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Theology > Jesus > Anticipation of Christ > Confirmations of Christ


CONFIRMATIONS OF CHRIST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Lu. 24:27

Multiple statements appear in the New Testament affirming that the person and work of Christ is the theme of the Scriptures, meaning the Old Testament. Throughout the Old Testament are multiple anticipations of the Messiah, and the writers of the New Testament consistently and constantly relate these anticipations to events in the life of Christ and to events related to the life of Christ.

An examination of the hundreds of references in the four Gospels will show that the four authors regarded the events of the New Testament as the consummation of a redemptive history that began where the Old Testament narrative begins. Jesus Christ of the New Testament is indeed both the Messiah of Israel and the hope of the nations whom the Old Testament prophesies (Robert Duncan Culver, Systematic Theology, 428-9).

Following is a selection of texts that support this point, with special attention focused upon Matthew and Acts:

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet (Matt. 1:22);

Herod the king . . . inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet” (Matt. 2:3-5);

This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet (Matt. 2:15);

Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah (Matt. 2:17);

And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene (Matt. 2:23);

For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah (Matt. 3:3);

so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled (Matt. 4:14);

This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah (Matt. 12:17);

Many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it (Matt. 13:17);

Without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet (Matt. 13:34-35);

This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet (Matt. 21:4);

Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written” (Matt. 26:31);

But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled (Matt. 26:56);

Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah (Matt. 27:9);

Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet (Matt. 27:35);

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself (Lu. 24:27);

We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph (Jo. 1:45);

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me (Jo. 5:39);

For David says concerning Him (Acts 2:25);

David . . . foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ (Acts 2:31);

But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He thus fulfilled (Acts 3:18);

And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days (Acts 3:24);

Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus (Acts 8:35);

To Him all the prophets bear witness (Acts 10:43);

And we bring to you the good news—that promise which was made to the fathers (Acts 13:32);

And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead (Acts 17:2-3);

To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:22-23);

For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy, as it is written (Rom. 15:8-9);

It is important to note that it is not some of the Old Testament, or just specific passages, that speak of Christ but the entire Old Testament relates to Him in some manner. This was the claim of Jesus: “He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Lu. 24:27). In “all the Scriptures” there were “things concerning Himself.” And Jesus, the Son of God, is the one giving the exposition.


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