In July, my family said good-bye to the home, church, and community we had known and loved for almost 11 years.   It was the place I’d turned 30 and the only address our daughter knew.   Our friends there had walked us through the most difficult years in our married life – from losing Scott’s dad to facing a life-threatening illness.   We’d shared holidays with friends who had become “framily.”   We’d watched the students from our youth ministry grow up … get married, have babies, and we’d even kept the first baby while they went to the hospital to have the second.    Friendships had grown deep and relationships built on serving together, laughing together, crying together, celebrating together, and mourning together are the kind that you never want to lose.

But God called us to a new place … and new opportunities and new ministries and new relationships.   And in the past six months we’ve been reminded of the the truth in that old Girl Scout song, “Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other gold.”    We’re enjoying being closer to family and back “home.”   We embrace the challenges of serving in a new church and building relationships in a new community.

It’s always bittersweet when change comes.   The excitement of something new is dulled by the sorrow of saying “good-bye” – especially when what you’re leaving is something you love.

That’s how I feel today.  This will be my last post on Scripture Dig and I’m teary-eyed writing it.  My heart is full of all the rich blessings that have come into my life as a result of this ministry.  Friendships with my fellow writers – Sandra, Julie, Kathy, Kristi, and Stephanie.  These women are powerful influences in my life and I am far better from my connection with them.   It was hard to say good-bye to Kristi and Steph when the seasons of life led them to new challenges but the sweet friendships remain.

I’ve loved sharing this space with those women … and with each of you, our readers.   You have been encouragement and challenge to this girl who is always longing to more of God.   I am thankful for you.  You are precious to me.

And so I want you, I invite you to join Kathy, Julie, Sandra and me as we join the amazing team at Do Not Depart.   We want to bring your voice with us, your wisdom with us, your friendship with us.    On Saturday, Scripture Dig will be merging with Do Not Depart.  All our posts will be indexed there and we’ll be on their writing team.   We’re excited and looking forward to what this new season will bring.

Our desire at Scripture Dig has been to equip, encourage, and empower you to dig into God’s Word.   Do Not Depart has that same purpose and desire.   And we believe, I believe, that God has brought our sites and our hearts together for this new season to bring greater glory to His Name.

So, subscribe today to Do Not Depart so you won’t miss a thing!   My first “official” post there will be on February 1st!  I hope to see you there!

{And if you haven’t, I’d love for you to join me every day at my personal blog.   I’m in a series called Starting Well in 2012 and it would be just awesome if you’d jump in and join me!!}

Thank you, each one of you, for being a part of my life!  I am richer for your presence.

With love,

Teri Lynne

Eager anticipation dominated the Christmases of my childhood. All the traditions of the season promised the arrival of the big day – the tree, the brightly wrapped packages, the lights, and the music. These things by themselves were not Christmas, but they signaled its coming. When I woke on the morning of December 25^th all these traditions found their full expression.

Although I loved all the Christmas activities, I did not appreciate their full meaning until years later. (If you’re interested, here’s a great article from the Crosswalk.com archives that gives the spiritual significance of many well-loved Christmas traditions.)

Like the Christmas activities point to Christmas, so the Old Testament points to Jesus.

The Law, the sacrificial system, the feasts, and prophecies all find their full expression in the person of Christ. The Old Covenant that God made with the Israelites anticipates the New Covenant found only in the Son.

For the last three weeks here at Scripture Dig we have been exploring the “I Came” statements of Jesus. As we celebrate His birth, we did not want to miss the reason Jesus came. Here is what we’ve discovered:

• Jesus came to obey the Father
• Jesus came to preach about the Kingdom of God
• Jesus came to call sinners and to heal the sick
• Jesus came to seek and to save the lost
• Jesus came to give abundant life
• Jesus came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many
• Jesus came to be King and to bring truth

Today, on our final post of this series, we see that Jesus came to “fulfill” the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17). Everything in the Old Testament pointed to Christ. Jesus was the goal, the purpose of the Law and the Prophets. Here are a few examples:

• The Passover – Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).
• The Sacrificial System – Jesus, the “once for all” sacrifice, provided what the blood of bulls and goats never could (Hebrews 10:1-10).
• The Day of Atonement – Jesus is our High Priest who enters the actual Holy of Holies on our behalf (Hebrews 9:11).
• Manna, bread in the wilderness – Jesus is the Bread of Life, the true bread from heaven (John 6:30-32).

Jesus has always been God’s plan for establishing a relationship with His people. Jesus was not the backup plan when all else failed. Even before God created the world, He determined that Jesus would die to provide salvation for mankind (1 Peter 1:20). The Old Testament – the Law and the Prophets – anticipate the fulfillment of God’s plan. They find completion and full expression in Christ. Finally! He’s here!

What is your favorite picture of Christ in the Old Testament?