Is Jesus in the Old Testament?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible consists of sixty-six books written by about forty different authors over a span of about fifteen hundred years. It is divided into the Old Testament, which begins with creation and follows the relationship between God and the kingdom of Israel, and the New Testament, which follows the life of Jesus Christ and foretells what is to come. All of these pieces come together to create one overarching story—God's plan to redeem His creation. In every facet of this story is the living, present Jesus Christ.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Jesus is seen in some three hundred Old Testament messianic prophecies. The Jewish people believed that God would send the Messiah, or anointed one, who would redeem Israel (Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2; Daniel 9:25).
• The Old Testament foretells that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) and that His mother would be a virgin who would conceive and bear a son called Immanuel, meaning "God with us" (Isaiah 7:14). This Messiah would begin a ministry marked by healing and proclaiming good news (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 61:1). Though innocent, He would suffer crucifixion, with His hands and feet pierced, yet none of His bones would be broken (Psalm 22; Exodus 12:46). Finally, the Messiah was predicted to die and then be raised from the dead, fulfilling God’s plan for redemption (Isaiah 53:9–10; Psalm 16:10).
• We also see Jesus in the Old Testament in various instances in which He appeared to people in a pre-incarnate form, known as a Christophany. He is referred to as the Lord or the Angel of the Lord and appears in a human form. The angel of the Lord spoke with Hagar when she was pregnant with Ishmael (Genesis 16:7–14). The Lord met with Abraham telling him Sarah would conceive a child, and Abraham interceded on behalf of Sodom (Genesis 18). He also was seen by King Nebuchadnezzar inside the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3).
• Jesus is foreshadowed throughout the Old Testament in various biblical characters and objects, a concept known as typology. Moses serves as a key type of Christ, as he delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, prefiguring a greater deliverance (Exodus 3:10-12; Deuteronomy 18:15). Other figures with Christ-like stories include Joseph, who was betrayed yet became a savior to his people (Genesis 37, 39–45); Joshua, whose name means “The Lord is salvation” and who led Israel into the Promised Land (Joshua 1:1-9); Boaz, a kinsman-redeemer who provided for Ruth (Ruth 2–4); and King David, the anointed shepherd-king whose lineage the Messiah would come from (1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 2).
• The detailed design of the tabernacle in the Israelite camp also points to Jesus and His redemptive work. The altar in the courtyard symbolizes sacrificial death for sins (Leviticus 1); the laver represents cleansing and purification (Exodus 30:18-21). The showbread signifies provision and sustenance (Leviticus 24:5-9). The lampstand reflects light in darkness (Exodus 25:31-40), and the altar of incense illustrates ongoing intercession before God (Exodus 30:1-10). Finally, the veil separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place represents separation from God due to sin (Exodus 26:31-33).
• Specific events also represent Jesus in the Old Testament. In Genesis 22 God instructs Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac to Him as a burnt offering, but God then stops Him and provides a ram as a sacrifice instead (Genesis 22:12). This event foreshadows Jesus' death on the cross. As the Son of God, He will be the sacrifice God provides in order to atone for the sins of the world.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• During His life on earth Jesus identifies Himself as the Messiah and fulfills the prophecies (Luke 4:17-21; John 4:25-26). Jesus told His disciples, "For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors.' For what is written about me has its fulfillment" (Luke 22:37).
• The New Testament reveals the fulfillment of these Old Testament prophecies in the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-7, John 7:42, and Luke 2:4-7) to a virgin, fulfilling the sign given by God (Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:34).
• Jesus began His ministry, preaching and healing as Isaiah 61:1 had foretold (Matthew 4:23-24).
• Jesus was crucified with His hands and feet pierced, yet none of His bones were broken, precisely as prophesied in Psalm 22 and Exodus 12:46 (Luke 24:39-40; John 19:33-36),
• After His death, He rose from the dead, confirming the promises of resurrection in Matthew 28 and the apostolic teachings in Acts and 1 Corinthians. These fulfillments validate Jesus as the promised Messiah who came to redeem humanity.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Everything in the Old Testament ultimately points to Jesus as the promised Savior and Redeemer. The story begins with the fall of humanity in Genesis, where sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, causing a separation between God and mankind (Genesis 3). Genesis contains the first messianic prophecy about Jesus (3:15), one in which God promised us restoration and reconciliation with Him. To begin this process, God established a covenant with Abraham, choosing him and his descendants—the nation of Israel—to be a holy people set apart from other nations (Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6). Through Israel, God revealed His laws, demonstrated His faithfulness, and prepared the way for the coming Messiah. This covenant was not just about a physical nation but about God’s plan to bring salvation to all peoples by preparing a people through whom the gospel would spread. Ultimately, Jesus fulfilled these Old Testament promises by inaugurating a new covenant through His life, death, and resurrection (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 22:20). He offers a way for anyone who puts their faith in Him to be reconciled with God and receive eternal life, restoring the fellowship broken by sin and fulfilling the hope that had been promised from the very beginning.

UNDERSTAND

• The Old Testament predicts Jesus through hundreds of messianic prophecies and symbolic foreshadowing.
• Jesus appears in pre-incarnate forms and through key figures and objects that point to His mission.
• The New Testament reveals Jesus fulfilling these promises, establishing a new covenant for humanity’s salvation.

REFLECT

• How does recognizing Jesus throughout the Old Testament deepen your understanding of God’s consistent plan for redemption?
• How does seeing Jesus foreshadowed in Old Testament stories impact your view of Scripture as a unified whole?
• How might embracing the presence of Jesus in the Old Testament influence your faith and trust in God’s promises today?

ENGAGE

• How do the messianic prophecies and Old Testament types reveal God’s intentional and unchanging plan through history?
• What does the presence of Jesus in pre-incarnate appearances teach us about God’s involvement in the world before Christ’s earthly life?
• How does understanding the Old and New Testaments together help us appreciate the Bible as one consistent story of redemption?