Gospel Coalition - Day 1

All right, so I have spent $400+ and the last of my wits travelling all the way up here to Chicago for a few days for a conference held by The Gospel Coalition. Now, I did not know that I would wake up this morning an entire hour earlier than I needed to be up. You see, there is that thing called a time zone... I forgot about that. All I can say is that I am glad I was not wrong in the opposite direction! But, in all honesty, I needed that extra hour. I had the worst time getting to the right place!

The one thing you need to know about McCormick Place is that it is separated into THREE huge buildings, with three large parking lots. All this cut in half by a 6 lane expressway... Oh my, I was so lost and so frustrated. I finally got to the right spot when I decided to turn off my GPS. Go figure.

The whole purpose of this conference rests on this idea: to preach Jesus from the Old Testament. Ok, ok. I know what you might be thinking. Doesn't Jesus come in near the middle of the book? You know, where he was born in a manger, raised in the Jewish culture, spoke words of life, and, in the most sacrificial act of love this world has ever seen, died on a cross, and defeated death by the power of the resurrection. All this happens in the Gospels, and those are in the NEW Testament! What do you mean preach Jesus from ye Ole Testament?

Let's look at an event in the Bible that happened after the resurrection, during the days while Jesus was on earth appearing to over 500 people. We pick up where Jesus is walking with two guys (they don't know he is Jesus at the moment, they think he is dead and in a grave). Here is the passage from the English Bible, Luke 24, starting at verse 13:

13That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles^a from Jerusalem, 14and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

28So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Alright, here is the focus. These two guys were so blind, that Jesus was right there talking to them, yet they believed he was gone for good. They failed to believe what the prophets and the law had been pointing to the entire time! Jesus took them through the entire Scriptures, the Old Testament, looking at all of the details where it had pointed in some way to Jesus. 

Now when they had learned that it was Jesus who had traveled with them, they couldn't find him, and they said to themselves, "Did our hearts not burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?" You see, when we look at the Old Testament and look at everything as pointing, guiding, and directing our attention to Christ, our hearts will burn within us!

I once heard a quote, "The New is in the Old contained, the Old is by the New explained", or something along those lines. I have really enjoyed being here in Chicago, and I can't wait for a second day of finding Jesus in OT passages. Hopefully, I will get hold of some good Chicago dining as well tomorrow! Have a good night everyone!