Jesus in the Old Testament
This morning, as we continue on our adventure through the Old Testament, we review quickly where we are at. In Genesis, we saw the age of the Patriarchs, the famous forefathers of the Jews. In Exodus we saw the years of Slavery. In Numbers, we saw the period of Wandering. In Joshua, we saw the period of Conquest. And in Samuel, we see the beginning of the period of the Kingdom.
We looked last week at the first king, Saul. And we saw how Saul placed his confidence in the wrong places. And so, God took the kingdom away from Saul and gave it to David, a man after God’s own heart.
David is used by God to write much of the Psalms, the songbook of the nation of Israel. We want to look at some key themes in the Psalms over the next few weeks. And today, we are going to look throughout the OT and one very key theme presented over and over: the revelation of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
One of the arguments some people will give for not believing in Jesus is that they say he is never mentioned in the Old Testament. They look at Jesus sort of like an afterthought in God’s plan. But as we will see today, that is far from the truth.
To start us understanding this truth, we are going to start by making reference to three NT references.
1. The Emmaus Road - Luke 24:25-27 - Jesus has been raised from the dead, and he walks along the road with two disciples. They are confused about how the one they thought was the messiah could be killed. And Jesus answers them: How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Think of the lesson on the Old Testament to have Jesus personally walk through the whole OT and share all the prophecies about himself!
2. The Ethiopian Eunuch - Acts 8 - Philip meets a high court official who is reading a section of the prophet Isaiah. He doesn’t understand it, and asks Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” He thought there was more to the passage than he understood.
3. Simeon - Luke 2 - When Jesus is born, a man in Jerusalem is looking for him. Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
I use these three examples to start with today to remind us that Christians in the early church were very aware of prophecies of a coming Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one of God. Jesus Christ, Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Anointed One of God appears in various places in the Old Testament, and we want to look at a few references today.
We don’t have time to look at all the references - and even if we did, with our limited human wisdom we would probably miss more than half of the references to Jesus in the Old Testament. Many times he appears in sign or symbol. Remember Jesus tells us that the sign of Jonah - Jonah’s being 3 days in the belly of the whale - was a sign to the three days Christ would spend in the grave before raising again. The Rock that Moses drew water from in the Old Testament - 1 Corinthians 10 tells us “that rock was Christ.” But there are other references where we very clearly see Jesus referred to. We want to look at some today.
In fact, there are some 300+ prophecies about Jesus that are fulfilled in his birth, life, and death. and the odds of them all being fulfilled by one person are extremely improbably. It would be like covering the whole state of texas with several feet of quarters, and somewhere in the state hiding one red quarter. Then having someone parachute down out of a plane and land somewhere on the state of florida and picking up that one red quarter their first pick blindfolded.
Where do we see Jesus in the Old Testament?
•Genesis - In Genesis 1:1, we see God creating the heavens and the earth. God later says in verse 26, “Let us make man in our image.” This is not just the father creating here, but the son and spirit as well. John 1:3 tells us Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
So what does that mean for us? It means that Jesus is not just a created being. He is not a “lesser god” as some cultists would tell you when they come to your door. He and Satan are not brothers as other cult groups would have you believe. Rather he is creator, eternally existent with the father and spirit.
•In Genesis 3:15 - we see one of the first references to Jesus himself, apart from the trinity. Here we see man having fallen into sin. Eve took of the forbidden fruit, tempted by the serpent, she ate, she gave to her husband, who was with her - saying nothing the whole time he saw her sinning-- and he also ate. n God pronounces a curse upon them and upon the serpent. The serpent is told, And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Here an offspring of the woman is spoken of - her seed - the seed of woman. Now biology tells us that the seed comes from the man. Yet in this case is a prophecy of a seed from the woman. The virgin born Messiah, who would come and crush Satan and the power of evil. Satan bruises his heel - in the crucifixion Jesus is nailed to the cross, with spikes through his heels, and to some it appears that Satan has found a victory, but it is temporary, because on the third day he rises again, defeating the powers of sin, hell, and death.
Why is this prophecy given in Genesis 3:15? As well as all the other prophecies about Jesus? I believe they are there for one very simple reason -- to give us hope! To Adam and Eve, who have just seen their sin separate them from a holy God, the are given consequences for their sin, but they are also given hope for the future.
One thing I like to do with the Ronda and the girls is to give hints. Whether it be at Christmas, or if we’re going to ChuckECheese, or going out to eat. I give hints that something good might be coming. I give hints that they better get done with their chores and schoolwork so we are free for the afternoon. I hint that we might do something special on the weekend.
Why do I do this? Not to be cruel, but to give them hope - to help them anticipate what is coming. In the same way, God builds hope in our hearts by revealing a little at a time the prophecies about the coming Messiah.
This idea of a virgin birth is mentioned other places as well. In Isaiah 7:14, the prophecy is given Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
The idea of a son, who would be a sign for all peoples is seen in other places as well. In Proverbs 30:4 we see a list of characteristics about our God. Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name? And at this point, every jew could easily tell you, Jehovah, of course. But proverb goes on . . . and the name of his son? Tell me if you know!
