The New Testament identifies Jesus Christ as Lord (Philippians 2:11; 1 Corinthians 8:6). When Paul writes to the church in Romans, he tells them that Jesus Christ is the one and only God to whom true Israelites declare allegiance (Romans 3:29–30; Romans 10:13). Thus, what the Old Testament says about the Lord can also be said about Jesus Christ. Christ also claimed that he and the Father are one (John 10:30). After hearing those words, the Jews picked up stones in order to stone him to death because they realized, he was claiming to be the Lord their God (Deuteronomy 6:4). Jesus Christ is thus God of heaven and earth. He rules over everything for the sake of his church (Ephesians 1:22–23).
Galatians 4:4–7 tells us that it was God’s plan to send his Son to redeem all the people who belong to him so that Christians can call themselves children of God. God worked in history to fulfil his plans in the rescue of the exiles from Babylon. God also worked in history through the death of Jesus Christ to rescue his people from slavery to sin and adopt them into his family.
In the past, God worked in his people and in foreign kings to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem. Through his Holy Spirit and the proclamation of his Word, Jesus Christ is now working in our world to build his church (Ephesians 2:11–22; 1 Peter 2:4–10).
1 Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.