Review: Jesus on Every Page by David Murray

 

David Murray is a former pastor from Scotland who is now Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. So it may be said that he “majors” in the Old Testament. The book also comes with some impressive recommendations from respected leaders such as Sinclair Ferguson, Sheila Walsh, Iain Murray, Derek Thomas, Nancy Guthrie, as well as others.

There have been a number of works published in recent years that are meant to turn our focus to the importance and necessity of the Old Testament in the lives of true believers in Christ. What David Murray does is show the reader how the Old Testament really does point to Jesus; how it is all about Him. He proceeds to explain Christ in the major divisions of the Old Testament, as Jesus did in Luke 24:25-27: “He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”

Initially he explains why the Old Testament has become so neglected, ignored, regarded as unnecessary, and avoided. The reasons are not always comfortable to accept but do help the reader understand why this new book is important, but mostly what we are missing by not understanding how the Old Testament points to Jesus in more than just a few obvious places. One quote that provides some insight and encouragement: “Perhaps the greatest reason for so little interest in the Old Testament is that there has been so much Christ-less teaching from the Old Testament.” As a pastor who seeks to focus on unpacking the meaning of the Bible all I can say to that is: OUCH!

When the Old Testament is usually taught it is from a moralistic or even legalistic point of view. The mercy and grace of God that is found in Christ is normally ignored. Often the OT is presented as a different Bible with a different God. But now since Jesus has come we no longer need to give our attention to it. In so doing we miss the unbelievable truths that are consistent with the New Testament. We miss seeing Jesus as God intended us to see Him in the OT.

We read that Jesus explained how the entire Old Testament was about Him but for some reason that doesn’t seem to be enough to whet our spiritual hunger to feast on Him in the OT. Yet David Murray carefully shows the reader where and how Jesus is seen and anticipated throughout the entire OT in all of its parts; in all of its 39 books.

For myself it would be difficult to determine which chapter taught me the most but the last chapter where he shows us Jesus in the Song of Solomon was enough to help me get a glimpse of what it meant when the Emmaus disciples said: “Did not our hearts burn within us when He taught us?”

This is a book every true believer in Jesus should read. It should be studied as there is a helpful study guide included. It should be kept handy when reading through the OT. It should make you want to read and study the OT as you never have before. If it doesn’t then may not be a true believer in Christ or are already dead and do not know it.