What did Jesus teach about the Old Testament?

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Such people completely ignore the pervasive use of symbol and metaphor in the Bible. For example,

• In the OT, the entire book of Song of Solomon is a personal love poem that is completely irrelevant to anyone reading the Bible. But it is also a powerful metaphor for the relationship between God and his people, which is central to our faith; and
• Throughout Jesus' ministry. his primary teaching tool was parables. We are not sheep, we are not leavening, we are not salt, we are not a lamp, we are not a lost coin, and so on; each of these metaphors is a powerful teaching tool rather than a literal description.

Jesus understood and quoted extensively from The Law and the Prophets (i.e., the Old Testament) with the goal of revealing God and a path to him, not to ensure his listeners had a firm grasp of ancient Mideastern history.

Jesus used what his listeners knew to illustrate his points, and his listeners were very conversant in the story of the people of Israel. As Quoran Scott M explains,

Biblical inerrantists argue that Jesus believed the Jonah story was historical fact and actually happened, therefore so should we. I appreciate your implication that Jesus understood that a morality tale or mythical story can communicate truth on a level that historical accounts cannot. I think 21st century fundamentalists (and the atheists trolling for a quick “gotcha”) are too busy reading scripture through our modern, historical-accuracy lens that they miss this point. They’re too busy arguing over whether Jonah actually got eaten by a fish or if such a thing is physically possible. Not to mention whether snakes and donkeys can talk. The “sign of Jonah” was something Jesus’ first century Jewish audience would understand. When he rose on the third day, they knew the implications.

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Jesus was a gifted speaker, and used all the tools of rhetoric such as symbolism and hyperbole to drive home his points. As Quoran Melissa B puts it,

Jesus —and the Gospel authors—understood symbolism. They knew of three and seven. Jesus used symbols of burning, trash pits, wastelands, and chasms. He was also prone to hyperbole, advising people to mutilate themselves, for example, to make a point, but not actually wanting people to do so. Jonah was a story understood for its symbolism, morality teachings, and entertainment value. Jesus referenced it the same way that we talk about Herculean tasks, Oedipus, and Pandora's box.

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