The New Testament: A Story of Encounter and Fulfillment
It begins with a woman, alone, burdened, drawing water under the scorching midday sun. She’s not expecting company, especially not a Jewish man who would speak to her. But Jesus does. He asks for a drink, then offers her something far greater: “living water.” In that moment, her story changes. She runs back to her village, no longer hiding, proclaiming, “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did!”
This encounter in John 4 isn’t just a touching moment; it’s the heartbeat of the New Testament. It captures the essence of its message: Jesus meets people where they are, offers transformation, and turns shame into purpose.
To truly grasp the depth of this moment and the New Testament as a whole, we must understand its foundation in the Old Testament. As discussed in the previous overview, the New Testament reveals the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan in Jesus Christ, while the Old Testament serves as the essential foundation. It is a divine preparation that creates the framework for understanding Christ’s coming.
Through prophecies, sacrifices, and deep spiritual longings, the Old Testament follows a progressive pattern. It contains “the shadow of the good things to come” (Hebrews 10:1), which find their substance in Christ. It points forward to the Messiah, building anticipation and revealing humanity’s need for salvation.
The Old Testament has a magnificent ability to focus this longing in definable terms and help us see what it is we are truly searching for. As we read the lives of old men and women of faith, we find ourselves saying, “Ah, that’s it! That is what I need.” When we open the Psalms, they speak to us from the deep experience of the human heart, and we say, “That is what I want. That is what I mean to say. That is the need of my life and heart.” This is why the Old Testament is so essential to us.
Surely this is why many today who read only the New Testament can only go so far in grasping the fullness that is in Jesus Christ, because their hearts are not adequately prepared. Our lives remain shallow and limited when we try to grasp truths we’re not yet ready to understand. This is why we need so deeply and continuously the ministry of the Old Testament: to prepare, to awaken, and to deepen our capacity for Christ.
If the Old Testament prepares, then the New Testament fulfills. It is designed to meet the needs created and expressed by the Old Testament. It does so by unveiling to our hungry hearts the One who was sent to meet human needs. Jesus said:
- “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37)
- “If anyone eats of this bread (referring to himself), he will live forever.” (John 6:58)
- “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
- “He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
All the needs the human heart can conceive of are met in Him. The purpose of the New Testament is to be a channel by which the Holy Spirit, illuminating the pages as we read, makes the living Jesus Christ real to our hearts.
Another verse in Hebrews sums up the whole New Testament in one brief phrase. In Hebrews 2, the writer states that all the earth was to be subjected to man and that God intended that man should be in dominion over it. We read in verse 8:
“Now in putting everything in subjection to man, He (God) left nothing outside his control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.” (Hebrews 2:8b)
That is an accurate statement of the present situation. As we look around, we do not yet see much of anything in subjection to man. This is the problem, isn’t it? Why don’t things work out the way we think they should? Why is there always a fly in the ointment? Why is it that even our fondest dreams, when they are realized, are never as glorious as we anticipated?
“We do not yet see everything in subjection to him.” The stamp of rebellion and futility is upon everything we touch. This is the present situation. But the writer goes on:
“But we see Jesus…” (Hebrews 2:9a)
There is the answer. But we see Jesus. That is the New Testament, the summary of its message to our hearts. We do not yet see everything in subjection. But the story has not ended. The whole tale has not been told. What we do see is the One who will make it possible. We see Jesus. And in the New Testament, He stands out on every page.
Reason and Revelation: Two Lenses of Truth
The New Testament invites us to engage both reason and revelation. Reason helps us explore the historical, literary, and theological dimensions of Scripture. Revelation, through the Holy Spirit, opens our hearts to divine truth. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2, “no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
Without the Spirit, Scripture remains a closed book. But when illuminated, it becomes a living word, piercing, healing, and transforming.
