.82
"The Old Testament, preached in light of Christ, points to gospel-shaped living. If you're clear with the gospel, you should never be afraid to call people to grace-fueled obedience. Any charges of legalism simply won't stick. Show people through your passage how to find rest in Christ, and make sure it's the kind of rest that propels them forward in obedience." p. 121
"Learning to preach the Old Testament in light of the gospel guards the church from impure messages. When you preach Jesus, you're providing people pure spiritual milk (1 Peter 2:2). The Old Testament isn't an inspirational blog comprised of moral lessons and life principles; nor is it a magic book with incantations for health and wealth; nor is it a policy manual for civic religion. The Old Testament is the Word of God, inspired by the Spirit to reveal Christ and His kingdom. Every word will be misunderstood until the interpreter sees how the text is fulfilled in Christ." p.127
June 9, 2021
Excellent! A practical manual on how to preach Christ from the OT. I will keep this book within arm's reach as I prepare OT sermons in the future. This book is both an entry-level intro to this topic while at the same time provides rich theology and practical ideas that will benefit experienced preachers. Really well done!
March 16, 2025
Convincing argument to allow Jesus to be the hero of every sermon, even the O.T. ones! I’m excited about the next O.T. text that I get to preach!
April 23, 2023
The title alone deserves 5 stars! This book is such a helpful guide to show why Christ must be preached from the Old Testament and how the preacher can do so faithfully. I’m sure I’ll reference this book again in the future.
June 7, 2021
How do you preach about the covenant sign of circumcision (Gen 17) or the zeal of Phinehas at Baal Peor (Num 25)? “Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved is a practical handbook for preaching Christ from the Old Testament” (11). David King presents straightforward reasons why preachers must engage in this noble task (Part 1), then spends the bulk of the book presenting a practical approach for doing so (Part 2). Part 3 addresses the cautions and benefits when studying Scripture with Christ at the center.
King’s three-step process for interpreting every Old Testament text is both clear and memorable: Text, Christ, Us (49). Decide on the main idea of the passage in its Old Testament context (52), discover the main idea’s fulfillment in Christ (59), then determine how this good news applies to us today (99). He uses plenty of examples, illustrations, and case studies, to clear up difficult questions for the student of Scripture. Of particular help is his explanation of typology and its uses (72-79). He also provides six categories, like tools in a toolbox, for understanding how the Old Testament is fulfilled in Christ (ch. 4). He then demonstrates each of these categories through actual case studies (ch. 5) and pushes hard for application to “present everyone mature in Christ” (Col 1:28).
This handbook, though not intended to be exhaustive, will prove a useful resource for anyone who studies and teaches the Bible. It includes much useful application as a pastor, counselor, and parent. Readers will come away with a greater love for Christ, a better understanding of Scripture, and more confidence as they study the Old Testament.
* Moody Press has provided a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest review.
King’s three-step process for interpreting every Old Testament text is both clear and memorable: Text, Christ, Us (49). Decide on the main idea of the passage in its Old Testament context (52), discover the main idea’s fulfillment in Christ (59), then determine how this good news applies to us today (99). He uses plenty of examples, illustrations, and case studies, to clear up difficult questions for the student of Scripture. Of particular help is his explanation of typology and its uses (72-79). He also provides six categories, like tools in a toolbox, for understanding how the Old Testament is fulfilled in Christ (ch. 4). He then demonstrates each of these categories through actual case studies (ch. 5) and pushes hard for application to “present everyone mature in Christ” (Col 1:28).
This handbook, though not intended to be exhaustive, will prove a useful resource for anyone who studies and teaches the Bible. It includes much useful application as a pastor, counselor, and parent. Readers will come away with a greater love for Christ, a better understanding of Scripture, and more confidence as they study the Old Testament.
* Moody Press has provided a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest review.
August 11, 2021
This book is very helpful. All of Scripture points toward Christ, but it is not always easy to see how in some passages. This book explains why and gives steps to help you in preparing to preach or teach any passage from the Old Testament making sure you preach Christ. It is easy to teach moral lessons missing the cross in passages. We must interpret the New Testament in light of the Old Testament and the Old Testament in light of the New Testament. When teaching Old Testament passages, teach Christ and then let "ethical instruction flow from gospel proclamation". This book is helpful first for the pastor reminding him of the importance of preaching Christ from all of Scripture; it is also a very helpful tool for the Sunday School teacher, small group leader, Bible study teacher; and finally, it is helpful for any Christian in their personal Bible reading. I highly recommend this book as a tool to help you remember the importance of Christ in all of Scripture, to help give you tools in how to read the Old Testament, and help you find more joy in reading all of Scripture including Old Testament passages.
November 24, 2024
Great book that packs a lot into a very manageable read. Been on a journey over the last two years or so coming to grips with seeing the fulfilment of Christ in ALL of Scripture, and this book distills my own experience into its pages! Fully recommend to my preacher friends, and if that title doesn't get your attention idk what will, haha.
May 19, 2021
Couple thoughts on that book...
