It’s a well-worn cliché that history continually repeats itself. And it’s certainly true that from time to time things happen which seem surprisingly similar to events we learned about in history – though I’m sure we’ve all heard the word ‘unprecedented’ enough these last few years to know that’s not always the case!
In the Bible, history repeats itself in a special way. Certain people, like Adam, Moses or David and certain things, like the temple, the sacrifices or the Exodus, act as the model for what Jesus and his Kingdom will be like. Jesus sums up in himself the whole history of God’s people and their relationship with God.
But there’s something unprecedented with Jesus too. All the heroes and holy things of the Old Testament, whatever their achievements, are also known for their failures and faults. History repeats itself in the Bible because so many things need doing again. Only in Jesus do we find the perfection that means his life and work need never be repeated.
Ed