Don Stewart :: What Prophetic Pictures Are Given of Christ before He Became a Human Being?

There are three special pictures that the Old Testament gives of Christ. They are the slain lamb, the obedient servant, and the beloved Son.

The Slain Lamb

The Passover lamb (Exodus 12) was a prophetic picture of Jesus. John the Baptist identified Jesus as the lamb of God.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29).

The Obedient Servant

The Old Testament also portrayed Jesus as the obedient servant.

Sacrifice and meal offering you have not desired; my ears you have opened; burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, "Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do your will, O my God; your Law is within my heart (Psalm 40:6-8).

A wonder picture of Jesus as the obedient servant is found in the Hebrew slave.

If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment. If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone. But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,' then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently (Exodus 21:2-6).

In this example, the slave was unwilling to claim his rightful freedom. Because of his love for his master and their family he voluntarily submitted to them forever.

The idea that Jesus was the servant of the Lord is found especially in the gospel of Mark.

The Beloved Son

Jesus was also prophetically pictured as the beloved Son.

I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: he said to me, "You are my son today I have become your Father" (Psalm 2:7).

The Psalmist wrote.

He will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.' I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth. I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail. I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure (Psalm 89:26-29).

Jesus Is Acknowledged At His Baptism And Transfiguration

Jesus was called the beloved Son at his baptism and transfiguration. At His baptism the Father acknowledged Jesus.

And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).

We find the same thing occurring at His transfiguration.

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to him!" (Matthew 17:5).

Summary

The Old Testament gives a number of prophetic pictures of the coming Messiah. Three of the most outstanding ones are the slain lamb, the obedient servant, and the beloved Son.