How This Class Works

Welcome to “Understanding the Old Testament!” This class is the result of many decades of Bible study and teaching. It consists primarily of Bible reading and lectures. There are no quizzes in this class because you are going to busy enough reading the Bible.

I want you, however, to take notes from each class and share them with your parents. Talk about what your learning and explain it to them each week. If you can teach someone else, then you truly understand something.

Please note that this class was taught live to students during the 2020-21 school year. You will hear discussion (a bit), and I may refer to things going on at that time. Although that may be annoying at times, the benefit of hearing me teach a real class is that it gives me more energy and engagement. I hope that makes watching the class more enjoyable for you.

My main goal is to teach you how the Old Testament prepares the way for Jesus Christ and His work of salvation. There are lots of secondary goals, but seeing Jesus in the Old Testament is most important.

Why is this so important? It’s the first thing Jesus talks about after He rose from the dead. Take a moment to read what Luke tells us about it. After that, make sure to look at the recommended Bible and the Reading Plan.

And behold, on that very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. 

While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him. And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” 

And they came to a stop, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You possibly the only one living near Jerusalem who does not know about the things that happened here in these days?” 

And He said to them, “What sort of things?” 

And they said to Him, “Those about Jesus the Nazarene, who proved to be a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. But also some women among us left us bewildered. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. And so some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” 

And then He said to them, “You foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to come into His glory?”Then beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets, He explained to them the things written about Himself in all the Scriptures. Luke 24:13-27