The Old Testament is All About Christ
This season is so meaningful and magical for a reason
Advent season / Christmas season is the celebration of the apex of human history
God has been revealing Himself and peaks with the birth of Jesus Christ
God coming to earth as one of us is the ultimate revelation of His Truth & Grace
My desire: for you to see all of Scripture and human History pointing to ‘The Advent’!
“The Bible is long and Layered for a reason. It prepares us to see and receive Jesus as the only solution to our problem and the only Savior from our sin.” ~ Christ from Beginning to End by Hunter & Wellum
Adam & The Garden:
Adam is representative of all humanity (Prophet / Priest / King)
Because of sin Adam failed in all of these roles.
Genesis 3:6
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
- Wanted to be like God instead of be with God…(same sin as Satan)
Genesis 3:15
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
- One day God will use humanity to right what went wrong
- Until the whole story is complete there will be conflict (Fallen World)
Adam was meant to represent humanity as Prophet, Priest & King…
With the introduction of sin creation was corrupted:
Adam failed as Prophet: unable to speak truth or blessing.
Adam failed as Priest: unable to stand in God’s presence
Adam failed as King: traded God’s presence for a chance to become God
God Himself must restore creation, reestablish His Covenant and remove sin, How?
Noah & The Flood:
Noah is the 1st prototype of a ‘Savior’ but he has the same problem Adam had: Sin
Genesis 6:7-8
So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
- We see the themes of judgement for sin and salvation by grace
The Flood was not really a ‘Renewal of Creation’ because the sin problem came with Noah, even though he was favored of God He could not give others God favor…
Two chapters later; Tower of Babel: ‘Make a name for ourselves’…the sin of pride
In the flood we do see a foreshadowing of ‘The New Creation’ to come
Abraham & The Patriarchs:
The promise of God’s redemption finds a people to be the source
From Abraham to Issac (The Child of Promise) to Jacob ‘Israel’ a nation is set apart
Abraham is declared righteous by faith and his ‘spiritual descendants’ will be also
God promised Abraham He would bless all people through his descendants
Abraham was about to sacrifice that son of promise…
Genesis 22:13-14
Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns.He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
- He was willing to sacrifice everything for God…surrender
Many believe the exact spot where this happened is where Jesus was Crucified!
The necessary sacrifice would have to be provided by God Himself…BE God Himself
Moses, The Exodus & The Law:
Exodus: Deliverance from Bondage to Egypt (God given redemption)
A promised land of ‘Rest’ living by God’s law (God given peace; Shalom)
Moses is the Prophet that delivers His People…(God given direction)
The ‘Tabernacle’ where God dwells with them (God Given Community)
It all Points to a Greater Expression of God’s Love!
A Greater Exodus: The Exodus from Egypt foreshadowed deliverance from sin
A Greater Rest: Promise of ‘Rest’ in the promised land…Christ would bring true rest
A Greater Prophet: Moses foretold of a greater prophet, the anticipated Messiah
A Greater Tabernacle: God dwelling in believers…Fullness of that brought by Christ
David The King:
A convergence of previous promises in David, another prototype Savior
He is God’s chosen leader, yet He is not the one who will be the true savior
2 Samuel 7:12b-14
I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.
- The promised Messiah, one who would do what humanity itself could not do
The beginning of a line of humanity that God will bring the Messiah from…
David & Solomon represent the apex of the nation of Israel…
The Prophets:
God speaks thru the prophets to clarify what He is doing
They review and preview all redemptive History: (Sin / Judgement / Redemption)
They point to what God will ultimately do to restore Shalom…(Right Relationship)
Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- The fullness of the Triune God is to be revealed in the promised Messiah
Jesus The Messiah:
God used human types to foreshadow the all God all human Messiah: Christ!
All scripture was setting the stage for the advent of God’s salvation bringer
We truly understand Jesus the Christ by understanding the Old Testament
If we understand ‘The Whole Story’ we understand how we are to surrender our lives
Luke 1: 30-33
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
- It all comes together in Jesus Christ
- All pointing to eternity where God restores everything
I hope this overview inspires you
I have a challenge for us as a to search the Old Testament Scriptures
A challenge for our church in the coming year:
Read the whole Bible in a year! Back to the Bible.org One year reading plans