Jesus In The Old Testament?

Jesus In The Old Testament? You might say how is that possible he was not alive yet. So, what does Jesus Himself have to say about it?

In Luke 24:27 Jesus tells the men “In all the scriptures the things concerning Himself”. The truth is that all through the Old Testament there are things that refer to the coming of Jesus, and in many cases there are stories that picture Jesus for us in unique and profound ways. You see the New Testament is Jesus revealed and the Old Testament is Jesus concealed. But really, the entire bible is about Jesus. I will show you a few examples of well known Old Testament stories that never mention Jesus but all through them if you look you can see Him, and they foretell of His coming.

The First story I will use is Genesis 22. This is where God tells Abraham to take his son Isaac and sacrifice him. This is a well known story to be sure. So the obvious parallel to Jesus is that a father sacrifices his son. Just as God the father gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for me. But that is just the start of the parallels.

The first parallel is that Isaac was a miracle baby just as Jesus was. Sara was over 90 years old and unable to have children when along came Isaac, and we know that Jesus too was a miracle in that Mary was a virgin and unable to give birth without an act of God. Both Isaac and Jesus were promised well in advance and named in advance by God. Abraham and Sara were told more than 20 years before Isaac was born that he would come. There was a long period of time between the promise and the event, just as with Jesus the Messiah was promised thousands of years before his arrival. Abraham and Sara were told to name their son Isaac just as Mary and Joseph are told in advance what to name Jesus. In both cases the women who would give birth in effect questioned “how can this be?”

The next parallel is that both sons were obedient to their fathers to the point of death. You see Isaac willingly went to the sacrifice just as Jesus did. And they both went up a mountain to the place of sacrifice. In fact Abraham was told to take his son to a place called Moriah (Foreseen of God). So Abraham was to go to a place that is called foreseen of God to show us a picture of the future of Gods plan. What is interesting is that God sent Abraham to a place that latter was the site of Jerusalem and the future site of the crucifixion that was being foretold. We know this because it says in 2 Chronicles 3:1 that Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah. So they both went to the very same mountain to be sacrificed.

Two men walked with Isaac on the way to Moriah, just as two men go to the same place of sacrifice (the thieves on the crosses). We also see they prepare wood and Isaac carries the wood, just as Jesus caries the “wood” or the cross for His own sacrifice.

For three days Abraham and Isaac walk to the place of the sacrifice, just like Jesus walked with God for three years in His ministry that lead to the place of His sacrifice.

After the sacrifice moment with Isaac, we no longer see him but now we have an event in which an un-named helper goes in search of a bride for Isaac. In the New Testament after the sacrifice of Jesus, He goes up to heaven and we no longer see Him. But he tells us he will send a “helper” and the Helper the “Holy Spirit” is the one who brings us the “Bride of Christ” to Jesus. I could go on and on with these in this story but I will let you find some of your own. Hint: 10 camels at the well also represent something also with the number 10. Abraham’s wife dies and this represents something. The helper brings “gifts”.

Another famous story of the Old Testament that also has pictures of Jesus woven all through it is the story of Joseph seen in Genesis 37 through 48. The birth of Joseph seen in Genesis 29:22-23, being a miracle birth in that his mother Rebecca was barren and God intervened is similar to Jesus with His miracle circumstances of birth. Joseph being the shepherd of his father’s flock parallels Jesus role as the “good shepherd”. Joseph is despised and turned on by his brothers, sons of Israel, foretelling of how Jesus will be despised and turned against by his own the Israelites. Joseph is sold for the price of a slave (pieces of silver) as is Jesus. Joseph is placed in an empty pit and left for dead, and one of his brothers Ruben returns to the pit and finds it empty. Jesus was placed in an empty tomb and when people come looking for Him they find the tomb empty.

Now at this point in the story Joseph is taken to Egypt and placed into slavery. His being a servant pictures Jesus as a servant, in this time he is tempted by Potifer’s wife and resists the temptation to sin just as Jesus was tempted by Satan and resists. Joseph is then falsely accused and punished just as Jesus was falsely accused and punished. Then while Joseph is in prison there are two men that are there with him, a cupbearer to the pharaoh and a baker, one will be set free and the other will die. While Jesus is punished for the crime He did not commit (crucifixion) there are two men with Him as well, one will go to heaven with Jesus, (Spiritual freedom) and the other faces spiritual death.

