Promise

'I promise' is something we say all the time. It's a commitment to do something, to follow through with your words. But not everyone keeps their promises - perhaps you've painfully known that - you've asked someone to keep a secret and they promise, but then they go and tell someone else. Because of this, sometimes we're sceptical of promises - not worth the paper they're written on.

As Paul continues to introduce himself in Romans 1, declaring that he is 'set apart for the gospel of God' (1:1), he then gives a brief outline of the Gospel. Here's the first thing he says about it in verse 2: 'which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures'.

Do you see what he's saying here? The Gospel wasn't just an after-thought, something that Paul made up, or even something that Jesus invented during his walk on the earth. No, it was promised beforehand. And where was it promised? 'Through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures'. Does this change our view of the Old Testament?

You see, so many Christians are 'New Testament Christians' - if you look at their Bible, only the back pages are worn and used - the Old Testament hasn't been touched or read. But what Paul is saying is that the Old Testament is all about the Gospel, it's all about Jesus. Without the Old Testament, we have no context for Jesus, no context for the sacrifices, or promises to Abraham's children, or the grand events in salvation history

Wasn't this what Jesus was saying when he sat down to explain the Scripture reading in the synagogue in Nazareth that day? 'Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.' (Luke 4:21)

Shall we look at the Old Testament in a fresh way? It's all about Jesus, and it's all the promise of God, which has been fulfilled!