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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. Isaiah 53:7

Read: Isaiah 53
Listen: Isaiah 53

TODAY’S MESSAGE

After his resurrection, Jesus explains to his disciples that the law, prophets and Psalms (known as the Old Testament) point to him (Luke 24:44). The Ethiopian eunuch comes to faith by reading Isaiah 53 and listening to Philip’s explanation of the prophet’s message about Jesus (Acts 8:35). In fact, Isaiah points to Jesus in so many ways that some scholars have even labeled it “the fifth gospel.”

Studying and understanding the Old Testament is so valuable. Through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, the writers point to Jesus through people, events, imagery and symbols. Isaiah 53 reveals what Jesus would suffer on the cross as he is “pierced for our transgressions” and “crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). Events like the Exodus, when Moses led people out of slavery in Egypt, provide a picture of the greater exodus Jesus offers: freedom from slavery to sin. The more we understand the Bible as one big story, with Jesus’s life, death and resurrection as the climax, the more our faith in him deepens, as well as our ability to share the gospel with others.

TODAY: Commit or re-commit to journeying with us this year as we look for Jesus in the Old Testament. Ask God to help you to love the Old Testament and open your eyes to how it points to him (Luke 24:31).

JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Read Exodus 14-15. Highlight anything that points to Jesus. Note the crossing of the sea and consider how Jesus passes through the water in baptism.