How do I find Christ in the Old Testament?
The Old Testament is not a separate book about a different God; it is the first half of the one story that is about Jesus. Jesus Himself said the Scriptures testify of Him, and on the Emmaus road He opened the law, the prophets, and the psalms and explained the things concerning Himself. We find Christ in the Old Testament in its promises and prophecies, its types and patterns, its covenants and sacrifices, and its expectation of a coming King, all of which He came to fulfill.
This question arose from studying Is the whole Bible about Jesus? and Who is Jesus?.
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What the Scripture says
Jesus Himself told us where to find Him
The key to the Old Testament is Christ, and Jesus gave it to us Himself. He said, 'You search the Scriptures... and these are they which testify about me.' On the road to Emmaus, 'beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.' And later He said that everything written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms concerning Him must be fulfilled. Jesus is the subject the whole book has been waiting for.
“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me.Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.”And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
The Old Testament is promise; Christ is fulfillment
Jesus said plainly, 'Don't think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill.' Paul says that however many the promises of God are, 'in him is the Yes'; Peter announces that what God foretold through all the prophets, that the Christ should suffer, He has fulfilled. The Old Testament raises the expectation; Christ is the one who meets it, so that reading the promise without Him is reading a story without its ending.
“Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
For however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen”, to the glory of God through us.For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.”And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
It is full of types and patterns that point to Him
The Old Testament is thick with anticipations of Christ. Paul could read the wilderness and say, 'the rock was Christ,' and speak of the exodus as a warning pointing to ourselves. John saw in the Passover lamb the one who takes away the sin of the world. Hebrews says the law had 'a shadow of the good to come,' and Colossians calls the festivals and holy days a shadow, 'but the body is Christ's.' The sacrifices of the tabernacle, the lamb, the rock, the bread: each is a finger pointing to Christ.
and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
It holds a lineage of expectation: King and Suffering Servant
From the beginning, the Old Testament is a waiting room for Christ. It promises a son of David whose throne lasts forever, a child to be born whose name is Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace, a righteous Branch who will reign. And it portrays a Suffering Servant, pierced for our transgressions, whose cry the crucified Jesus took on His own lips: 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' Peter says the Spirit of Christ in the prophets predicted 'the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that would follow them.'
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David,He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
searching for who or what kind of time the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, pointed to, when he predicted the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that would follow them.Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
And we read it with Christ in view and the gospel in hand
To find Christ in the Old Testament, we read it with Him in view: asking of each part how it anticipates Him, how it promises Him, how it is fulfilled in Him, and how it prepares the way for the gospel. The veil is removed when we turn to the Lord, as Paul says; the same Scriptures that seemed hidden are opened when Christ is seen. Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction. Read the Old Testament with Jesus on the page, and it becomes what it always was: the gospel before the cross.
But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away.But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through patience and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
They said one to another, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us, while he spoke to us along the way, and while he opened the Scriptures to us?”And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
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Who is Jesus?→Jesus Christ trail“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”Why did Jesus have to die?→Jesus Christ trail“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”We haven't written this one yet. Take it to your church or small group: the Word answers it wherever it is asked. If we study it here later, all the better.
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Verses to meditate on
“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me.Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
“Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
searching for who or what kind of time the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, pointed to, when he predicted the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that would follow them.Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
For however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen”, to the glory of God through us.For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
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