The first two chapters of Genesis are about God's creation of the heavens and the earth, and all that is in the earth, including mankind (Hebrew: אָדָם = 'adam). Chapter 3 of Genesis starts with a discourse on the sin of Adam and Eve, and then goes on to introduce the eternal plan of salvation for mankind, a topic that fills every page of the entire Bible from that point on! Jesus Christ IS that plan for salvation... Jesus Christ IS the Word (John 1:14)... every page of our Bible speaks of Jesus.

And He said to them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! "Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?" Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. Luke 24:25-27

Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem." Luke 24:44-47

What did Jesus teach his disciples on this day, the day of His resurrection? While we don't know the exact words He used, we do know that He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. Shortly after He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45), he told them,

"And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." Luke 24:49

We are told in John 15:26 that this "promise of the Father" is a helper, comforter, advocate and intercessor who will testify about Jesus. This "power from on high" is "the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father" and it is He who will open our minds to understand the same Scriptures; to understand the things written about Jesus in the law (aka Moses), the prophets and the writings (aka Psalms). This is the Holy Spirit of whom Jesus speaks:

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." John 14:26

It is not my intention in this course to open your minds to understand the Scriptures... that's the job of the Holy Spirit! The point of this course is to summarise one of the key aspects of the Messiah/Christ in what we call the Old Testament - the prophecies that relate to the coming of Jesus Christ to this world as our Saviour.

• November 2012 at Oaks Community Church (4 x Sunday evening sessions of 1 hour each)