We conclude that in His use of the Old Testament Jesus stood alone among His Jewish contemporaries, and that not because He took unusual liberties with the text (He was in general usually faithful to its intended meaning), but because He believed that in Him it found its fulfillment.
Jesus and the Old Testament, Regent, 1998, p. 201.
In His coming the “last day”’ to which the Old Testament looked forward arrived, but they have not yet run their course; the Christian church is still living in this eschaton. Jesus’ first coming inaugurated it; His second coming will consummate it. The coming of Jesus was, therefore, the beginning of the end.
Jesus and the Old Testament, Regent, 1998, p. 162.
Any other Jewish teacher made very sure that his teaching was documented with extensive quotations from Scripture and with the names of his teachers added to give weight to his opinion; his authority must always be second-hand. But not Jesus. He simply laid down the law.
Taken from Jesus the Radical by R.T. France. Copyright (c) 1989, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. Used with permission of InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515. www.ivpress.com, p. 204.