He’s a big fan of the synagogue/mosque insult (9–10). He even says that you can be faithful to the text and unfaithful to Christ (39). He is very clear that he is not saying that the OT is simple generally about Christ, but that every jot and tittle is about Christ. It is a hermeneutical issue, because we must interpret every detail in light of Christ (12). He suggests that we study the OT passage in its own context, but then concludes that this is not enough. “Your hermeneutical task isn’t finished, unless of course you’re a Jewish preacher preparing to preach in the synagogue. Another interpretive step must be taken if you are to be a Christian preacher” (55). The assumption here is that the OT, rightly understood on its own terms with its own hermeneutic is not sufficient (I suppose by way of lacking power or clarity) to expose the unbelief of a Judaism that rejected Christ crucified as in today’s synagogue. This is NOT Jesus’ view of the OT, NOR is it His hermeneutic. Instead, Jesus always rebuked his opponents for their lack of faith, slowness to believe, or hardness of heart, etc., and never rebuked them for lacking more revelation.
It is interesting that David King seems to mix up the homiletical and hermeneutical discussions. He has some valid points about preaching the OT as though the NT had never happened (e.g., by way of temple sacrifice), but this is a homiletical issue, not a hermeneutical one. He plucks the hermeneutical banjo throughout the first half at least.
Finally, D King never defines “gospel.” Perhaps the arbitrariness of his hermeneutics could be shown in this hypothetical... Why not simply require the “gospel” of Isa 40:3 (after all, this use of the word predates the NT by 7 centuries) to be the interpretive lens through which we read the entire NT? I mean, if you don’t read the entire NT through the lens of Isa 40, I could claim that you are preaching a gospel-less message!!!
He’s a big fan of the synagogue/mosque insult (9–10). He even says that you can be faithful to the text and unfaithful to Christ (39). He is very clear that he is not saying that the OT is simple generally about Christ, but that every jot and tittle is about Christ. It is a hermeneutical issue, because we must interpret every detail in light of Christ (12). He suggests that we study the OT passage in its own context, but then concludes that this is not enough. “Your hermeneutical task isn’t finished, unless of course you’re a Jewish preacher preparing to preach in the synagogue. Another interpretive step must be taken if you are to be a Christian preacher” (55). The assumption here is that the OT, rightly understood on its own terms with its own hermeneutic is not sufficient (I suppose by way of lacking power or clarity) to expose the unbelief of a Judaism that rejected Christ crucified as in today’s synagogue. This is NOT Jesus’ view of the OT, NOR is it His hermeneutic. Instead, Jesus always rebuked his opponents for their lack of faith, slowness to believe, or hardness of heart, etc., and never rebuked them for lacking more revelation.
It is interesting that David King seems to mix up the homiletical and hermeneutical discussions. He has some valid points about preaching the OT as though the NT had never happened (e.g., by way of temple sacrifice), but this is a homiletical issue, not a hermeneutical one. He plucks the hermeneutical banjo throughout the first half at least.
Finally, D King never defines “gospel.” Perhaps the arbitrariness of his hermeneutics could be shown in this hypothetical... Why not simply require the “gospel” of Isa 40:3 (after all, this use of the word predates the NT by 7 centuries) to be the interpretive lens through which we read the entire NT? I mean, if you don’t read the entire NT through the lens of Isa 40, I could claim that you are preaching a gospel-less message!!!
December 13, 2022
Super practical book. It establishes a biblical imperative like most 9Marks books, but this one is unique in that it is able to walk alongside the reader to help them get there.
June 14, 2021
Where can Christ be found in the Old Testament? In Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved, David M. King presents a handbook for preaching Christ from the Old Testament.
All of Scripture Finds its Fulfillment in Jesus
The 150-page book is divided into three parts. First, King answers the question: Why Should I Preach Christ from the Old Testament? Speaking truthfully about the text itself is not enough. Trusting God is not the main point of every OT sermon. Progressive revelation and the covenants are considered to show that we should preach Christ from the OT because all of Scripture finds its fulfillment in him.
In Part 2, King shows us how to preach Christ from the Old Testament. He uses a three-step process: (1) Text, (2) Christ, (3) Us. What is the main point of the passage in the Old Testament context? How is the main point of the passage fulfilled in Christ? Does the gospel retain, retool, or retire the main point of the passage?
The Mission of the Message
Section 2 is the meat of the book. Case studies and illustrations are sprinkled throughout, and King does a good job of helping you get the gist of his process. Case studies in fulfillment include (1) Prophetic promise, (2) Ethical instruction, (3) Fallen humanity, (4) Typological revelation, (5) Narrative progression, and (6) Theological theme.
Part 3 explains what happens when Christ is preached from the Old Testament. He gives 3 problems to avoid and lists 10 benefits, but the bottom line is that the mission of preaching the message that Jesus Christ is Lord is accomplished.
Point Them Towards Christ
King concludes with the memorable picture of two paintings -- showing two pointings. One finger towards the Bible, and another finger towards Christ. As God’s people, we need to remember our history, but we also need to look forward and hold fast to our promises in Christ. This book will help preachers proclaim Christ in all of Scripture.
I received a media copy of Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved and this is my honest review
All of Scripture Finds its Fulfillment in Jesus
The 150-page book is divided into three parts. First, King answers the question: Why Should I Preach Christ from the Old Testament? Speaking truthfully about the text itself is not enough. Trusting God is not the main point of every OT sermon. Progressive revelation and the covenants are considered to show that we should preach Christ from the OT because all of Scripture finds its fulfillment in him.
In Part 2, King shows us how to preach Christ from the Old Testament. He uses a three-step process: (1) Text, (2) Christ, (3) Us. What is the main point of the passage in the Old Testament context? How is the main point of the passage fulfilled in Christ? Does the gospel retain, retool, or retire the main point of the passage?
