The Old Testament begins with God— “In the beginning God” (Gen. 1:1).
The New Testament begins with Christ “The book of the generations of Jesus Christ” (Matt. 1:1).
The reader will also have noticed that while the Old Testament contains much of grace in it, it nevertheless deals chiefly with law, and so we find it ends with the word curse (Mal. 4:6); for man had broken the law, of which the Old Testament speaks, and it was written, “Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them” (Deut. 27:26).
On the other hand, the New Testament, while mentioning law (Rom. 3:31), deals chiefly with grace, and so ends, not with a curse, but a blessing: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen” (Rev. 22:21).
And so we read that, in the Old Testament, “the law was given by Moses”; in the New Testament “grace. . . came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).
And in perfect keeping with this, we find one of the first miracles wrought by Moses was that of turning the water into blood (Ex. 7:19) type of death. While the first miracle performed by Christ was that of turning water into wine (John 2:1-11), representing joy and strength. Again, the first question in the Old Testament contains a call from God to man, “Where art thou?” (Gen. 3:9); while the first question in the New Testament contains man’s cry for God in Christ, “Where is He?” (Matt. 2:2).
Is there no design here? Is there no teaching in these things? Should we not ask ourselves whether we are under the law that worketh wrath (Rom. 4:15), or under grace that bringeth salvation (Titus 1:11)?
At the same time, we must not for a moment fall into the error of looking upon the Old and New Testaments as if they were two separate and opposing books. They are not. They merely give two aspects of the mind and purpose of the unchanging God. Both enshrine the Saviour, each revealing our blessed Lord from its own particular point of view. Hence: In the Old Testament we see Christ.
In the New Testament we see Jesus.
In the Old Testament we see a just God.
In the New Testament we see a Saviour (Luke 2:11).
Both are the good and perfect gifts which have come down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17).
Of the Old and New Testaments it has been truly said—
The New is in the Old contained,
While the Old is by the New explained;
Or—
The New is in the Old concealed, While the Old is by the New revealed; Or, again, The New is enfolded in the Old, while the Old is unfolded by the New; or, yet again, The Old is the solid and firm foundation of God’s unchangeable law of righteousness, on which the New with all its beauty and grace is built.