Jesus in the Old Testament:
Key Verse
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17
Understand the key verse with the following: fulfill means to fill out; complete or made them perfect; to accomplish an end. Jesus came to complete the promise God made to Adam and Eve (and all of mankind) in the garden after they sinned. So, when Jesus came he did not take away the importance of the Old Testament law and prophets, instead he fulfilled the words spoken and preached for he accomplished what God required of Him. That allowed him to be the perfect sacrifice to appease the wrath of a just and righteous God.
In this lesson we will look at verses from of the Old Testament that were prophecies of Jesus that He fulfilled. We cannot cover all of the verses listed in the Old Testament in one lesson’s time. We will only go over one verse for each of the 5 divisions we have been learning about this quarter. We will eventually try to cover many of them.
We will also look at a great plot against Paul to kill him because he lived as a Christian, preaching Jesus to the lost. Paul, the apostle, used this in his defense before Festus: Acts 24:14: “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:”
He believed all things which are written in the law and the prophets.
Do you?
Our goal in this study is to let the Old Testament become much more to us than a bunch of “stories” abut people who lived a long time ago. We will search and find out why these people wanted to obey God and how they knew He would one day send Jesus. These “stories” will be an encouragement to us that God is with us and takes care of His people.
Optional Worksheets to be downloaded:
Lesson 13 – Volume 1 Children’s Worksheet 1
Lesson 13 – Volume 1 Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet
Ideas for children:
In any lesson, you may want to work on your coloring timeline – especially when it relates to the lesson.
Display the poster of the books of the Old Testament (may be downloaded from lesson 4 blog). Remind your students that the Old Testament is all to remind the people to look forward to the coming of Jesus. You may find a coloring picture that fits today’s lesson. There are many free coloring sheets online. Just type in a favorite and search away!
Give each of them a small blank book (or make foam journal, or staple blank pages inside a construction paper cover) and let them add stickers to remind them of Jesus. Have them draw Bible stories from the Old Testament inside as you have time. Remind them that the Old Testament is all to remind the people of Jesus. Also have a coloring sheet.
Mural idea:
On wall in your classroom that is a mural: Have your students write (on a large puzzle piece) an Old Testament prophecy we looked at today with the New Testament fulfillment. Use 2 different colors of markers (or crayons) to distinguish between the two.
Continue having them bring a picture, a news article, a poem they have written, a picture they may have drawn, etc. of something that is relevant to each of the following week’s lessons. Encourage everyone to participate. Watch as it grows weekly, as they express what God is revealing to them through our study of how the Bible fits into His plan to help us become more like Him.
