Christ in the Old Testament

"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter." 
- Proverbs 25:2

The Mystery of the Scarlet Thread
This week at Christian Fellowship, we started a new series on the prophecies concerning Christ. Scholars often refer to these prophecies as the “Scarlet Thread” that binds the Old and New Testaments together. It is mysterious, and often hidden deep in scripture.

Bible scholars suggest there are more than 300 Old Testament prophetic Scriptures fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ. Circumstances such as his birthplace, lineage, and method of execution were beyond Christ's control and could not have been accidentally or deliberately fulfilled. While this in itself is a staggering statistic, let's also take into account that no other story has the same kind of unified storyline.

The Bible was written over a period of 1500 years with some 40 authors and contains ONE storyline from start to finish. No other book has ever come close to that kind of consistency. Take Star Wars for example: the story was originally written just 50 years ago with one author  and now has had over 100 authors culminating in an estimated 1,000+ Star Wars publications from books, movies, and video games, all the way to exclusive Content for Disney+. Each author has access to the original creator of the story, yet now the story is deeply fractured and has about 100 plots and subplots that don't match up.

 The Scarlet Thread helps us understand the Divine inspiration of Scripture and its Authority.  Here is a Partial road Map through the Scarlet Thread!

47 Old Testament Verses About Jesus as Messiah and their Fulfilment 

  • 1 Messiah would be born of a woman.  Genesis 3:15  \  Matthew 1:20 Galatians 4:4
  • 2 Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2.  \  Matthew 2:1 Luke 2:4-6
  • 3 Messiah would be born of a virgin. Isaiah 7:14 \ Matthew 1:22-23 Luke 1:26-31
  • 4 Messiah would come from the line of Abraham. Genesis 12:3 Genesis 22:18 \ Matthew 1:1 Romans 9:5
  • 5 Messiah would be a descendant of Isaac. Genesis 17:19 Genesis 21:12 \ Luke 3:34
  • 6 Messiah would be a descendant of Jacob. Numbers 24:17 \ Matthew 1:2
  • 7 Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah. Genesis 49:10 \ Luke 3:33 Hebrews 7:14
  • 8 Messiah would be heir to King David's throne. 2 Samuel 7:12-13 Isaiah 9:7  \ Luke 1:32-33 Romans 1:3
  • 9 Messiah's throne will be anointed and eternal. Psalm 45:6-7 Daniel 2:44  \ Luke 1:33 Hebrews 1:8-12
  • 10 Messiah would be called Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14  \ Matthew 1:23
  • 11 Messiah would spend a season in Egypt.Hosea 11:1Matthew 2:14-15
  • 12 A massacre of children would happen at Messiah's birthplace. Jeremiah 31:15  \ Matthew 2:16-18
  • 13 A messenger would prepare the way for Messiah. Isaiah 40:3-5   \   Luke 3:3-6
  • 14 Messiah would be preceded by a forerunner. Malachi 3:1   \   Matthew 11:10
  • 15 Messiah would be rejected by his own people. Psalm 69:8 Isaiah 53:3   \   John 1:11 John 7:5
  • 16 Messiah would be a prophet. Deuteronomy 18:15   \   Acts 3:20-22
  • 17 Messiah would be preceded by Elijah. Malachi 4:5-6   \   Matthew 11:13-14
  • 18 Messiah would be declared the Son of God. Psalm 2:7   \   Matthew 3:16-17
  • 19 Messiah would be called a Nazarene. Isaiah 11:1   \   Matthew 2:23
  • 20 Messiah would bring light to Galilee. Isaiah 9:1-2    \   Matthew 4:13-16
  • 21 Messiah would speak in parables. Psalm 78:2-4 Isaiah 6:9-10   \   Matthew 13:10-15, 34-35
  • 22 Messiah would be sent to heal the brokenhearted. Isaiah 61:1-2   \   Luke 4:18-19
  • 23  Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Psalm 110:4   \   Hebrews 5:5-6
  • 24 Messiah would be called King. Psalm 2:6 Zechariah 9:9   \   Matthew 27:37 Mark 11:7-11
  • 25 Messiah would enter Jerusalem on a donkey. Zechariah 11:12   \   Matthew 21:4-5
  • 26 Messiah would be praised by little children. Psalm 8:2   \   Matthew 21:16
  • 27 Messiah would be betrayed. Psalm 41:9 Zechariah 11:12-13   \   Luke 22:47-48 Matthew 26:14-16
  • 28 Messiah's price money would be used to buy a potter's field. Zechariah 11:12-13   \   Matthew 27:9-10
  • 29 Messiah would be falsely accused. Psalm 35:11   \   Mark 14:57-58
  • 30 Messiah would be silent before his accusers. Isaiah 53:7Mark 15:4-5
  • 31 Messiah would be spat upon and struck. Isaiah 50:6   \   Matthew 26:67
  • 32 Messiah would be hated without cause. Psalm 35:19 Psalm 69:4   \   John 15:24-25
  • 33  Messiah would be crucified with criminals. Isaiah 53:12   \   Matthew 27:38 Mark 15:27-28
  • 34 Messiah would be given vinegar to drink.  Psalm 69:21vMatthew 27:34 John 19:28-30
  • 35 Messiah's hands and feet would be pierced. Psalm 22:16 Zechariah 12:10John 20:25-27
  • 36 Messiah would be mocked and ridiculed.  Psalm 22:7-8Luke 23:35
  • 37 Soldiers would gamble for Messiah's garments. Psalm 22:18Luke 23:34 Matthew 27:35-36
  • 38 Messiah's bones would not be broken. Exodus 12:46 Psalm 34:20John 19:33-36
  • 39 Messiah would be forsaken by God. Psalm 22:1   \   Matthew 27:46
  • 40 Messiah would pray for his enemies.Psalm 109:4   \   Luke 23:34
  • 41 Soldiers would pierce Messiah's side. Zechariah 12:10   \   John 19:34
  • 42 Messiah would be buried with the rich. Isaiah 53:9   \   Matthew 27:57-60
  • 43 Messiah would resurrect from the dead. Psalm 16:10 Psalm 49:15   \   Matthew 28:2-7 Acts 2:22-32
  • 44 Messiah would ascend to heaven. Psalm 24:7-10   \   Mark 16:19 Luke 24:51
  • 45 Messiah would be seated at God's right hand. Psalm 68:18 Psalm 110:1 \  Mark 16:19 Matthew 22:44
  • 46 Messiah would be a sacrifice for sin. Isaiah 53:5-12  \ Romans 5:6-8
  • 47 Messiah would return a second time. Daniel  7:13-14  \  Revelation 19