The Mission of the Message
Section 2 is the meat of the book. Case studies and illustrations are sprinkled throughout, and King does a good job of helping you get the gist of his process. Case studies in fulfillment include (1) Prophetic promise, (2) Ethical instruction, (3) Fallen humanity, (4) Typological revelation, (5) Narrative progression, and (6) Theological theme.
Part 3 explains what happens when Christ is preached from the Old Testament. He gives 3 problems to avoid and lists 10 benefits, but the bottom line is that the mission of preaching the message that Jesus Christ is Lord is accomplished.
Point Them Towards Christ
King concludes with the memorable picture of two paintings -- showing two pointings. One finger towards the Bible, and another finger towards Christ. As God’s people, we need to remember our history, but we also need to look forward and hold fast to our promises in Christ. This book will help preachers proclaim Christ in all of Scripture.
I received a media copy of Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved and this is my honest review
July 14, 2022
This is a handbook in the best sense of the word--clearly practical, yet also clearly explaining and justifying the practice it expounds.
King does a great job of demonstrating theologically why the OT must point to Christ, and then of demonstrating how it does that. He does so with an eye towards the preacher. He provides tools for accomplishing that goal this Sunday as you study the text. His eight different ways in which the OT can point to Christ are clear (even in their names). I've incorporated several of his questions into my own weekly preaching prep.
Recommend to preachers and teachers of the Bible for a brief, accessible introduction to treating the OT as part of the Christian canon.
King does a great job of demonstrating theologically why the OT must point to Christ, and then of demonstrating how it does that. He does so with an eye towards the preacher. He provides tools for accomplishing that goal this Sunday as you study the text. His eight different ways in which the OT can point to Christ are clear (even in their names). I've incorporated several of his questions into my own weekly preaching prep.
Recommend to preachers and teachers of the Bible for a brief, accessible introduction to treating the OT as part of the Christian canon.
January 16, 2025
An excellent book on preaching/interpreting the Bible as a book about Christ! If you are privileged to train Bible teachers, add this so the syllabus! It is theological and practical- full of examples.
“Jesus is the goal of every detail of the Bible. Which means no Old Testament text can be rightly understood without grasping its fulfillment in Him.” Powerful. In other words, if you don’t see how your passage gets to Jesus, we don’t understand the text how it’s supposed to be understood.
Also- 5/5 stars for the catchy title alone.
“Jesus is the goal of every detail of the Bible. Which means no Old Testament text can be rightly understood without grasping its fulfillment in Him.” Powerful. In other words, if you don’t see how your passage gets to Jesus, we don’t understand the text how it’s supposed to be understood.
Also- 5/5 stars for the catchy title alone.
October 1, 2025
A preaching book that I would recommend to every Christian as it simply makes you a better reader of the first two thirds of our Bible.
August 19, 2021
I've known something about the "Christocentric" hermeneutic for many years now. I need to admit up front that I've always disagreed with it in theory, but have never really fully formulated why I disagree with it. I saw 'Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved' by David King and figured that it would be good chance to read the whole argument for Christocentrism in preaching and think it through more thoroughly.
One of the main arguments that King makes for a Christocentric interpretation of everything is the Lordship of Jesus. "We start with the simple but sweeping confession: Jesus is Lord. Take a second to ponder the weight of that three word sentence. Could there be a more persuasive argument for preaching Christ from the Old Testament? If Jesus is Lord, then He is Lord over the Old Testament - and Lord over our Old Testament sermons, too." At first, it was hard to figure out how to reply to such an argument. A lot of the arguments in the book are similar to the one above in that they seem to be made up of 'gotcha' questions and statements, such that you feel wrong disagreeing with them. Here are some other snippets:
"do you believe that there are portions of the Old Testament that have nothing to do with Jesus?"
"If Christ is the final word from God, then all previous words lead to Him"
"Everything about the Old Testament flows to and through Jesus."
These arguments are too vague. Take for instance the first one, that Jesus is Lord. Of course Jesus is Lord! But what does that entail? One could use a similar argument to say that since He is Lord over everything then He is Lord of any secular book too, such as Moby Dick. Should we preach Christ from Moby Dick? Should we preach him from Star Wars?
And then of course you have the "Emmaus road" argument, "And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself."(Luk 24:27 ASV) I've always read that to mean that Jesus pointed out that the Scriptures had clearly prophesied about Him, and that He went through the Scriptures and showed them the particular places that prophesied of Himself, not that He showed them that He was in (or the point of) EVERY SINGLE THING written in them. King also uses what Christ said later that night to try to further his point: "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."(24:44-47). I have always read "everything written about me" as a clarification, that all of the prophecies of Christ in those books must be fulfilled, not that those books were prophesying about Him in everything they said. I've never read those passages as if they said, "Everything in the Law of Moses, the prophets and Psalms was speaking of Me." Or "He showed them that everything that the prophets wrote, and everything written in the Scriptures concerned Himself." I see "the things concerning Himself" and "everything written about me" as narrowing the focus to particular passages, not encompassing everything in the law, prophets and Psalms.
