Old Testament vs New Testament: Same God?
The apostle John writes that Jesus the Christ is the Creator God of the Old Testament. “John 1:1-3, 10 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made…He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. NIV”
Paul also claims that Jesus was our Creator God. “Colossians 1:15-17 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. NIV”
Paul portrays Jesus as that God that led Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land. “1 Corinthians 10:1-4 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. NIV”
Isaiah quotes God’s statement the He is that Rock. “Isaiah 44:8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one." NIV”
Moses also refers to God as a Rock. “Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. NIV”
Jesus refers to Himself before the Jews using the same name that He gave Moses at the burning bush. “John 8:58 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I AM!" NIV”
“Exodus 3:13-15 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers — the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob — has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation. NIV”
God wanted to dwell with humans on this earth. It’s in the Bible. “Exodus 29:44-46 "So I will consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. 45 Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. 46 They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God. NIV”
God did dwell with humans throughout the Old Testament just as Jesus did in the New Testament. Jesus is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name Joshua meaning “I AM saves.” “Matthew 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." NIV”
The angel continued to relate that the child would have the name Immanuel meaning God with us. “Matthew 1:23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us." NIV”
Although Jesus was God throughout the whole Bible He humbled Himself as a human. It’ s in the Bible “Philippians 2:5-8 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! NIV”
As a human the God of the Old Testament became a submissive human servant in the New Testament. Its in the Bible “Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." NIV”
Our Creator God has been closely associated with humanity throughout the whole Bible history just as He is anxious to be closely related to us personally. Jesus prayed that we will become one with Him and His Father. “John 17:20-23 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. NIV”
Yes, the God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament!
