The story of Jesus does not begin with Mary's pregnancy or in a manger in Bethlehem. The Messiah is spoken of quite often, and some of the most common references made in the prophesies of the Old Testament are those related to the death of Jesus. Among these is the famous betrayal by Judas, which is believed to be revealed in Psalms 41:9: Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. Passages in the Old Testament are believed to prophesize not only the crucifixion of Christ, but also that Jesus would be crucified among thieves. Other Old Testament references to Jesus' death include the following:
Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. -Psalm 22:16
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. -Isaiah 53:12
Interestingly, some believe that a passage in the Old Testament predicts the Messiah's burial in a rich man’s tomb: He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. -Isaiah 53:9
In any case, from Genesis to Malachi, God reveals the Messiah to the Hebrew people. Details of his birth, his life and his death are contained throughout the O.T. And yet the people of Israel missed him. They had all the information you could ever need to know him- and they missed him. Are we any different today? Do we miss the signs and wonders that are evidence of Jesus? Pray that those in your life who have not seen the Messiah will see evidence of him in your life. Let your light shine!
He Is Risen!
He is risen indeed.
ReplyDeleteIt's awesome to go back to the OT and see how Christ is preached through the voices of the prophets. God is indeed thorough and His love and mercy are evident even in the midst of the harshest sections of Scripture.
Thanks for the post!