Next, the author says that "the apostles adopted a broad prophetic understanding of the Old Testament"
The illustrative verse used for this section is Matthew's pointing out the fulfillment of a prophecy in Hosea, "Out of Egypt have I called my Son", in Mary and Joseph taking Jesus and coming back to Israel after having gone to Egypt in obedience to God's command to Joseph to flee there. Many commentators have thought that Matthew was viewing "Israel" as a type of Christ because the statement before "out of Egypt I called My Son" says
"When Israel was a child, then I loved him" (Hosea 11:1). I don't see that Matthew absolutely has to be viewed as interpreting a passage about Israel by applying it to Christ - one could make the case that the juvenile Israel who was loved is not the same as the Son who was called from out of Egypt. Especially since Matthew only specifically states that the return of Mary, Joseph and Jesus from Egypt was fulfilled by the particular statement "out of Egypt I called My Son" and he doesn't mention that it fulfills the statement about God loving Israel when Israel was a child.
King states that,"Christ can be proclaimed from old Testament texts in a manner that pushes the boundaries of our own prophetic understanding. Matthew wasn't mistaken." I agree, Matthew wasn't mistaken but I don't see that he was necessarily pushing the boundaries, and I would probably argue the same about any other prophecy. I think that more, perhaps all, of the "Messianic prophecies" are more explicitly speaking of Christ than many people assume. Many seem to think that some of the Old Testament texts quoted in the New are not explicitly speaking of Christ but had a 'secondary fulfillment' in Christ, that they had 'double' fulfillments. I think that a case can be made for assuming that any Old Testament texts that are said, in the New Testament, to be speaking of Christ are direct prophecies of Christ and that we need to align our understanding and study of those texts around that assumption. Even Christ called his Jewish disciples fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken(Luke 24:25), I rather think that heavily implies that the prophecies that spoke of Him were very plain, very obvious.
King thinks that if Christ is not preached in every sermon, then you are preaching a "synagogue sermon", not a Christian sermon. "…. you must consider whether the Father means for His Son to be preached as an appendix to the sermon rather than as the heart. Until the conclusion, such sermons are suitable for the synagogue." He seems to think that 2 Timothy 3:15-17 (Are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathe out by God and is profitable for teaching…") supports his point. "To be just a tad provocative, Paul isn't saying that all Scripture is profitable for making us competent Jews. He's saying that all Scripture is profitable for making us competent Christians. And we don't have to infer that this is what Paul means - he states it plainly. The sacred writings, he says, are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." Why would we assume that the Scriptures are only profitable (and wise for salvation) for Christians if you preach Christ from every text, rather than preach what the text says?
What if a pastor is preaching through the book of Ezra, and on this particular Sunday he is in Ezra chapter one and he doesn't preach Christ as THE POINT of these texts. Rather, after exegeting the text, he applies it by talking about how God's promises and prophecies always come to pass, and he goes on to emphasize the greatness of God, and how every single detail of His prophecies come to pass; he reminds the people that later down the line every detail about the Messiah and His salvation would happen exactly as foretold but he doesn't focus on this, he just mentions it, and moves back to talking about how God does exactly what He says, how God is sovereign even over our salvation, reminding this Christian congregation that they ought never to doubt God, they should always trust Him. Was that not training in righteousness? Or was it not because the pastor applied the text by focusing upon God's sovereignty rather than on Jesus Christ and His redemptive work?
Even if one does believe that one should preach Christ from every text, King warns that one can preach too much of Christ or too little of Him, you can also do it in a "kooky" way (finding Christ in the wood of Noah's ark, that the wood symbolizes the cross). "The path between the text and Christ is not found in a twister hermeneutic. Our goal instead is to understand how the text is fulfilled in Jesus." I don't understand. Why would finding Christ in the wood of Noah's ark be wrong? The more you see of Christ the better, right? Here's another excerpt from the book which might help you understand my confusion: "Jesus drives an interpretive stake in the ground by in asserting that all the Old testament is fulfilled in Him. In other words, Jesus changes how we read the Old Testament. Not just parts of the Old Testament, but all of it is fulfilled in Him! Every dot and iota of every passage - every jot and tittle…..Jesus' fulfillment language here clearly goes beyond obvious messianic promises and prophecies and patterns. It includes everything!……Jesus is the goal of every detail in the Bible." I don't understand, based on arguments like this, how you could go wrong with connecting Christ to every single thing in the Old Testament.
King says that, "Failing to preach Christ from the Old Testament is a serious problem. It's exegetically and theologically wrong. It dishonors Jesus as the fulfillment of Scripture and the centerpiece of salvation history. It leads people astray by perpetuating a Christless notion of the Old Testament and, worse, by inadvertently directing them to rely on God, or even themselves apart from Christ." I don't understand these statements. I don't think I know of any pastor who promotes the idea that Christ was never spoken of or referred to in the Old Testament. Nor do I understand how they would rely on God or themselves apart from Christ. I have actually noticed that "seeing Christ" and focusing on Him has become THE MOST important thing in some Christians' goals over and above God's plain revelation in any given text (even over and above revelation coming directly from Christ Himself). What a text truly says becomes irrelevant as long as someone's view of Christ is built up, as long as Christ is magnified, it doesn't really seem to matter what the any given text actually says.