When Joseph talks to the two men he tells the one who will be set free that when he is free to remember him. This is a picture of communion. The baker represents the bread and the cupbearer the wine, Jesus said of communion take this in remembrance of Me. Now Joseph two years later is freed and placed at the right hand of the Pharaoh. Jesus is raised up and placed at the right hand of God. A seven year famine hits the land and Joseph sees it coming and provides grain for people to make it through. In this time period Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt looking for food to save themselves from the famine. They do not recognize their brother. They purchase grain and on their return find the money in the sacks of grain. This first represents salvation provided by Jesus and that it is free and cannot be bought. The famine represents the seven year tribulation that is to come. The Israelites or the brethren of Jesus do not recognize Him for who he is just like Joseph’s brothers. Latter on their return to Egypt half way through the famine Joseph reveals to his brothers who he is.  It says in the bible halfway through the seven year tribulation it will be revealed to the Israelites who Jesus is. Joseph forgives them for all wrong doing when they don't deserve it a picture of the grace shown by Jesus.  In fact the whole relationship between believers and Christ is pictured, revelation, confession, repentance, pardon, provision, praise, purpose (salvation).  In fact Joseph says that God sent him for the deliverance of others.  Sound familiar?  Because Jesus said it was for this purpose, deliverance of others, that He was sent by God.  There are so many more parallels in this story but I will let you find the rest.

Another great picture of Jesus in the Old Testament is in Genesis 14. There is a king called Melchizedek the king of Salem. It says Melchizedek is the priest of the God most High. He brought out bread and wine and blessed Abraham. And Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe. So Melchizedek means king of righteousness and Salem means peace. This Melchizedek is the king of righteousness and peace. And it says in Hebrews 7 that Melchizedek has no father. So the picture of Jesus the king of righteousness and peace, who gives us communion the bread and the wine to bless us, and like Melchizedek Jesus had no earthly father.

A simple picture of Jesus is the rock that water flows out of in the desert in Numbers 20 and we see in 1 Corinthians 10:4 Apostle Paul speaking of the people who followed Moses. He said “All drank the same spiritual drink. For they all drank of that spiritual rock that followed them. And that rock is Jesus.” So just like the rock in the desert gives water to those who thirst, Jesus offers those who have spiritual thirst a drink as He said In John 7:38-39 “If any Man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believe on Me, as the scriptures have said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water”. Another rock in the Old Testament that is a picture of Jesus is When Moses wanted to see God’s glory in Exodus 33, he was placed in a cleft in the rock for protection. We cannot come close to God and see even a glimpse of God without the protection and covering of Jesus our cleft or damaged “rock”.

One last little picture. In Numbers 2 we see the Israelites camping under flags or standards. When they move they follow these standards. The standards are, Judah (lion), Ruben (ox), Ephraim (man), and Dan (eagle). These four standards represent the nature of Jesus as depicted in the four gospels. The Lion represents the king nature of Jesus as shown by Matthew, the ox shows the servant nature as focused on by Mark, the man represents that Jesus though being God was also all man as expressed in Luke, and the eagle represents the deity nature of Christ as seen in the gospel of John.  And I could say that we too should camp and move under these standards.

What is amazing is all through the Old Testament are these incredible pictures of Jesus and what would happen considering Him in the future, I have only showed just a few. The Old Testament was written in some cases thousands of years before Christ and with no knowledge of Him, and it was written by many different authors, but placed together it shows incredible vision of the coming Jesus, and by doing so shows the bibles divine nature that should not be ignored. For more prophetic vision in the Old Testament see the extra page at the left called Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled In One Person. http://arizjones.blogspot.com/p/messianic-prophecies-fulfilled-in-one.html  It is quite a list but still is just a few of the many, but hard to ignore in my opinion.  And it gives reason to take the bible seriously as something more than a book written by mere men.  The bible is what the bible itself claims to be the inspired word of God.