Jesus in the Old Testament

Growing up I thought it was strange to think about Jesus in the Old Testament. I mean, the Bethlehem baby comes in the very first chapter of the very first book of the New Testament! But don’t be too quick to close the first 39 books of the Bible.

Certainly, if you think about it, it makes sense that Jesus being co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father existed during the Old Testament times, although not in bodily form. There are hints of this preexistence in some of Jesus’ sayings during his earthly ministry.

In one of his confrontations with the Jewish leaders, Jesus said, “‘Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.’ So the Jews said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’ So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple” (John 8:56-59).

Jesus grabbed onto God’s covenant name Yahweh or ‘I am’ and used it of himself. Basically, Christ was claiming to have been around during ancient Abraham’s day, which was about 2,000 years Before Christ! In case you think that is reading too much into the dialogue, notice how the Jewish leaders responded to Jesus’ words. They tried to execute him on the spot!

The Incarnation was when God the Son took on humanity in addition to his deity. That is what happened in Mary’s womb in Nazareth resulting in Jesus’ birth some nine months later in Bethlehem.

That being said, there are several appearances of one called “the angel of the LORD” in the Old Testament that many believe are Jesus in pre-incarnate form. In other words, he appeared in a physical form several times before he actually took on human flesh.

The word “angel” means messenger. Usually, we think of those specially created spiritual messengers that God created to serve him. Although, they are not like the naked little cherubs we see in stores around Valentine’s Day, these powerful beings are alive and well today.

But this special messenger of God who appears several times in the Old Testament seems to be more than a mere created being. Several clues identify him as God himself in these sightings.

In Exodus 3, it is the angel of the LORD calling out to Moses from the burning bush. Moses takes his sandals off because the place has become holy ground and he addresses the angel as God himself. When the angel speaks it is said to be the voice of God. Exodus 3:6 says, “And he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”

Before Joshua fights the Battle of Jericho he meets “the commander of the Lord's army” (Joshua 5:15). Joshua is told to remove his sandals like Moses had done. The words he hears are also attributed to God himself. I think it is right to recognize these and other such Old Testament sightings as being Jesus before the Incarnation.

Of course, the Old Testament also predicts the coming of Jesus. You can even say that all of the Scriptures before Jesus are pointing forward to Jesus. Like a great golf shot on a par 3 hole launches off of the tee and lands on the green nuzzled up next to the flag, all of the Old Testament pictures, laws, and predictions find their fulfillment in Jesus.

After his resurrection, Jesus talked to two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus (who didn’t recognize him at the time). “He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:25-27).

Later that day, Jesus revealed himself to his other disciples. “Then he said to them, ‘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.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24: 44, 45).

For Jesus, understanding the Old Testament Scriptures correctly meant recognizing that they are all about him. Admittedly, at first some of these symbols don’t seem to obviously be pointing to Jesus.

A man once drove through a lush green valley in South Africa on the way to a scenic lake. He was completely surprised to return half an hour later to see the same valley covered in white flowers. He wondered how it could be the same place until he turned his head. When he looked back, he only saw lots of green with only a few white traces. The flowers turned to face the sun.

As you read the Bible from front to back, you will see Jesus here and there in the Old Testament. But as you read the Bible from back to front, you will meet Jesus everywhere.

It is not good to try to read the Old Testament in ways to try to cram Jesus in to every verse. Just like the ancients said that all roads lead to Rome, however, so also all of the Old Testament roads ultimately lead to Jesus.