Who is Christ?

Christ in the Old Testament

The “I am” statements of Christ

I Am	Exo 3:1-20; Isa 41:4; 43:10-13	John 6:20; 8:24,28,58; 18:5;
I Am the bread of Life	Exo 16; Deu 8:3; Psa 78:23-25	John 6:22-59 esp. verses 28-35
I Am the Light of the World	Exo 13:17-22 (cf. Exo 14:19-20); Isa 42:6; 49:6	John 8:12-30. See also John 1:4-5; 3:19-21; 9:5; 12:35-36)
I Am the door or gate	Psalms 118:20	John 10:1-10
I Am the Good Shepherd	Isa 40:11; Eze 34; Jer 23; Num 27:15-18; Micah 5:4	John 10:11-18
I Am the Resurrection and the Life	Gen 1-3; Isa 53:10	John 11:17-27
I Am the way, the truth, and the life	Exo 26:33; Lev 16	John 14:6
I Am the true vine	Isa 5:1-7; 27:2-6	John 15:1-6

It’s surprising how explicit the New Testament authors are about Jesus’ presence in the Old Testament:

• The “I am” in whom Abraham rejoiced was Jesus (John 8:56?58).
• The Lord who motivated Moses was Christ (Hebrews 11:26).
• The Redeemer who brought them out of Egypt was Jesus (Jude 1:5).
• The Rock in the wilderness was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4).
• The King of Isaiah’s temple vision was the Son (John 12:40-41).

Jesus is not merely patterned and promised in the Old Testament; he is present.