By Nick Bibile
“The Old Testament is the manger in which Christ lies.”
— Martin Luther
Many Christians think of the Old Testament merely as a collection of ancient stories, laws, and prophecies. Yet the Lord Jesus Himself taught that the entire Old Testament points to Him. When Jesus and the writers of the New Testament referred to "the Scriptures," they were speaking of the Old Testament, because the New Testament had not yet been completed.
After His resurrection, Jesus explained to His disciples that the Old Testament was filled with truths concerning Himself:
Luke 24:27
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
Luke 24:44
“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
John 5:39
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.”
John 5:46–47
“For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
The "Law of Moses" refers to the first five books of the Bible—Genesis through Deuteronomy. The Prophets and the Psalms represent the rest of the Old Testament writings. Jesus declared that all these Scriptures ultimately testify of Him. Christ is not merely found in a few isolated prophecies; He is the very center and substance of the entire Old Testament.
The apostles understood this truth and proclaimed it boldly.
John 1:45
“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’”
Acts 3:18
“But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.”
Acts 3:24
“And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days.”
Acts 10:43
“To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
From Moses to Samuel, from David to Isaiah, from Jeremiah to Malachi, the prophets pointed forward to the coming Messiah. Their message centered on Christ's person, work, suffering, death, resurrection, and kingdom.
The Old Testament contains hundreds of promises, shadows, sacrifices, ceremonies, and prophecies. All of them find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:20
“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.”
The Lord revealed His Messiah throughout the centuries in many different ways.
Hebrews 1:1
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.”
God spoke through promises, sacrifices, types, symbols, visions, ceremonies, kings, priests, prophets, and historical events. Each revelation pointed forward to Christ.
The Old Testament is rich with portraits and prophecies of Jesus:
In Genesis, He is the promised Seed of the woman who would crush the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15).
In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb whose blood delivers from judgment.
In Leviticus, He is the great sacrifice for sin.
In Numbers, He is the bronze serpent lifted up for the healing of God's people.
In Deuteronomy, He is the Prophet greater than Moses.
The Psalms and Prophets continually reveal Him:
Psalm 22 vividly describes His crucifixion centuries before it occurred.
Isaiah 53 foretells His suffering, substitutionary death, and atoning sacrifice.
Psalm 16 prophesies His bodily resurrection.
Daniel saw the rise and fall of earthly kingdoms and the establishment of Christ's everlasting kingdom.
Even the patriarchs and prophets saw Christ by faith.
John 8:56
“Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”
John 12:41
“Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.”
Abraham looked forward to Christ. Isaiah beheld His glory. The prophets proclaimed His coming. The entire Old Testament anticipates the Savior.
Beloved, we live in a day when the Old Testament is often neglected. Many Christians spend little time reading it, yet it forms the foundation upon which the New Testament stands.
If we desire to understand the fullness of God's plan of salvation, we must know the Old Testament. The history of redemption, the covenants, the sacrifices, the promises, and the prophecies all prepare us to understand and appreciate Christ more deeply.
Jesus Himself said:
John 4:22
“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.”
The gospel did not appear suddenly in the New Testament. It was promised, pictured, and proclaimed throughout the Old Testament centuries before Christ came into the world.
Christ must be the center of our preaching, the center of our worship, and the center of our lives. The Old Testament is not merely ancient history—it is a divine revelation of Jesus Christ. Every promise, every sacrifice, every prophet, every king, and every shadow ultimately directs our eyes to Him.
As we journey through the highlights of the Old Testament, may we see Christ more clearly, love Him more deeply, and come to know our God more intimately.
“The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10)