Christ in the Old Testament

John 1:44-51  Suggested further reading: Luke 24:25-27; 44:48

How much of Christ there is in the Old Testament Scriptures! We read that when Philip described Christ to Nathaniel, he said, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write."

Christ is the sum and substance of the Old Testament. To Him the earliest promises pointed in the days of Adam and Enoch and Noah and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. To Him every sacrifice pointed in the ceremonial worship appointed at Mount Sinai. Of Him every high priest was a type and every part of the tabernacle was a shadow and every judge and deliverer of Israel was a figure. He was the Prophet like unto Moses, whom the Lord God promised to send, and the King of the house of David, who came to be David's Lord as well as Son. He was the Son of the virgin and the Lamb foretold by Isaiah, the righteous Branch mentioned by Jeremiah, the true Shepherd foreseen by Ezekiel, the Messenger of the covenant promised by Malachi and the Messiah who, according to Daniel, was to be cut off, though not for himself. The further we read in the volume of the Old Testament, the clearer do we find the testimony about Christ. The light which the inspired writers enjoyed in ancient days was, at best, but dim, compared to that of the gospel. But the coming person they ll saw afar off, and on whom they all fixed their eyes, was one and the same. The Holy Spirit, which was in them, testified of Christ (1 Peter 1:11).

Do we stumble at this saying? Do we find it hard to see Christ in the Old Testament, because we do not see His name? Let us pray for a more humble, childlike and teachable spirit. May we never rest till we can subscribe to our Lord's words about the Old Testament Scriptures: "They are they which testify of Me"  (John 5:39).

For meditation: In the earliest days of the church the Christians only had the Old Testament to prove that Jesus is the Christ. How would you have managed?

~J. C. Ryle~ - "Daily Readings from all Four Gospels"