The son of God, Jesus, is pictured for us in the Old Testament.
A little girl one day was drawing a picture when her mother came over to look at it. Her mother said, Honey, what are you drawing? The daughter said, “I’m drawing a picture of God.” The mother wanted to correct her daughter and said, “Honey, no one knows what God looks like.” The little girl quickly responded, “They will when I get through.”
Well, when we go through the OT, we get to see just what Jesus will be like.
Many places in the OT we see prophecies about his earthly life.
He would be born in Bethlehem - Micah 5:2
Born to the tribe of Judah - Genesis 49:10
Preceded by a forerunner - Isaiah 40:3
Born during the rule of the Roman Empire - Daniel 2:44
Fled to Egypt as a child - Hosea 11:1
Entered Jerusalem riding a donkey - Zechariah 9:9
Betrayed by a close friend for 30 pieces of silver - Zechariah 11:12
**and many other messianic prophecies - over 300 of them.
Daniel 9 gives us a timetable of when Jesus would come to Jerusalem. Figuring up the years from the decree to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem one can figure the years until the crucifixion of Christ.
From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens’, and sixty-two ‘sevens’. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens’, the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.
69 seven year periods until the Messiah.
One of the most famous passages about Messiah is found in Isaiah 53. Turn there with me this morning. Isaiah 53:3-6
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
And for the Jews, who knew these verses, these were some of the hardest to accept. They prophecied of rejection for the Christ. He would suffer, and be smitten, and be afflicted, and be punished. The sins of all men were upon him.
The Jews looked for Messiah to come and set up a kingdom. It speaks of his kingdom in many places, especially in the book of Zechariah. When Jesus was here on the earth, his disciples said “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” They were looking for a king to overthrow the rule of the Romans. But they stumbled at the thought of a king who would suffer, be rejected, and die.
But this morning, as we have celebrated communion, we know WHY he suffered and bled and died. He died, so he could die in our place. Those were our sins he bore. He died because in his justice and righteousness, he could not overlook our sins. Many think if they live a good life they will get to heaven. But there is none that does good Romans 3 tells us. Someone has to pay for your sins. Either you pay for them by dying and being eternally separated from God forever, or you pay for them by accepting the death of Christ as the payment for your sin. In celebrating communion we celebrate the fact that we have been given salvation freely by the son of God.
The scriptures also show us Jesus in the Old Testament in things yet to happen. In Zechariah 12:10 it prophecies They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. In a passage talking of the return of Christ, appearing to save the Jews during the tribulation period, they will look and see him, the one pierced by the nails of the cross.
The OT prophecies that after Jesus returns, and saves the nation of Israel, he will rule as king forever.
Daniel 7:13 - In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Here we see Jesus coming in clouds, and ever knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, just as we are told in the NT.
So, considering all of these OT prophecies about Jesus, what does that mean for us today. And here is the key point of today’s message. We have shared a lot of verses, and that is not simply to make us knowledgeable or proud. Instead, we need to have four responses.
1. Stand firm - Stand firm in you faith of the word of God. God’s word is true. No matter what public opinion says. No matter what the science classes teach in school. No matter what is the current politically correct way of thinking.
When God says he created the earth, He did! It’s as simple as that.
When God says life is precious, it is!
When God says lust is as bad a committing adultery, it is!
Don’t doubt, question, or disregard the word of God.
All of these prophecies about the Christ either already have been fulfilled, or will be fulfilled in the days to come. No prophecy missed the mark. Every one so far has come true. We can rely upon the word of God. Stand firm in your faith, knowing the word of God is sure!
2. Have Hope! No matter how bad things get. God has his timetable worked out perfectly. Nothing surprises him. He didn’t say, wow, I had it worked out for Jesus to be born in Nazareth. He knew exactly where Mary would be when Caesar called the census. God knows what the future holds. And so, we can have hope.
If God can so accurately predict the details about the Christ, he also cares about the little details of our lives. As we read the OT prophecies and get glimpses of the future, let’s have hope that we can trust our God to work for our good.
3. Anticipate with Joy all that God has in store for you. When we read the prophecies, we just get glimpses of what awaits us. But every glimpse should cause us to get more and more excited as we think about what God has in store for us. 1 Corinthians 2:9 reminds us, No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. The more we look at our world, the more we see scripture being proven true, the more we should get excited about the future. We should be able to say as John in the book of Revelation, “Even so come Lord Jesus.”
4. Prepare! When we see that scripture is true, when we see that Jesus is Lord, and we see that we will all one day bow down to worship him, it causes us to prepare now to stand before him. 2 Peter 3:11 reminds us Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.
If you would stand before God today, would he be pleased with your life. Would he be able to say “Well done, good and faithful servant”? Or would he say, “Depart from me, I never knew you.”? The time to plan for eternity is TODAY! In light of all the scriptures about Jesus in the OT, it should cause us to prepare our hearts and lives, seeking to live holy lives for God’s glory.
Let’s pray.
