When reading the New Testament its easy to assume that the story starts in Matthew 1 (half way through once you've skipped the genealogy). It's easy to think that salvation begins 2000 years ago rather than being planned before 'in the beginning'.

We need the Jesus who is the second Adam, the seed of Eve. The one in whom we take refuge like Noah in the Ark. Abraham's seed. The one and only son who was not just figuratively but actually resurrected. The one who will have a people for himself not in Egypt or in Canaan but in his rest. The one who will take his people back up the mountain, past the angels into the eternal garden. The one in whom the whole earth will be filled with disciples who will rule with him. The Jesus of Genesis.

We need the Jesus in whom the promises of God to Abraham are remembered. He who is God revealed to his people. The passover lamb. The one who spares us from the dark knight of God's wrath. The one who is the true mountain to which we come. The one to whom the pictures of the tabernacle point. The true priest and the true sacrifice. The one in whom God is gracious to whom he is gracious. The Jesus of Exodus. We need the Jesus whose death is the aroma pleasing to God. The one who is the sacrifice of the ultimate day of atonement. The priest who takes his people into the presence of God. The one who on the day of Jubilee will come out of the presence of God to sound the trumpet. The Jesus of Leviticus.

We need the Jesus who is God speaking to us. The one who takes us on into the promised land warning us not to harden our hearts. The Jesus of Numbers.

We need the Jesus who is the promised king for God's people. The one who brings us out of curse and into blessing. The one in whom we choose life. The Jesus of Deuteronomy. (And yes as you can tell I'm more familiar with Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus than I am with Numbers and Deuteronomy). We need the Jesus Moses wrote about in the Pentateuch.

Dave Bish, still guestblogging for Marcus. More whole bible thinking at BeginningWithMoses.org. And Grand Theft Narrative, by David Capener.