Finding Jesus in the Old Testament
By Rev. Kyle Norman
“Beginning with Moses and the all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” – Luke 24:27
Why didn’t the disciples think Jesus was a zombie? Why didn’t anyone refer to Jesus as “Jesus the Friendly Ghost?” After all, the resurrection caught everyone by surprise. The disciples saw their teacher, Rabbi, and friend, crucified, dead, and buried. In their mind, that was it. Jesus was dead and gone, and so was their hopes for redemption. That is, until Jesus began showing up. Jesus appears in the garden, he shows up in the upper room, he walks along the road to Emmaus. In none of these places does anyone believe Jesus to be undead, a ghost, or someone who faked his own death. Instead, they respond in worship.
How did the disciples know Jesus was the fulfillment of their redemptive hope? Well, the answer is quite simple. Jesus told them. Luke records that Jesus revealed the places in the scriptures that testified about him. From Moses to the prophets, from beginning to end, Jesus helped the disciples understand how he fulfilled God’s promises.
Have you ever wondered what scriptures Jesus may have pointed to?
Jesus may have pointed to the story of Adam and Eve, and how they are tempted into eating the forbidden fruit. We all know the story. One of the curious statements that occurs in Genesis 3 is when God addresses the snake and declares, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and hers, He will crush your head and you will strike his heal.” Here, God describes a future savior, one born into humanity, who would come to reverse the fall of the garden. Victory would be won, redemption would be revealed, but it would occur through sacrifice. The savior would be stricken.
From there, Jesus may have pointed to Melchizedek, the mysterious individual of Genesis 14. Just as Jesus is the both the King of Kings, and the great High Priest, Melchizedek is noted to be both a King and a priest of the Highest. What is more intriguing, however, is the meal he serves to Abraham as a means of blessing. Long before people could ever understand the significance, Melchizedek blessed Abraham with a meal of bread and wine.
Did Jesus point to this scripture as a foretaste of the Last Supper?
From there, Jesus may have pointed to Israel’s entire sacrificial system which was centered around the sacrifice of the paschal lamb. This lamb, without spot or blemish was slain for the sins of the people. The crucifixion echoes this. In fact, John makes clear that the crucifixion happened at the very same time that the Passover lamb was being slain in the temple.
All of these references to Jesus take place in the first five books of scripture. When we move into the prophets, we find statement after statement that speak to the coming of the Messiah, as witnessed Jesus. There are statements about where the Messiah would be born, what lineage he would be from, and where the messiah would grow up. The prophets speak of Messiah opening the eyes of the blind, healing the sick, and raising the dead. When it comes to his death on the cross Zechariah 11 talks about the Messiah being betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.
Undoubtedly, Jesus would have pointed to the suffering servant passages in Isaiah. Isaiah 53 describes the crucifixion, stating that the Savior of the world would be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. But that same chapter speaks of the resurrection. Verse 11 says, “After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life, and be satisfied, and by his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many and he will bear their iniquities.” This prophecy pictures the messiah, dying for our transgressions, having his hands and his feet pierced, but then rising again to new life to justify and save the world.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
No wonder the disciples said their hearts as burning within them as Jesus unlocked the scriptures for them. The resurrection connected all the various prophecies and verses sprinkled throughout the Old Testament, revealing the picture of who God is, what God’s plan was, and what redemption looked like. And it looks like Jesus.
In the end, the resurrection isn’t a dream, or a fanciful wish. The resurrection isn’t something the disciples just made up or the church thought was a good story. The resurrection is the culmination of all that God had been doing throughout the ages. When we look at the whole movement of scripture, we see one unified story revealing Jesus to be the fulfillment of all God’s promises. And it’s this fulfillment that caused the disciples to proclaim that Jesus is Lord. May we follow in their footsteps.
Further Reading:
Psalm 22
Isaiah 53
10 Powerful Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled by Christ
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/JerryGrugin
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