Christ in All the Scriptures

Alice M. Hodgkin was a late 19th century and early 20th century writer who wrote on all sorts of religious topics, including this work.

From the preface: "ON the glorious resurrection morning Mary went to seek for Jesus. She sought Him in the tomb, but He stood beside her. She thought He was the gardener, but the one word “Mary” revealed to her her Saviour. As we read some passage in the Old Testament how often our eyes are holden, and we see only the earthly form: we see Aaron the priest, or David the shepherd, or Solomon the king; but if, like Mary, we are really seeking the Lord Jesus, He manifests Himself to us through the outward type, and we turn in glad surprise, and, looking up, say, “Rabboni” (lit. my great One). As we continue to seek, we find Him in the least expected places of the Old Testament, until the whole grows luminous with the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. “In the volume of the book it is written of Me.” All the lines of history and type, of Psalm and prophecy, converge towards one centre—Jesus Christ, and to one supreme event. His death on the Cross for our salvation. And from that centre again all the lines of history in the book of Acts, of experience in the Epistles, and of prophecy in Revelation radiate out once more to testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. After His resurrection our Lord not only “opened the Scriptures” to His disciples, but also “opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures.” He is ready to do the same for us. The same Holy Spirit who moved holy men of old to write the Scriptures, is close at hand to make the words life to our souls, by taking of the things of Christ and revealing them unto us. Of the books of the New Testament only a brief summary is here given, partly because they are so much more studied, partly because to treat of them at any adequate length would swell this book beyond the limits of a single volume, and still more because the chief aim of the present Studies is to show that Christ is the Key to the Old Testament Scriptures. To encourage others to seek Him for themselves, under the guidance of the Spirit, in the pages of Holy Scripture, is the object of this book. I would here gratefully acknowledge the help of Fielden Thorp, B.A., and the Rev. James Neil, M.A., in revision, and of other friends in various ways."