Christ in the Old Testament

(Don Fortner)  LISTEN to Audio!  Download Audio

Luke 24:27, "Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself!"

Luke 24:44, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms!"

The Holy Spirit here reminds us that the message of the Old Testament is the same as that of the New: Christ crucified! The Bible, the Word of God, is one; and its message is one—the gospel of Christ!

Christ is the sum and substance of the Old Testament!

To Him, the earliest promises pointed in the days of Adam, Enoch, and Noah; and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

To Him, every sacrifice pointed in the ceremonial worship appointed at Mount Sinai.

Of Him . . .
  every high priest was a type,
  every part of the tabernacle was a shadow,
  and every judge and deliverer of Israel was a picture!

If we read only that which was written by Moses in the books of the law, we would see Christ everywhere!
Jesus is the Seed of the woman, who would break the serpent's head.
He is the Seed of Abraham, in whom all nations would be blessed.
He is the great Prophet like Moses, who would teach His redeemed people.

Not only is Christ crucified the message of Moses, He is the message of all the prophets. When Philip described Christ to Nathanael, he said, "We have found the One who Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph!" John 1:45.

All the law and all the prophets spoke of Him!

They wrote of his birth through a virgin's womb, and the place of his birth, Bethlehem. The prophets spoke of the Savior's sufferings and the glory that would follow. And they wrote about many things relating to His person, offices, and work—as Jehovah's righteous servant.

They described Him plainly as the King of the house of David, who came to be David's Lord, as well as David's son.

Jesus is . . .
  the Lamb foretold by Isaiah,
  the righteous Branch mentioned by Jeremiah,
  the true Shepherd described by Ezekiel,
  the Messenger of the Covenant promised by Malachi, and
  the Messiah who, according to Daniel, was to be cut off, not for Himself, but for His people!

Do we find it difficult to see Christ in the Old Testament? It is our spiritual blindness and ignorance that is to blame. The eyes of our understanding need to be enlightened. The veil needs to be taken away.

Let us pray as we open the Scriptures: "O Spirit of God, open this Book to my heart and open my heart to this Book. Take the things of Christ written upon these pages, and show them to me!"

The whole book of God is about our Lord Jesus Christ and His glorious accomplishments as our God-man Mediator!

1 Peter 1:10-11, "Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing, when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow!"