Christ in the OT


I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. ~ I Corinthians 10:1-4


 and


The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test. Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also?

Therefore the LORD himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. ~ Isaiah 7:10-14


 I don’t read the Bible like a flat line. I don’t see all of the passages in the Bible sitting equally side by side so that you can pick one and then counter it with another and go back and forth endlessly, always leading you to the randomness of God. I read it as an unfolding story, with an arc, a trajectory, a movement and momentum like all great stories have. There are earlier parts in the story, and there are later parts in the story. The story is headed somewhere, and a Christian, I see it headed to Jesus. Because of this, I read it through the lens of Jesus, especially the parts that come before the specifically Jesus parts. ~ Rob Bell
Two short readings for today, one New Testament, one Old Testament.  

Both, however, having everything to do with Hebrew scriptures and the place of the Christ in them.  From the Isaiah passage is one of our beloved Christmas texts.  We are used to hearing prophesies from the Old Testament in regards to Christmas.

But what's going on with Paul?  Baptism?  Rock is Christ?  What does that mean?

Some of that uncertainty comes from not always being able to reconcile the God we see in the Old Testament to the God of the New.  It's the same God, yet while we know that, it doesn't always make sense.

 Rob Bell's quote gives us an answer that is helpful I think.


As Christians, Jesus is like our lens.  He's the filter we see through.  In this narrative of life the story has been unfolding through time - since creation.  The Bible is the story of that life of faith.  The journey of God and God's people - leading always to Christ.  As Martin Luther put it, the Bible is the "cradle for Christ."  It lifts Christ up for us.

That isn't to say that there wasn't a lot of other stuff going on in the OT.  There was.  The OT stories stand as rich and alive even on their own merit. But now on the other side of the cross, we can look back and see the story unfolding and God preparing us.  And the saving waters at Horeb prepare and remind us of the saving waters of our baptism.  Clothed in Christ we and seeing through the lens of Christ, we can see God's work unfolding and leading always to Jesus as the Christ, with us.
God of story and life, help me to see your saving work unfolding in my life and unfolding in the world.  Help me to be part of your story!  Amen.
Thoughts for engagement:

Can you think of any other stories in the Old Testament - the Hebrew Scriptures - that point to Christ? Read the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt or of King Ahaz.

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