The Redeemed Christian Church of God

(Mount of Olives Parish, Freetown) Bible Study

Jesus in the Old Testament

Study One
I. Introduction
Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new
moon, or Sabbath days—these are only the shadow of the things to come, but the reality is Christ!
(Colossians 2:16-17).

He said to them, “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.” Then he opened their minds so
they could understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:44-45).

Jesus shows up often in the Old Testament—not by that name, and not in the same form as we see
Him in the New Testament, but He is there nonetheless. The theme of the entire Bible is Christ.
The Old Testament is rich with references to Jesus Christ, providing a foundation for
understanding His life and mission.

The very first appearance of Jesus in the scriptures is in the very beginning, in the first chapter of
Genesis in verse 26. The plural pronouns “us” and “our” indicate that all three persons of the Trinity
— the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — were involved in Creation: “God said, “Let us make
mankind in our image, in our likeness….” (Gen. 1:26 NIV).

Jesus appeared or was alluded to in the Old Testament through various means* which include:
● Prophecies: By some counts, more than 300 Old Testament prophecies point to Jesus
Christ and were fulfilled by Him in His life on earth.
● Christophanies: These are the pre-incarnate appearances of the Son of God. The Old
Testament uses the term Angel of the LORD interchangeably with the Lord in reference to
these visitations.
● Typology: These are seen in what we call “types.” A type is a person or thing in the Old
Testament that foreshadows a person or thing in the New. For example, the tabernacle, the
sacrificial system, and the Passover are all types of Christ’s redemption. In addition, some
of the lives of Old Testament characters reflect elements of the life of Christ. Abel was a
righteous man who was killed. Moses, like Jesus, spoke for God, confronted the evil powers
of the day, and led his people to freedom through a miraculous deliverance. The life of
Joseph is another that seems to model the life of Christ.
* We’ll be looking at these various means in-depth as we proceed in the study
Jesus Himself on more than one occasion confirmed the fact that He is in the Old Testament. In
John 5:46 He explained to some religious leaders who had challenged Him that the Old Testament
was talking about Him: “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.” He also
said before His crucifixion, Jesus had pointed to Isaiah 53:12 and said, “It is written: ‘And he was
numbered with the transgressors’ and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written
about me is reaching its fulfillment” (Luke 22:37). He was pointing to Isaiah 53:12 which says
“Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin
of many, and made intercession for the transgressors”.

The Apostles in the NewTestament also said some amazing things about Christ in the Old
Testament. Speaking of Israel in the wilderness, the Apostle Paul says, “All drank the same spiritual
drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ” (1Co 10:4).
He also said of Moses, “He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of
Egypt, for he was looking to the reward” (Heb 11:26). Jude, said, “I want to remind you, although you
once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those
who did not believe” (Jude 1:5). The Apostle John says, “Isaiah said these things because he saw
[Christ’s] glory and spoke of him” (John 12:41).

The importance of understanding Jesus in the Old Testament

This study will explore the various ways Jesus is foreshadowed and prophesied in the Old
Testament. What do we stand to gain by studying the presence of Jesus Christ in the old
testament?
● By understanding Jesus' presence in the Old Testament,
○ We can gain a deeper appreciation for God's plan of salvation and see the
continuity of God's message throughout history.
○ It helps us recognize that Jesus' presence in the Old Testament reveals the Bible as
a unified story of God's redemptive love, not two separate books.
○ It gives us a Christ-centered approach that unlocks fresh interpretations of Old
Testament passages, enriching our understanding of the entire Bible.
○ It also allows us to better understand and appreciate the significance of Jesus' life,
death, and resurrection in the New Testament.