People of the Jewish faith who become Catholic (or part of a Christian ecclesial community) often claim that they are not changing religions, but living the fullness of their Jewish faith. Indeed, as Catholics we see it very much the same way. As Saint Paul tells us, we Gentile Christians are grafted onto the tree of the Jewish faith. This statement is not surprising when you view it in light of salvation history. The Jewish faith is built on the Old Testament Covenants, and Jesus Christ fulfills all of the promises of salvation history.
First of all, Jesus undoes the damage of Original Sin. The Early Church Fathers expanded on the example of Saint Paul and considered Jesus the New Adam (and Mary the New Eve).
- His perfect obedience, humility, and love undo Adam’s disobedience, pride, and failure to sacrifice himself in love
- His miracles and grace undo the consequences of Original Sin
- His teaching, example, and grace empowering us to love heals the rifts in the relationships that were caused by Original Sin – most importantly the relationship between us and God
Secondly, Jesus fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament – not just the spoken prophecies by also those set up by the growing Covenant. Exploring all of the prophecies would take too much time, but let’s look at how Christ fulfilled the expectations set up by each of the covenants.
- God tells the serpent, “I will put enmity between your offspring and hers. She will strike at your head while you strike at her feet.” Often called the “protoevangel,” this punishment God places on the serpent puts Satan at a distinct disadvantage, indicating his eventual demise. Whether the offspring in this statement is interpreted as male (indicating Jesus) or female (indicating Mary), it is Christ’s saving act on the cross that brings defeat to Satan.
- God’s promise to Noah that he would never revoke his covenantal relationship with humanity because of humanity’s sin strongly implies the coming of a savior who would eventually heal the covenant and save us from our sin. Why would god allow the curse of Original Sin to go on if
- he did not mean to defeat it eventually?
- The parallels between Christ and Abraham are amazing – here are a few. When Abraham takes his son to be sacrificed, Isaac (the only son as Jesus is God’s only Son) carries the wood (Christ carries the cross) up a mountain (Christ dies on Golgotha). When Isaac asks Abraham where the lamb is for the sacrifice, Abraham replies, “God will provide the lamb.” Christ is called the Lamb of God. The angel stops Abraham from sacrificing his only son, but God does not hold back His only Son to be sacrificed for us. God did indeed provide the Lamb. Abraham’s willingness to obey God in trust is a step toward Christ’s perfect obedience and trust in the Father.
- Christ’s teachings fulfill the teachings of the Law of God given to Moses. Christ’s teachings bring the Law of Love to the human heart, inspiring conversion toward self-sacrificing love. The purpose of the Law of God given to Moses was to teach the Hebrew people how to love God and to live in Covenant with Him. Christ’s teachings fulfill this purpose and bring it to all of humanity.
- Christ is Priest, Prophet and King. He fulfills the role of the prophet, not just by making their prophecies come true, but by being the very Word of God in the world. He fulfills the role of the kings by once again making God our King. He also teaches the true meaning of kingly power – the power to bring good into the lives of others, the power to serve.
These are just a few ways that Jesus fulfills the expectations set up by the growing Covenant through Salvation History. For a more detailed and knowledgeable exploration of this topic, look at material by Rosalind Moss, Scott Hahn, and Jeff Cavins.
Jesus’ teachings and example fulfill the moral law. Jesus the perfect human being reveals man to himself. He reveals humanity at its perfection, the way it can be with the help of grace. He also reveals to us what it means to truly love God and neighbor and gives us the grace to love as He loved, helping us fulfill the purpose of the Divine Law.
- The Old Testament Law governed people’s external actions in
