I was reading through the Old Testament the other day when I came across some fascinating passages that seem to refer to and foreshadow Jesus arriving as the Messiah.
Isaiah 53:2 says, “He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”
This could easily be describing Jesus’ humble beginnings and his eventual crucifixion.
Psalm 22:16-18 says, “They pierces my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them, and cast lots for my clothing.” Psalm 22 also says, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This is another clear reference to Jesus’ crucifixion.
These verses sound eerily similar to the way that Jesus was treated during his crucifixion. The soldiers pierced his hands and feet and divided his clothing among themselves.
And finally, in Daniel 7, we find a dream vision in which a divine being known as “the Ancient of Days” comes to judge the world. This being looks an awful lot like Jesus!
All of these references to Jesus in the Old Testament are absolutely amazing to me. It’s incredible how accurately they foreshadowed his life and death.
It’s amazing to think that all of these things were written long before Jesus was even born. But they serve as a reminder that he is the Messiah–the one who came to save us from our sin. Thank you, Lord, for sending your Son to die for us!