The Purpose: Transformation, Not Information
The New Testament is not merely a collection of doctrines or moral teachings. Its goal is transformation. As Paul writes in Romans 12:2, we are called to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The Scriptures shape our identity, renew our thinking, and call us into a life of love, holiness, and purpose.
As we have been seeing together in this series, the purpose of all revelation is directly concerned with us. It is so that we, as Paul puts it in Ephesians 4, may come to “mature manhood” (Ephesians 4:13 RSV) in Christ. As he goes on to say, it is so that we will stop being babies, stop being children in kindergarten, playing around with the ABCs of life. It is so that we will begin to grasp life with such vitality and vigour of purpose that we begin to grow as God intended us to grow, until we come at last to the full expression of Jesus Christ, living in us.
The purpose of all revelation is to fulfill God’s original intention in creating the world and the universe in the first place, that we might be a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself. Anything short of this is a failure to realize what God has provided.
Structure of the New Testament
The New Testament consists of 27 books, grouped into four major sections, each serving a distinct purpose in revealing the person and work of Jesus Christ and the implications for humanity.
1. The Gospels - The Life and Ministry of Jesus
- Matthew presents Jesus as the Messianic King, fulfilling Old Testament prophecy.
- Mark portrays Jesus as the Suffering Servant, emphasizing action and sacrifice.
- Luke emphasizes Jesus as the Son of Man, compassionate and inclusive.
- John reveals Jesus as the Son of God, focusing on His divine identity and spiritual depth.
Together, the Gospels reveal who Jesus is, what He taught, and why His life, death, and resurrection matter.
2. Acts - The Birth and Expansion of the Church
Acts bridges the Gospels and Epistles, chronicling the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the explosive growth of the early Church. It shows how the gospel moved from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, fulfilling Jesus’ command to “be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8).
3. The Epistles - The Theology and Practice of Christian Life
Written by apostles to churches and individuals, these letters provide doctrinal depth, ethical instruction, and pastoral encouragement. They guide believers in living out the gospel in daily life, in community, and in the face of trials.
4. Revelation - The Consummation of God’s Plan
Revelation offers a prophetic vision of Christ’s ultimate victory and the renewal of creation. Though filled with imagery, it provides profound comfort: Jesus wins, and those who belong to Him will reign with Him forever.
So What?
Why does this matter?
Because we live in a world of restless searching, chasing success, relationships, experiences, and meaning. The New Testament speaks directly to that ache. It doesn’t offer a philosophy or a checklist. It offers a Person. Jesus doesn’t just answer our questions; He becomes the answer.
Through Him, we find:
- Identity: We are no longer defined by failure or fear, but by grace and adoption.
- Purpose: We are called to live as agents of reconciliation and hope.
- Hope: Not just for eternity, but for today—for every moment of doubt, pain, and longing.
The woman at the well didn’t leave with a theological treatise. She left with a testimony. That’s the power of the New Testament—it turns seekers into witnesses.
A Final Story: The Man on the Mat
He had been paralyzed for years, lying on a mat, dependent on others for everything. One day, his friends carried him to a crowded house where Jesus was teaching. Unable to get through the door, they climbed to the roof, tore it open, and lowered him down. Everyone watched. Jesus looked at the man and said, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then, to prove His authority, He added, “Get up, take your mat, and walk.”
And he did.
This story from Mark 2 is more than a miracle; it’s a declaration. The New Testament isn’t just about physical healing; it’s about spiritual restoration. Jesus doesn’t just fix what’s broken, He redefines what it means to be whole. The man walked out carrying the very mat that once carried him, a living testimony to grace, faith, and the power of Christ.
That’s the invitation of the New Testament: to rise, walk, and live transformed.
Resources:
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Thomas, W.H. Griffith. Methods of Bible Study. New York: Association Press, 1911.
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Morgan, G. Campbell. An Exposition of the Whole Bible. London: Pickering and Inglis, 1959.
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Boyd, Donald, A Summary of the New Testament in the Christian Bible
