Finding Jesus in the Old Testament …
To the Jews who were persecuting Him, Jesus said, “These are the very Scriptures that testify about me” John 5:39 (NIV). This should arrest our attention. From a Bible engagement perspective, what could be more important than this text? For in the phrase “that testify about me” we learn that Jesus is present throughout the Old Testament.
Most Christians probably agree that Jesus is central throughout the New Testament. They’ll also probably agree that He doesn’t appear in the Old Testament law or the history of Israel, and we only occasionally find Him in the wisdom literature and the prophets.
Reading both Testaments.
Is there a disconnect? Jesus says the Scriptures testify about Him, yet many Christians believe the Old Testament doesn’t plainly reveal Him. In other words, they think He remains veiled or hidden. This may be why most Christians tend to mainly read/reflect on the last 20% of the Bible rather than the first 80%.
One of the reasons why we mainly connect with the New Testament is because we want to know Jesus through His Word. But only reading/reflecting on the New Testament to know Jesus through His Word is short-sighted. If we’re reading the Word to know Jesus, and He says in the New Testament that the Old Testament testifies about Him, then our Bible reading/reflecting should include the Old Testament.
Jesus on every page.
All this to recognize that maybe, like the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, we need to open our minds to find Jesus in the Old Testament (cf. Luke 24:45). I know I did. I couldn’t see the forest for the trees. That is, I needed to be retrained in interpreting and understanding the Old Testament. And that’s why I’m putting a plug in for a helpful resource – David Murray’s excellent book, Jesus on Every Page: 10 Simple Ways to Seek and Find Christ in the Old Testament.
Please share your insights about finding Jesus in the Old Testament.
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Jesus at the Center: Understanding God’s Story
What Makes a Whole Christian? Understanding the Importance of the Whole Bible
Summary
In John 5:39, Jesus reveals that the Old Testament Scriptures testify about Him, highlighting His presence throughout the entire Bible. Many Christians focus primarily on the New Testament to know Jesus and overlook the Old Testament, where He often remains veiled or hidden. This disconnect suggests that Christians should expand their Bible reading to include the Old Testament, as Jesus Himself affirms its testimony about Him. To truly understand the Old Testament, we may need to retrain our approach, as suggested in David Murray’s book Jesus on Every Page, which offers practical ways to find Christ in the Old Testament.
© Scripture Union Canada
2 Corinthians 4:5
