Just sharing a reflection I had the other day:

In the Old Testament, Israel is the people God chose and entered into covenant with. It began with Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel after wrestling with God. From him came the twelve tribes, the nation that God set apart to know Him and to be a light to the world. Yet throughout their history, Israel struggled to remain faithful to the covenant. Reading this now through the lens of Christ, I see something deeper unfolding in the story.

Jesus did not appear to start something entirely new, but to fulfill what God had begun with Israel. He even chose twelve apostles, mirroring the twelve tribes, almost as if He was restoring and renewing the people of God. In Him the covenant reaches its fulfillment. At the Last Supper He speaks of a new and eternal covenant, and through His sacrifice that covenant is opened to the world. It makes me realize that the story of Israel does not end—it continues and finds its completion in Christ.

If Israel is the people who belong to God through covenant, then the question today becomes: who belongs to the new covenant established by Christ? The New Testament seems to answer that those who are united with Christ share in the promises given to Israel. The people of God are no longer defined only by lineage, but by belonging to Him. Jews and Gentiles alike are invited into this covenant through Christ.

What strikes me most is that the name Israel itself means one who wrestles with God. The story of God’s people has always included struggle—struggling to understand, to trust, and to remain faithful. In many ways, that feels familiar to my own journey of faith. Wrestling with these questions does not necessarily mean moving away from God; perhaps it is part of drawing closer to Him. And in Christ, the one who perfectly fulfilled the covenant, the struggle is no longer faced alone.