Easter is a season of celebration and reflection on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For many Christians, it marks the pinnacle of the Christian faith, celebrating the ultimate victory over sin, death, and the grave. However, while the events of Easter are clearly recorded in the New Testament, the concept of resurrection, redemption, and victory over death is not exclusive to the New Testament. These themes are deeply embedded in the Old Testament as well, and many prophecies and types point forward to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In fact, the Old Testament contains numerous verses that foretell the coming of the Messiah and the ultimate resurrection, laying the foundation for the events that would unfold in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus Himself, when speaking to the disciples after His resurrection, said that everything written in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled concerning Him (Luke 24:44). This article explores 20 Bible verses from the Old Testament that reflect the themes of death, resurrection, and victory over sin—key elements of what we celebrate during Easter.
By examining these verses, we will see how Easter is not only a New Testament revelation but is also rooted in God‘s eternal plan, unfolding across the pages of the Old Testament. Let us journey through these passages and see how they point us to the ultimate hope found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1. Genesis 22:8 (KJV)
“And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.”
In this profound moment of Abraham’s faith, he speaks prophetically about the ultimate sacrifice that God will provide—a lamb for the offering. This passage points to the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who is often referred to as the Lamb of God. The sacrifice of Jesus was the fulfillment of this prophetic declaration.
2. Genesis 3:15 (KJV)
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
This verse, often referred to as the “Protoevangelium” (the first gospel), speaks of the battle between Satan (the serpent) and the “seed of the woman,” which is a prophecy of the coming Messiah. Jesus, through His death and resurrection, defeated Satan, bruising his head, while Satan bruised His heel in the process of the crucifixion.
3. Psalm 16:10 (KJV)
“For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”
This verse is prophetic of Jesus’ resurrection. It points to the fact that God’s Holy One would not remain in the grave and would not experience decay. Peter quotes this verse in Acts 2:27, identifying it as a prophecy about Jesus’ resurrection.
4. Psalm 22:1 (KJV)
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
This Psalm is a powerful foreshadowing of the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus quoted this very verse while hanging on the cross, signifying the anguish He experienced as He took on the sins of the world. The rest of the psalm goes on to describe His suffering and ultimate victory, making it a vivid depiction of the Easter story.
5. Psalm 22:16-18 (KJV)
“For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.”
This Psalm is often seen as a direct prophecy of the crucifixion of Jesus. The specific reference to the piercing of His hands and feet and the casting of lots for His garments accurately reflects the details of His suffering and death, all of which were part of the Easter narrative.
6. Isaiah 53:3-5 (KJV)
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53 is one of the most explicit Old Testament prophecies concerning the suffering and death of Jesus. This passage speaks to the substitutionary atonement of Christ—He bore our sins and our pain, and through His suffering, we find healing. This is a central theme of the Easter message.
7. Isaiah 53:10 (KJV)
“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.”
This verse speaks to the sacrificial nature of Jesus’ death and the resurrection that follows. The “pleasure of the Lord” prospering in His hand refers to the victory of the resurrection, where Jesus is not left in the grave but is exalted and His work of salvation is completed.
8. Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
While this verse is often associated with the birth of Jesus, it also points forward to the full revelation of who Jesus is—the Mighty God who will bring peace through His death and resurrection. Easter celebrates the fulfillment of this prophecy as Jesus accomplishes His mission.
9. Hosea 6:2 (KJV)
“After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.”
This passage in Hosea points to the resurrection of the Messiah on the third day, a clear foreshadowing of Jesus’ resurrection. The “third day” is significant in the Easter story, as Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion.
10. Jonah 1:17 (KJV)
“Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”
Jesus Himself referenced the story of Jonah as a foreshadowing of His own death and resurrection (Matthew 12:40). Just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days, so would Jesus be in the heart of the earth for three days before rising again.
11. Zechariah 12:10 (KJV)
“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”
This prophecy, fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus, speaks of the piercing of the Messiah. The sorrow and mourning described here point to the mourning of the disciples and the Jewish people over Jesus’ death and their eventual recognition of Him as the risen Savior.
12. Psalm 110:1 (KJV)
“The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”
This passage, quoted by Jesus and referred to by Peter in Acts 2, speaks of the exaltation of the Messiah after His resurrection. Jesus, seated at the right hand of God, is in a position of authority, having defeated death and sin.
13. Psalm 49:15 (KJV)
“But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.”
This verse speaks to the hope of resurrection. The psalmist declares that God will redeem His soul from death, a theme that is fully realized in the resurrection of Jesus. Through Christ’s resurrection, believers are also promised victory over the grave.
14. Daniel 12:2 (KJV)
“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
This passage speaks to the resurrection of the dead, a theme that is fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus and the hope of resurrection for all believers. Jesus’ resurrection is the firstfruits of the resurrection to come.
15. Exodus 12:46 (KJV)
“In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.”
This verse refers to the Passover lamb, which was to be eaten in its entirety, and no bone was to be broken. This is a clear foreshadowing of Jesus, the Lamb of God, whose bones were not broken during His crucifixion (John 19:36), pointing to His perfect and complete sacrifice.
16. Exodus 14:13-14 (KJV)
“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
This passage reflects the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, symbolizing the ultimate deliverance that comes through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Just as God delivered Israel from slavery, Jesus’ resurrection brings deliverance from sin and death.
17. Exodus 17:6 (KJV)
“Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.”
The smiting of the rock in the wilderness is a powerful type of Christ, who was struck for our sins so that living water could flow to us. The rock that was smitten points to Christ’s sacrifice, which brings spiritual nourishment and life to all who believe.
18. Numbers 21:9 (KJV)
“And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”
Jesus refers to this event in John 3:14-15, likening Himself to the bronze serpent that was lifted up in the wilderness. Just as the Israelites were healed by looking at the serpent, so too are we healed by looking to Jesus, lifted up on the cross.
19. 1 Samuel 2:10 (KJV)
“The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
This passage looks forward to the ultimate victory of the Messiah, the “Anointed One,” who will judge the earth and triumph over His enemies. The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate demonstration of His power and authority over all.
20. Deuteronomy 18:15 (KJV)
“The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.”
This prophecy, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, speaks of a Prophet who will lead God’s people. Jesus is that Prophet, whose death and resurrection bring salvation to all who listen to His voice.
Conclusion
The Old Testament is filled with prophecies, types, and shadows that point to the coming of Jesus Christ and His ultimate work of salvation through His death and resurrection. While Easter is primarily celebrated in the New Testament, the roots of this great event can be found throughout the Old Testament, as these 20 verses illustrate. From Genesis to Deuteronomy, the psalms to the prophets, God has revealed His plan for redemption long before the events of the cross and resurrection unfolded.
As we reflect on these passages, we are reminded of God’s eternal plan of salvation and His faithfulness to bring it to fulfillment through Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus is not only the hope of Easter but the hope of all eternity, securing for believers victory over sin, death, and the grave.
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