Friday, August 31, 2018

Comparing Types Of Christ In Old And New Testament Books

By Carolyn Graham


Many Christians believe that the facts of Jesus are all contained in the New Testament. These are the books, after all, that describe how He lived, taught, died, and was resurrected. Jesus Himself refers repeatedly to Old Testament teachings when He is speaking to His believers. Old Testament references that Jesus takes for Himself are not physical but rather prophecies, pictures, and shadows that give allusions to the different types of Christ.

The tree of life is referenced in Genesis. We are given a picture of the tree that God planted within the midst of the Garden of Eden, just as much later He transplanted His Son in the midst of His people. In Revelations Jesus is depicted as the tree of life bearing twelve fruits, the apostles, with the leaves of the tree spreading to heal the nations.

The Ark represented salvation to Noah and his family. Once they had all the animals on deck they shut the door behind them and were safe. In the same way Jesus is man's salvation. Just as Noah believed the Ark would keep them safe from destruction, Christians believe that Jesus will never let them perish.

Old Testament Jacob dreamed of a ladder reaching into heaven with angels descending and ascending it. In the New Testament Jesus is depicted as the intermediary, or ladder, between man and God. Through Jesus we see angels and God. In the same way, the Passover Lamb in Exodus becomes the Lamb of God, Jesus, in the New Testament.

Jesus tells us He is the bread of Life, and anyone who comes to Him will never hunger. In the Old Testament the children of Israel wandered in the desert for forty years. During that time they had nothing but manna, or bread, to eat. In the New Testament Jesus says we have to come to Him, and believe, in order to be fed spiritually.

In one of the conversations Moses has with God, he is instructed to call the elders and travel to Horeb. He will see a rock there that he is to strike. Water will emanate from the rock and give the Israelites sustenance. Paul tells the same story with a twist in his 1st letter to his Corinthian followers. In it he refers to the rock as representing Jesus in a spiritual sense dispensing spiritual sustenance.

When God told King David that he would not be the one building the temple, the job was turned over to Solomon. This will become the house where God resides. Only those willing to repent will be allowed to enter. Jesus says that He is the temple and if His enemies attempt to destroy the temple, He will rebuilt it in three days.

Today a lot of Christians find Old Testament readings difficult. It contains the books that Jesus read and studied however. He continually refers to Himself in terms the people of the Old Testament would have understood. In order to fully understand Him today, we need to become more familiar with His Bible.




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