Dichotomy Between OT and NT?

Colin Hansen interviews Mike Bullmore on preaching from the OT.  This question is very important for our understanding of the Bible.

You’re speaking about “God’s Great Heart of Love Toward His Own.” Why don’t more people think of love when they read about God in the Old Testament?

There continues to exist, in many people’s minds, a tendency to think of Jesus as speaking a message of love, and the God of the Old Testament as a God of judgment. This is, of course, a monumental error, both exegetically and theologically. Exegetically speaking, it doesn’t take much reading of the New Testament, particularly of the words of Jesus in the Gospels, to see that he spoke quite a bit about judgment and the reality of hell. And on the other hand, it really doesn’t take much reading of the Old Testament, particularly the prophets, to see that God speaks quite a bit and quite passionately about his love for his people. It’s hard to read the books of Isaiah or Hosea for example without being deeply impressed by God’s love.

Theologically speaking, the very idea of “the God of the Old Testament” as opposed to “the Jesus of the New Testament” is a false one. John’s Gospel is probably the best place to go to put that idea to rest. It speaks repeatedly of the unity of the Father and the Son and anchors Jesus message of salvation in the eternal loving purposes of God as reflected in the Old Testament Scriptures.

I would add that those who see no wrath in the NT have failed to understand that the wrath of God was poured out on the Jesus at the cross.  This is the supreme vision for the wrath of God that we find in the Bible until we reach the end where his wrath will finally put all evil to a climactic end.  Those who don't see wrath in the NT should meditate more on the Cross and final judgement.  Both are prominent themes in the New Testament.