Let me critique one more thing in particular. The author uses Jeremiah 29:11 as an example of how to preach Christ from any given text. "…God's plans for the welfare of exiled Israel is a prophetic promise. Since all the promises of God find their Yes in Christ (2 Cor 1:20), you must locate the fulfillment of this verse not in modern-day Israel, or America, or in any other nation-state but in Jesus and, by extension, those who are united to Jesus through faith. Whether Israeli, or Palestinian, American…..a person receives the benefits of Jeremiah 29:11 only in Christ." I agree that one mustn't locate the fulfillment in modern day Israel (as if it were already fulfilled) or America, or any other nation-state. But I do believe that the fulfillment, whether past or future, will have happened to Jews, the ethnic descendants of Jacob, and not to Gentiles. A few verses later on seem to explain what the fulfillment of this verse would look like (after Israel has called upon the Lord with all their heart): "And I will be found of you, saith Jehovah, and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith Jehovah; and I will bring you again unto the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive."(Jer 29:14 ASV)
The people of Israel were promised that they would be gathered from all the lands and brought back to Israel when they seek the Lord wholeheartedly. The promise to return them to the land is repeated many times in the Old Testament (Deut. 30,Ezek 37,36,39, 39, Jeremiah 23: 1-8, Amos 9…etc.). But of course, the Israelites cannot seek God with their whole heart on their own, apart from His grace. Because of their innate inability to make themselves seek Him, will what God repeatedly told Israel through the prophets about their being brought back to the land permanently never come true? That's absurd! The days are coming when those prophecies will be fulfilled. Though many individual people of all ethnicities are the beneficiaries of the New Covenant at present, one day God is going to establish the New Covenant with Israel as a nation (Jeremiah32:36-44, 31:31-37)). God clarifies in His prophecies through the prophet Ezekiel that He is not going to act favorably toward them because they have all of a sudden changed and are now seeking Him, Oh no! there is no indication that they have changed themselves for the better. Rather, God says that He will act Himself, not doing it for their sake but for His holy name, He will create in them the required conditions of the fulfillment of the promise to bring them back to the land of Israel: "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God."(Eze 36:26-28 ASV) He also said this through the prophet Jeremiah: "Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul. “For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them."(Jer 32:37-42 ESV) Even in the more famous New Covenant prophecy in Jeremiah 31, after having promised to make a New Covenant with Israel, God emphasizes that ethnic Israel will always be a nation before Him, that He will not fully cast them off despite all that they had done.
And thus Paul(Romans 9-12) explains to the Roman Christians that God is still going to do what He promised to the Jews as a people, and that Christian Gentiles shouldn't become arrogant toward the Jews, emphasizing that God will one day save the whole nation of Israel, through Christ's salvatory work just as He saves us individually through that work (11:26-27): "And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, 'The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob'; 'and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.'" (Rom 11:26-27 ESV) And I say all of that to make the point that I don't believe that one can make a true biblical case that Christian Gentiles are ultimately the ones addressed in that particular promise in Jeremiah 29, and also to note that many Christians seem to have already arrived at what Paul warned against: them becoming arrogant toward the Jews (Rom 11:25-36), as though God is fully done with the ethnic descendants of Jacob as a people and that He has replaced them with the 'true Israel': the church.
This is quite long so I had better wrap up. My last argument against a christocentric hermeneutic is that Jesus Himself didn't preach Himself from every Old Testament text. For instance, in Matthew 24:15, Jesus spoke of Daniel's prophecy of the Abomination of Desolation, He didn't preach Himself from that text, He told the people what to do when it came to pass. When you see the abomination, run! He demonstrated that He didn't read it as a symbol of something spiritual, or of Himself in some way, but rather as a particular thing that would happen in the future that they were supposed to be watching out for. I don't see how anyone is dishonoring God and not respecting Christ's Lordship by preaching what the text says, obeying God's will, submitting to His sovereignty, obeying Jesus' commands, mimicking good examples of faith, believing all of the prophecies (including Christ's Revelation to the churches about things to come) and even just by reading the historical accounts and 'seeing' what God ordained to happen in the past. What does Jesus command? Do it. Where did Jesus look and point to? The Father. So should we. Jesus honored the Scriptures, preaching them as though they meant what they said, pointing out that people were not understanding their plain meaning, not their hidden meaning. We don't want to be guilty of the same.
Many thanks to the folks at Moody Publishers for sending my a free review copy of this book! (My review did not have to be favorable)
One of the main arguments that King makes for a Christocentric interpretation of everything is the Lordship of Jesus. "We start with the simple but sweeping confession: Jesus is Lord. Take a second to ponder the weight of that three word sentence. Could there be a more persuasive argument for preaching Christ from the Old Testament? If Jesus is Lord, then He is Lord over the Old Testament - and Lord over our Old Testament sermons, too." At first, it was hard to figure out how to reply to such an argument. A lot of the arguments in the book are similar to the one above in that they seem to be made up of 'gotcha' questions and statements, such that you feel wrong disagreeing with them. Here are some other snippets:
"do you believe that there are portions of the Old Testament that have nothing to do with Jesus?"
"If Christ is the final word from God, then all previous words lead to Him"
"Everything about the Old Testament flows to and through Jesus."
These arguments are too vague. Take for instance the first one, that Jesus is Lord. Of course Jesus is Lord! But what does that entail? One could use a similar argument to say that since He is Lord over everything then He is Lord of any secular book too, such as Moby Dick. Should we preach Christ from Moby Dick? Should we preach him from Star Wars?
