Is the Old Testament Still Relevant Today?

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For many Christians, the Old Testament feels distant. It’s filled with unfamiliar laws, ancient customs, and difficult passages. Some wonder if it’s merely background material—important for history, but no longer essential for faith today.

Some have gone as far as to refer to the Old Testament simply as the Hebrew Scriptures, subtly distancing it from Christianity. Others go further and ask: If we have Jesus and the New Testament, do we really need the Old Testament at all?

It’s an honest question. But it’s also a weighty one—because without the Old Testament, we cannot fully understand who Jesus is, why He came, or what His work actually accomplished.

The Old Testament is not outdated Scripture. It is God’s Word—revealed, reliable, and fulfilled in Christ (2 Tim. 3:16).

ONE STORY, NOT TWO TESTAMENTS

At its core, this question isn’t simply about relevance. It’s about whether the Bible is one unified story—or two disconnected ones.

The Bible is not a collection of religious writings stitched together over time. It is one story with a single Author and a single redemptive purpose, and Jesus stands at its center.

Jesus Himself made this clear. After His resurrection, He told His disciples that “everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44). In other words, the Old Testament wasn’t merely pointing forward to moral lessons or vague hope—it was pointing to Him.

From Genesis to Malachi, Scripture unfolds God’s plan to rescue sinners and restore His broken world. The New Testament doesn’t replace the Old; it completes it in Christ.

God created the world good and made humanity to live in His presence and under His rule; sin shattered that relationship, bringing death, brokenness, and separation. From the beginning, God promised a Savior, and in Jesus Christ that promise was fulfilled—through the cross and resurrection, sin was paid for and forgiveness secured. Now, through Christ, God is restoring all things, forming a redeemed people and promising a renewed creation where sin and death will be no more.

If we cut off the Old Testament, we sever a significant portion of the Bible’s redemptive story.

THE OLD TESTAMENT REVEALS GOD’S CHARACTER

One common misconception is that the Old Testament presents a different God—harsh, distant, or legalistic—while the New Testament reveals grace and love.

But Scripture tells a different story.

The God who shows mercy to Adam and Eve, rescues Israel from slavery, forgives David, and patiently calls His people back through the prophets is the same God revealed in Jesus Christ. God’s holiness, justice, patience, compassion, and faithfulness are on full display throughout the Old Testament—and revealed most clearly in the New.

When God describes Himself to Moses, He declares: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exod. 34:6). That description echoes throughout Scripture and finds its fullest expression in Christ.

THE LAW SHOWS OUR NEED FOR A SAVIOR

While the Old Testament law does not apply to believers in the same way today as a covenant, it was never given as a ladder people could climb to earn salvation. Instead, it functioned as a mirror—revealing God’s holiness and humanity’s sinfulness.

Paul explains this clearly: “Through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20). The sacrifices, priesthood, and rituals didn’t remove guilt permanently; they pointed to the need for a greater atonement.

Jesus fulfills what the law could never accomplish. He obeyed perfectly where Israel failed. He offered Himself as the final sacrifice for sin. When He declared, “It is finished,” He announced that the redemptive work the Old Testament anticipated had now been completed.

Without the Old Testament, we lose the depth of what Christ achieved on the cross.

THE PROMISES FIND THEIR “YES” IN JESUS

The Old Testament is filled with promises—promises of blessing, restoration, forgiveness, and a coming King.

God promised Adam and Eve that one of their descendants would crush the serpent’s head. He promised Abraham that through his offspring all nations would be blessed. He promised Judah a ruler who would reign forever. He promised David an everlasting throne. He promised through the prophets a new covenant, new hearts, and a restored people.

The New Testament proclaims that these promises are not abandoned or redefined—they are fulfilled in Jesus. As Paul writes, “All the promises of God find their Yes in him” (2 Cor. 1:20).

Jesus is the true Son of Adam, Son of Abraham, Son of Judah, the eternal Son of David, and the suffering servant Isaiah foretold. The Old Testament prepares us to recognize Him when He comes.

WHY THIS MATTERS TODAY

If the Old Testament is irrelevant, Christianity becomes shallow—detached from God’s work across history. But if the Old Testament is God’s living Word, fulfilled in Christ, it deepens our understanding of the gospel and strengthens our trust in God’s promises.

The Old Testament teaches us that God keeps His word, even across centuries. It shows that redemption was always His plan, not a reaction to human failure. And it anchors our faith in a story far bigger than our own.

The same God who worked through patriarchs, prophets, and kings is still at work today—faithful, purposeful, and unchanging. 

AN INVITATION TO READ WITH NEW EYES

Jesus didn’t tell His followers to ignore the Old Testament—He taught them how to read it rightly. When we read it through the lens of Christ, the pieces come together: the promises, the patterns, the hope. We come to better understand God’s character and His will for our lives.

The Old Testament is not a closed chapter. It is the foundation upon which the gospel stands.

The question isn’t whether the Old Testament still matters today. The question is whether we’re willing to see Scripture—and submit to it—as Jesus taught and embodied.

REFLECTION & APPLICATION

  • How does seeing the Bible as one unified story strengthen your faith?

  • What parts of the Old Testament have you struggled to understand or appreciate?

  • How might reading the Old Testament through Christ change the way you share your faith?

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

  • D. A. Carson, The God Who Is There — If you’ve ever wondered how the whole Bible fits together, this book is a great place to start. Carson walks readers through Scripture as one unfolding story, helping the Old Testament feel connected, purposeful, and centered on Christ.

  • James M. Hamilton Jr., God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment — This book digs deep into the Old Testament to show how God’s mercy and judgment work together in His plan of salvation. It’s more challenging than the others, but for readers willing to stretch, it offers rich insight into how the gospel is rooted in the entire Bible.

  • Graeme Goldsworthy, According to Plan — A helpful and approachable guide to seeing the Bible as one coherent story rather than a collection of random books. Goldsworthy helps readers trace God’s plan from Genesis to Jesus in a way that’s both clear and faith-building.