Here is a concise explanation of how the Old Testament and New Testament fit together. The Old Testamenet had it hopes in God’s promises of a future day and king. While the New Testament sees these hopes and promises realized. I agree with Augustine’s saying, “The Old is in the New revealed; the New is in the Old concealed.” Both the OT and NET have a Christological focus and a redemptive purpose.
Some OT scholars have argued that we should read and study the OT on its own terms. That is, we should seek to understand it by itself without “reading back” into it from the NT. There is a sense, of course, where that is right. But what Jesus seems to be emphasizing in these passages is that we in this age should be able to read the OT better than that. There is the matter of “historical-grammatical” interpretation, to be sure. But if “historical-grammatical” leaves out the Christological focus, it is deficient. In fact, Jesus seems to be implying that this is how the OT could always have been read! “Moses wrote of me . . . Abraham saw my day” seem to insist that the NT “revelation” is precisely the message of the OT.