And then of course you have the "Emmaus road" argument, "And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself."(Luk 24:27 ASV) I've always read that to mean that Jesus pointed out that the Scriptures had clearly prophesied about Him, and that He went through the Scriptures and showed them the particular places that prophesied of Himself, not that He showed them that He was in (or the point of) EVERY SINGLE THING written in them. King also uses what Christ said later that night to try to further his point: "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."(24:44-47). I have always read "everything written about me" as a clarification, that all of the prophecies of Christ in those books must be fulfilled, not that those books were prophesying about Him in everything they said. I've never read those passages as if they said, "Everything in the Law of Moses, the prophets and Psalms was speaking of Me." Or "He showed them that everything that the prophets wrote, and everything written in the Scriptures concerned Himself." I see "the things concerning Himself" and "everything written about me" as narrowing the focus to particular passages, not encompassing everything in the law, prophets and Psalms.
Next, the author says that "the apostles adopted a broad prophetic understanding of the Old Testament"
The illustrative verse used for this section is Matthew's pointing out the fulfillment of a prophecy in Hosea, "Out of Egypt have I called my Son", in Mary and Joseph taking Jesus and coming back to Israel after having gone to Egypt in obedience to God's command to Joseph to flee there. Many commentators have thought that Matthew was viewing "Israel" as a type of Christ because the statement before "out of Egypt I called My Son" says
"When Israel was a child, then I loved him" (Hosea 11:1). I don't see that Matthew absolutely has to be viewed as interpreting a passage about Israel by applying it to Christ - one could make the case that the juvenile Israel who was loved is not the same as the Son who was called from out of Egypt. Especially since Matthew only specifically states that the return of Mary, Joseph and Jesus from Egypt was fulfilled by the particular statement "out of Egypt I called My Son" and he doesn't mention that it fulfills the statement about God loving Israel when Israel was a child.
King states that,"Christ can be proclaimed from old Testament texts in a manner that pushes the boundaries of our own prophetic understanding. Matthew wasn't mistaken." I agree, Matthew wasn't mistaken but I don't see that he was necessarily pushing the boundaries, and I would probably argue the same about any other prophecy. I think that more, perhaps all, of the "Messianic prophecies" are more explicitly speaking of Christ than many people assume. Many seem to think that some of the Old Testament texts quoted in the New are not explicitly speaking of Christ but had a 'secondary fulfillment' in Christ, that they had 'double' fulfillments. I think that a case can be made for assuming that any Old Testament texts that are said, in the New Testament, to be speaking of Christ are direct prophecies of Christ and that we need to align our understanding and study of those texts around that assumption. Even Christ called his Jewish disciples fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken(Luke 24:25), I rather think that heavily implies that the prophecies that spoke of Him were very plain, very obvious.
King thinks that if Christ is not preached in every sermon, then you are preaching a "synagogue sermon", not a Christian sermon. "…. you must consider whether the Father means for His Son to be preached as an appendix to the sermon rather than as the heart. Until the conclusion, such sermons are suitable for the synagogue." He seems to think that 2 Timothy 3:15-17 (Are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathe out by God and is profitable for teaching…") supports his point. "To be just a tad provocative, Paul isn't saying that all Scripture is profitable for making us competent Jews. He's saying that all Scripture is profitable for making us competent Christians. And we don't have to infer that this is what Paul means - he states it plainly. The sacred writings, he says, are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." Why would we assume that the Scriptures are only profitable (and wise for salvation) for Christians if you preach Christ from every text, rather than preach what the text says?
What if a pastor is preaching through the book of Ezra, and on this particular Sunday he is in Ezra chapter one and he doesn't preach Christ as THE POINT of these texts. Rather, after exegeting the text, he applies it by talking about how God's promises and prophecies always come to pass, and he goes on to emphasize the greatness of God, and how every single detail of His prophecies come to pass; he reminds the people that later down the line every detail about the Messiah and His salvation would happen exactly as foretold but he doesn't focus on this, he just mentions it, and moves back to talking about how God does exactly what He says, how God is sovereign even over our salvation, reminding this Christian congregation that they ought never to doubt God, they should always trust Him. Was that not training in righteousness? Or was it not because the pastor applied the text by focusing upon God's sovereignty rather than on Jesus Christ and His redemptive work?
Even if one does believe that one should preach Christ from every text, King warns that one can preach too much of Christ or too little of Him, you can also do it in a "kooky" way (finding Christ in the wood of Noah's ark, that the wood symbolizes the cross). "The path between the text and Christ is not found in a twister hermeneutic. Our goal instead is to understand how the text is fulfilled in Jesus." I don't understand. Why would finding Christ in the wood of Noah's ark be wrong? The more you see of Christ the better, right? Here's another excerpt from the book which might help you understand my confusion: "Jesus drives an interpretive stake in the ground by in asserting that all the Old testament is fulfilled in Him. In other words, Jesus changes how we read the Old Testament. Not just parts of the Old Testament, but all of it is fulfilled in Him! Every dot and iota of every passage - every jot and tittle…..Jesus' fulfillment language here clearly goes beyond obvious messianic promises and prophecies and patterns. It includes everything!……Jesus is the goal of every detail in the Bible." I don't understand, based on arguments like this, how you could go wrong with connecting Christ to every single thing in the Old Testament.
