Seeing Jesus in the Bible
Jesus isn’t just in the New Testament; He is all throughout the Bible. That includes the Old Testament. If you want to deepen your appreciation and love for the Lord during your Bible reading time throughout the week, then learn to see the good news of Jesus in every book of the Bible.
First you must understand what Jesus said about himself. After Jesus had risen from the dead Easter morning, sometime that same day he appeared to two disciples on the Emmaus road. We’re told in Luke 24:18 that one of the disciples was named “Cleopas.” This man was most likely “the husband of one of the female disciples who watched Jesus die on the cross.” (CSB Study Bible Luke 24:13-14) He was probably with his wife when Jesus appeared. And the two were arguing. What were they arguing about? Verse 14-15 tells us, “they were discussing everything that had taken place. And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk with them.”
Can you imagine this scene? Obviously, they are not unified in what they believe had just happened those last three days. They were confused and arguing for different reasons, about why Jesus died on the cross. And when Jesus shows up, he asks them to explain what they are talking about. Now they did not recognize him, Jesus had hidden himself from them temporarily. At this point in verse 19 they begin to tell Jesus what they believed happened. They heard about the women seeing the empty tomb, and how the angels had said that Jesus was alive. But there was one problem, they didn’t believe it was true. They continue to explain in Luke 24:24, “Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they didn’t see him.” You can almost see them drop their heads at the same time in disappointment when they say, “but they didn’t see him.” What does this mean? They did not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead.
Jesus responds to them in verse 25 rebuking them for their foolishness for not believing “all that the prophets [had] spoken!” What prophets? The only scripture that was around at that time was the Old Testament. Verse 27 helps clarify, “Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures.” The phrase, “Moses and all the Prophets” is another way of saying the whole Hebrew Bible. Jesus used the entire Old testament and explained to them how “all the scripture” pointed to Him! If Jesus believed that the entire Old Testament was written about him, pointing to him, then so should we.
If all the Bible is about Jesus, then we should see him in every passage or at least every book of the Bible. How? You must understand the message of the Gospel. Unlike the two disciples on the Emmaus road, you must understand why Jesus came, lived, bled, died, and rose again. And you must understand your place in the Gospel message as a sinner in need of salvation. If you do not, then you will not see Jesus throughout the Bible. God had planned to bring glory to His name through Jesus Christ, rescuing sinners so that for all eternity he could now demonstrate his glorious kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Jesus is foreshadowed throughout the OT. He is the animal that covered Adam and Eve’s nakedness. He is the ark that saved Noah and his family. He is the lamb that was slain for its blood to cover the doorposts in Egypt at Passover. He is pictured in the sacrificial system in Leviticus. He is the bronze snake that was lifted up to heal all those bitten by snakes but looked at the bronze serpent in Numbers. He is the greater Moses. He is the better judge. He is pictured throughout the OT. Learn to see Jesus throughout the Bible.
First you must understand what Jesus said about himself. After Jesus had risen from the dead Easter morning, sometime that same day he appeared to two disciples on the Emmaus road. We’re told in Luke 24:18 that one of the disciples was named “Cleopas.” This man was most likely “the husband of one of the female disciples who watched Jesus die on the cross.” (CSB Study Bible Luke 24:13-14) He was probably with his wife when Jesus appeared. And the two were arguing. What were they arguing about? Verse 14-15 tells us, “they were discussing everything that had taken place. And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk with them.”
Can you imagine this scene? Obviously, they are not unified in what they believe had just happened those last three days. They were confused and arguing for different reasons, about why Jesus died on the cross. And when Jesus shows up, he asks them to explain what they are talking about. Now they did not recognize him, Jesus had hidden himself from them temporarily. At this point in verse 19 they begin to tell Jesus what they believed happened. They heard about the women seeing the empty tomb, and how the angels had said that Jesus was alive. But there was one problem, they didn’t believe it was true. They continue to explain in Luke 24:24, “Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they didn’t see him.” You can almost see them drop their heads at the same time in disappointment when they say, “but they didn’t see him.” What does this mean? They did not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead.
Jesus responds to them in verse 25 rebuking them for their foolishness for not believing “all that the prophets [had] spoken!” What prophets? The only scripture that was around at that time was the Old Testament. Verse 27 helps clarify, “Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures.” The phrase, “Moses and all the Prophets” is another way of saying the whole Hebrew Bible. Jesus used the entire Old testament and explained to them how “all the scripture” pointed to Him! If Jesus believed that the entire Old Testament was written about him, pointing to him, then so should we.
If all the Bible is about Jesus, then we should see him in every passage or at least every book of the Bible. How? You must understand the message of the Gospel. Unlike the two disciples on the Emmaus road, you must understand why Jesus came, lived, bled, died, and rose again. And you must understand your place in the Gospel message as a sinner in need of salvation. If you do not, then you will not see Jesus throughout the Bible. God had planned to bring glory to His name through Jesus Christ, rescuing sinners so that for all eternity he could now demonstrate his glorious kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Jesus is foreshadowed throughout the OT. He is the animal that covered Adam and Eve’s nakedness. He is the ark that saved Noah and his family. He is the lamb that was slain for its blood to cover the doorposts in Egypt at Passover. He is pictured in the sacrificial system in Leviticus. He is the bronze snake that was lifted up to heal all those bitten by snakes but looked at the bronze serpent in Numbers. He is the greater Moses. He is the better judge. He is pictured throughout the OT. Learn to see Jesus throughout the Bible.
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