Discussion Guide

1. Where have you seen Jesus in the Old Testament? How does this prove the relevancy or authenticity of The Old Testament today?

2. Why is Genesis 3 so pivotal to our understanding of the Gospel? What is the difference between God's Justice and Man’s?

3. The scarlet worm sacrificed itself for its offspring, just as God sacrificed Jesus for us, His children. How can you sacrifice yourself to further the kingdom as scripture tells us? What does that sacrifice look like on the daily?

4. We went over how the word “scarlet” in scripture translates into Hebrew to mean “Destroy the Son of Man, completing the mighty work of God”. How does knowing the intricacies of scripture and the Hebrew language help you in your faith? What is the importance or relevance of the nuances of the Hebrew language?

5. Could you lead someone to Christ using the Old Testament? What scriptures would you use?

BONUS CHALLENGE: What other Hebrew words point to Christ?

2 Comments


Rob Hitt - November 27th, 2023 at 4:43pm

Ibhave always been taught and believed that the OT and NT go hand in hand. The NT is a fulfillment and future fulfillment of the OT. I believe a person can be lead to the Lord, by using the OT, in relation of the prophecies pointing towards Jesus, His earthly life and ministry, death / resurrection, imminent return and His gift of salvation.

Victoria Jaramillo - November 28th, 2023 at 9:53am

Thank you Spencer, the scarlet thread, wow that was awesome. It is so amazing to see how the old testament points to the Lord Jesus Christ, to the cross, There is no one like Him. Thank you for the teaching, l look forward to the next one.