King says that, "Failing to preach Christ from the Old Testament is a serious problem. It's exegetically and theologically wrong. It dishonors Jesus as the fulfillment of Scripture and the centerpiece of salvation history. It leads people astray by perpetuating a Christless notion of the Old Testament and, worse, by inadvertently directing them to rely on God, or even themselves apart from Christ." I don't understand these statements. I don't think I know of any pastor who promotes the idea that Christ was never spoken of or referred to in the Old Testament. Nor do I understand how they would rely on God or themselves apart from Christ. I have actually noticed that "seeing Christ" and focusing on Him has become THE MOST important thing in some Christians' goals over and above God's plain revelation in any given text (even over and above revelation coming directly from Christ Himself). What a text truly says becomes irrelevant as long as someone's view of Christ is built up, as long as Christ is magnified, it doesn't really seem to matter what the any given text actually says.
Let me critique one more thing in particular. The author uses Jeremiah 29:11 as an example of how to preach Christ from any given text. "…God's plans for the welfare of exiled Israel is a prophetic promise. Since all the promises of God find their Yes in Christ (2 Cor 1:20), you must locate the fulfillment of this verse not in modern-day Israel, or America, or in any other nation-state but in Jesus and, by extension, those who are united to Jesus through faith. Whether Israeli, or Palestinian, American…..a person receives the benefits of Jeremiah 29:11 only in Christ." I agree that one mustn't locate the fulfillment in modern day Israel (as if it were already fulfilled) or America, or any other nation-state. But I do believe that the fulfillment, whether past or future, will have happened to Jews, the ethnic descendants of Jacob, and not to Gentiles. A few verses later on seem to explain what the fulfillment of this verse would look like (after Israel has called upon the Lord with all their heart): "And I will be found of you, saith Jehovah, and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith Jehovah; and I will bring you again unto the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive."(Jer 29:14 ASV)
The people of Israel were promised that they would be gathered from all the lands and brought back to Israel when they seek the Lord wholeheartedly. The promise to return them to the land is repeated many times in the Old Testament (Deut. 30,Ezek 37,36,39, 39, Jeremiah 23: 1-8, Amos 9…etc.). But of course, the Israelites cannot seek God with their whole heart on their own, apart from His grace. Because of their innate inability to make themselves seek Him, will what God repeatedly told Israel through the prophets about their being brought back to the land permanently never come true? That's absurd! The days are coming when those prophecies will be fulfilled. Though many individual people of all ethnicities are the beneficiaries of the New Covenant at present, one day God is going to establish the New Covenant with Israel as a nation (Jeremiah32:36-44, 31:31-37)). God clarifies in His prophecies through the prophet Ezekiel that He is not going to act favorably toward them because they have all of a sudden changed and are now seeking Him, Oh no! there is no indication that they have changed themselves for the better. Rather, God says that He will act Himself, not doing it for their sake but for His holy name, He will create in them the required conditions of the fulfillment of the promise to bring them back to the land of Israel: "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God."(Eze 36:26-28 ASV) He also said this through the prophet Jeremiah: "Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul. “For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them."(Jer 32:37-42 ESV) Even in the more famous New Covenant prophecy in Jeremiah 31, after having promised to make a New Covenant with Israel, God emphasizes that ethnic Israel will always be a nation before Him, that He will not fully cast them off despite all that they had done.
And thus Paul(Romans 9-12) explains to the Roman Christians that God is still going to do what He promised to the Jews as a people, and that Christian Gentiles shouldn't become arrogant toward the Jews, emphasizing that God will one day save the whole nation of Israel, through Christ's salvatory work just as He saves us individually through that work (11:26-27): "And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, 'The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob'; 'and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.'" (Rom 11:26-27 ESV) And I say all of that to make the point that I don't believe that one can make a true biblical case that Christian Gentiles are ultimately the ones addressed in that particular promise in Jeremiah 29, and also to note that many Christians seem to have already arrived at what Paul warned against: them becoming arrogant toward the Jews (Rom 11:25-36), as though God is fully done with the ethnic descendants of Jacob as a people and that He has replaced them with the 'true Israel': the church.
This is quite long so I had better wrap up. My last argument against a christocentric hermeneutic is that Jesus Himself didn't preach Himself from every Old Testament text. For instance, in Matthew 24:15, Jesus spoke of Daniel's prophecy of the Abomination of Desolation, He didn't preach Himself from that text, He told the people what to do when it came to pass. When you see the abomination, run! He demonstrated that He didn't read it as a symbol of something spiritual, or of Himself in some way, but rather as a particular thing that would happen in the future that they were supposed to be watching out for. I don't see how anyone is dishonoring God and not respecting Christ's Lordship by preaching what the text says, obeying God's will, submitting to His sovereignty, obeying Jesus' commands, mimicking good examples of faith, believing all of the prophecies (including Christ's Revelation to the churches about things to come) and even just by reading the historical accounts and 'seeing' what God ordained to happen in the past. What does Jesus command? Do it. Where did Jesus look and point to? The Father. So should we. Jesus honored the Scriptures, preaching them as though they meant what they said, pointing out that people were not understanding their plain meaning, not their hidden meaning. We don't want to be guilty of the same.
Many thanks to the folks at Moody Publishers for sending my a free review copy of this book! (My review did not have to be favorable)
June 21, 2022
A good introductory book on preaching Christ from the Old Testament.
May 19, 2021
It was a joy to serve as a musician in David's church for three years, and listen to him lift up Christ in his sermons each week. This is a beautiful book, and I'd recommend it to preachers everywhere. Thank you, David, for sharing these insights into seeing and preaching Jesus in the entire scripture.
Currently reading
January 6, 2026prep for preaching through Micah
June 2, 2021
It was a great read. It was a very good reminder of the Christocentric nature of scripture. King offered some great practical advice to the preacher and teacher of Scripture. I would recommend the book.
November 26, 2022
If you are looking how to preach Christ from the Oldest this is a helpful guide to use. States some of the abuses to look out for and the reasons for preaching Christ
July 23, 2021
Let me start by saying that I’m not the target audience for this book. I really liked the title and so that kind of hooked me, but ultimately I found myself already familiar with the material. This, of course, is no fault of David King, but I should say up front that if you are familiar with the concept of preaching Christ from the Old Testament then you’re not going to find anything new here.
If you aren’t familiar with that concept then this is the book for you! You need this book. It’s short, accessible, and full of information that will totally transform your preaching. This would be a great book to hand to someone who consistently camps in the New Testament when they preach or their sermons are full of moralism and lack the gospel.
The book is laid out in three parts. Part 1 is the why, part 2 is the how, and part 3 answers how this will transform your ministry. For me, the how section was most beneficial, but I understand the necessity of the “why” if this is a new concept for someone.
The thing I appreciate most about this book is the organization. King has laid the content out well including helpful points and graphics when it comes to figuring out how to preach Jesus from Old Testament passages. He even includes some helpful case studies.
My main concern is that this book won’t find its way into the hands it needs to be in. Most pastors who need to know how to do this probably aren’t familiar with 9Marks. I suppose the hope is that it will be passed along by faithful pastors seeking to help other pastors. Possibly it could be helpful in seminary preaching courses as well.
This is a good and helpful book. I think many who are likely to hear about it and pick it up are already familiar with the material and aren’t the target audience. However, hopefully those people can get it into the right hands.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Moody Publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review.
If you aren’t familiar with that concept then this is the book for you! You need this book. It’s short, accessible, and full of information that will totally transform your preaching. This would be a great book to hand to someone who consistently camps in the New Testament when they preach or their sermons are full of moralism and lack the gospel.
The book is laid out in three parts. Part 1 is the why, part 2 is the how, and part 3 answers how this will transform your ministry. For me, the how section was most beneficial, but I understand the necessity of the “why” if this is a new concept for someone.
The thing I appreciate most about this book is the organization. King has laid the content out well including helpful points and graphics when it comes to figuring out how to preach Jesus from Old Testament passages. He even includes some helpful case studies.
My main concern is that this book won’t find its way into the hands it needs to be in. Most pastors who need to know how to do this probably aren’t familiar with 9Marks. I suppose the hope is that it will be passed along by faithful pastors seeking to help other pastors. Possibly it could be helpful in seminary preaching courses as well.
This is a good and helpful book. I think many who are likely to hear about it and pick it up are already familiar with the material and aren’t the target audience. However, hopefully those people can get it into the right hands.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Moody Publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review.
October 5, 2021
Often, hearing the hermeneutical and preaching task that is called “Christ-Centered” evokes feelings of distrust, confusion, and even disdain. There are charges leveled that Jesus isn’t in the Old Testament, or to preach him from there is to misuse, misinterpret, and/or mispreach the OT text. David King answers these objections, among others, in his short but practical handbook on preaching Christ from the OT. I found it immensely helpful, adding to knowledge imparted by Chappell, Greidanus, and others, as well as opening afresh a way to faithfully preach the OT text *and* point listeners to Jesus and his gospel.
September 23, 2022
If you are looking to teach God’s word in any capacity, this book is high recommended! Not just for pastors and teachers, but even parents teaching to their kids. I would even recommend this to the laymen who is not teaching, just to simply get a better handle on the Biblical text as a whole. Top tier!
Read
September 15, 2024Rarely have I read such a fine book combing hermeneutics and homiletics. Then the author instructs his students how to exegete Christ from Old testament passages. His analysis is clear and does require mental labor in order to find Christ and reveal across the first testament. A stimulating read for any preacher.
May 12, 2025
A great handbook. However, I believe his view of the law is incorrect and was somewhat an unnecessary addition. A preacher can preach Christ and hold to the three-fold division of the law. It is Christ who fulfilled and abrogated the civil and ceremonial and Christ who kept the moral law in our place. The law drives you to the gospel, which is Jesus Christ.
May 15, 2025
Excellent book for thinking through the necessity, the practice, and the benefit of preaching Christ from the Old Testament. Not sure there was much I learned, but this is probably the first book I’d hand someone wanting to learn to preach the OT to help them get some handles on why and how to preach Christ well.
July 24, 2023
I loved this book from beginning to end. It helped creat a greater desire to preach from the Old Testament. It is filled with so many wise and relevant things concerning preaching. I highly recommend it!
September 5, 2024
Really good!
King makes a concise and accessible case for the various exegetical, theological, and pastoral reasons to preach Christ from the OT
A quick read that can refresh or inspire any preacher of God’s Word
King makes a concise and accessible case for the various exegetical, theological, and pastoral reasons to preach Christ from the OT
A quick read that can refresh or inspire any preacher of God’s Word
Read
November 7, 2024“Nail this down: you’ll never preach to one person who can have fellowship with God apart from Jesus. There’s no scriptural example they can follow, no command they can obey, no warning they can heed, no repentance they can offer, no praise they can give the Father—except through Christ.”, p. 41
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews